Language assessments are offered throughout the summer as part of our summer orientation program.  Students who are unable to come during the summer may take the assessment during orientation week, just prior to the start of fall classes.   Transfer students who start Saint Michael's in the spring semester, may take the language assessment during orientation weekend in January.

The assessment consists of two parts.  The first part is an objective, multiple-choice test of reading, grammar and vocabulary.  The second part is a short writing assessment (except in Ancient Greek and Latin which do not require writing samples). 

Students are placed either in beginning, low-intermediate or advance-level language classes, depending on their score.  Students who place at the beginning level will be required to take up to 10 credits of language; students at the low-intermediate level will be required to take up to 5 credits. Students who test beyond low-intermediate are considered proficient and are not required to continue in language unless they want to.  Many students do choose to go on, either in their tested language or by starting a third language.

You may wonder how many students are assessed as proficient when they enter Saint Michael's.  In a recent class, nearly 40% of the students were either placed in low-intermediate-level language classes or were assessed as proficient.  It is important not to worry about the assessment; its purpose is to help us place students in the most appropriate way.