Language Placement
Chinese Language Placement
Back to topStudents taking Chinese for the first time on Emory’s Atlanta campus, regardless of prior experience, are required to take the test. To receive GER credit, they must take Chinese language courses at or above the level and in the track (i.e. heritage vs. non-heritage) they are placed into. The results of the placement exam will not be reported to the registrar or recorded on a transcript.
The result of the Chinese Language Placement Test is valid for 2 years (from the original date they take the test). Students will not be able to re-take the placement test within these 2 years and should take the course they’re placed into. After 2 years, they may ask to re-take the placement test. It’s suggested that students enroll in a Chinese language course right after they receive their placement result.
The Chinese Language Placement Test is to be completed in accordance with the provisions set forth in the Emory College Honor Code, and every student who applies to and is accepted by Emory College, as a condition of acceptance, agrees to abide by the provisions of the Honor Code so long as he or she remains a student at Emory College.
Sections 4 (c) and 4 (d) of the Honor Code cite the following types of academic misconduct as violating the Honor Code and grounds for sanctions:
(c) Seeking, using, giving, or obtaining unauthorized assistance or information in any academic assignment or examination;
(d) Intentionally giving false information to professors, instructors, or university officials for the purpose of gaining academic advantage;
These charges include giving any false answers or information on the questionnaire portion of the placement test, or intentionally underperforming on the placement test. You are therefore expected to complete the Chinese Language Placement Test individually, without help from others, and to complete it to the best of your ability.
By continuing from this page to the actual placement test page on Canvas, you automatically accept and re-affirm your pledge to abide by the Honor Code of Emory University.
The Chinese program reserves the right to adjust the placement results at any point of a semester and may do so as s/he deems necessary or appropriate. Students will be responsible for any disruption in class schedule such adjustments may result in.
The following definitions are used by the Chinese program to determine eligibility to take Chinese for HAL and placement.
Native speaker
Students who meet the following criteria are considered native and are NOT eligible to take Chinese language courses tagged as HAL or HAL/HAP:
- Students who have completed elementary school in a country or area where Mandarin Chinese is the official language or one of the official languages AND
- Mandarin Chinese is most commonly spoken by members of the family for everyday interactions at home
Heritage speaker
Students who meet the following criteria are considered heritage and are required to take Chinese language courses in the heritage track (CHN103, 203, 303, and 403).
- Students who are raised in a home where Mandarin Chinese is commonly spoken by members of the family including grandparents for everyday interactions at home, AND
- Students who speak or merely understand Mandarin Chinese and are to some degree bilingual in English and Mandarin Chinese. AND
- Students who have grown up in a country/society in which the primary language is not Mandarin Chinese
AP/IB Credit
Students who achieve 4 or 5 on the Chinese AP exam or 6 or 7 on the IB may receive 3 credits equivalent of CHN102. To fulfill the GER language requirement, students must take a course above CHN102. Placement is required to determine the first course to take at both the Atlanta and Oxford campuses.
Japanese Language Placement
Back to topThe Japanese Language Placement Test is designed to determine your level of knowledge of Japanese for the purpose of course placement at Emory.
If you have no prior knowledge of Japanese, you do not need to take the test; you may enroll in Elementary Japanese I (JPN101). All students who have previous experience with Japanese, whether through high school or university classes, tutoring, extensive self-study (> 1 year) or as a home language, are required to take the test.
Please visit the Japanese Placement site and read the instructions carefully to determine if you are eligible for exemption. You must register for the course you are placed into.
While taking the test, remember that you are now an Emory student and must follow the Emory Honor Code.
To Access the Japanese Placement Test
- Log in to Canvas (canvas.emory.edu)
- Click on “Courses” on the navigation bar on the left
- Scroll down and click on “All Courses"
- Then select “Browse More Courses” at the upper-right corner of the page
- Check “Open enrollment courses only,” and then press “Search”
- Hover over the Japanese Placement Test and press "Join this course"
Korean Language Placement
Back to topIf you plan to enroll in a Korean language class for the first time at Emory, you are required to take the Korean Language Placement Test.
After having completed the Korean Language Placement Test, students placing higher than the 101 level will need to contact Dr. Sorin Huh for a permission number in order to complete the enrollment process.
Russian Language Placement
Back to topThe Russian Language Placement Test is designed to determine the level of student's knowledge of Russian, and the results of our exam will not be reported to the registrar, or recorded on your transcript.
If you plan to begin studying Russian, you do not need to take the test; you just can to enroll in the Elementary Russian.
We encourage all students with some prior knowledge of Russian, and especially those who never were enrolled in our Russian Language classes, to take the test.
While taking the test, remember that you are now an Emory student and subject to the Emory Honor Code.
