Welcome Class of 2025

Placement Exams and Information

Placement Exams and Information

The following links provide placement information for the those subject areas that require some action before the start of the term. Additional information is provided on the on related departmental websites and, for foreign languages, on the Center for Language Study website.

NOTE: After August 15, please refer to the CLS website and departmental websites for updated information regarding make-up placement exams for the following six languages: Arabic, French, German, Italian, Korean, and Spanish. After August 15, please refer to the Math Department website for updated information regarding the math make-up placement exam.

Subjects of Study

Arabic

Placement exam Yes
Placement procedure offered without exam No
Exam format Online
Exam date(s) Online: July 1-July 31; oral interview in August
Who should take the exam All students with previous study of Arabic who intend to study Arabic at Yale.
Where instructions are located https://cls.yale.edu/students/placement-testing
How the dept determines placement and where to find information  
Where and when results are posted Results are emailed directly to students within 24 hours of the exam
Contact information for technology issues https://cls.yale.edu/placement-test-support-form
Contact information for placement or departmental issues jonas.elbousty@yale.edu
Other  

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Biology

Placement exam No; for the 2020 - 2021 academic year, a placement exam will not be offered.
Placement procedure offered without exam No
Exam format  
Exam date(s)  
Who should take the exam  
Where instructions are located  
How the dept determines placement and where to find information For the 2020 - 2021 academic year, no placement exam will not be offered.
Where and when results are posted  
Contact information for technology issues  
Contact information for placement or departmental issues Amaleah Hartman or Samantha Lin, Lecturers and BIOL 101-104 Coordinators
Other  

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Chemistry

Placement exam Yes (typically for entrance to advanced courses; see details below)
Placement procedure offered without exam Yes (only for entrance to general chemistry courses; see details below)
Exam format 55-minute online examination; timed, and closed-book format
Exam date(s) July 15 (8:00 a.m. EDT) - July 31 (5:00 p.m. EDT). In order to be added to the exam roster and to obtain further instructions, consult the Chemistry Department’s Chemistry Placement webpage.
Who should take the exam First-year students wishing to take organic or physical chemistry (CHEM 174, 220, or 332), or those wishing to enroll in a higher-level course than recommended by initial general chemistry placement. Additional information regarding course options, as well as exam requirements and review suggestions, may be found on the Chemistry Department’s Chemistry Placement webpage.
Where instructions are located https://chem.yale.edu/academics/undergraduate-program/chemistry-major-yale
How the dept determines placement and where to find information There is no online placement examination for general chemistry. Instead, the Chemistry Department uses a placement procedure to review the preparation of all first-year students. Based on standard test scores, admission records, and other information supplied by the High School Math and Science Survey, the department recommends the appropriate general chemistry course for every member of the first-year class: either CHEM 161 (General Chemistry) or 163 (Advanced General Chemistry). Individuals with a sufficiently strong chemistry background (typically receiving a top score of 5 on the AP chemistry exam or equivalent) may place out of general chemistry and initiate their studies with courses in organic or physical chemistry after demonstrating proficiency on the department’s placement examination. Incoming students are able to view their placement (by early August) at the Canvas site entitled “Course Placement 2020 (CHEM, ECON, MATH, PHYS).”
Where and when results are posted Students who take the online placement exam to gain access to advanced-course options (either organic or physical chemistry, or to transfer from CHEM 161 to CHEM 163) will be informed of their results in early August. Check the Canvas site entitled “Course Placement 2020 (CHEM, ECON, MATH, PHYS).”
Contact information for technology issues Use Canvas Support, at canvas@yale.edu.
Contact information for placement or departmental issues Nilay Hazari, Professor and Director of Undergraduate Studies (DUS), at chemistry.dus@yale.edu
Other  

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Chinese

Placement exam Yes
Placement procedure offered without exam No
Exam format Online
Exam date(s) Online: July 1-July 31; oral interview in August
Who should take the exam All students with previous study of Chinese who intend to study Chinese at Yale
Where instructions are located https://cls.yale.edu/students/placement-testing
How the dept determines placement and where to find information  
Where and when results are posted Results returned via canvas.yale.edu, "Chinese Placement Test Site 20-21"
Contact information for technology issues canvas@yale.edu
Contact information for placement or departmental issues Rongzhen Li, Senior Lector I and Chinese Language Program Coordinator
Other  

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Czech

Placement exam Yes
Placement procedure offered without exam No
Exam format Online
Exam date(s) By arrangement in August
Who should take the exam All students with previous study of Czech who intend to study Czech at Yale
Where instructions are located https://cls.yale.edu/students/placement-testing
How the dept determines placement and where to find information  
Where and when results are posted Results returned via email, by the examiner
Contact information for technology issues  
Contact information for placement or departmental issues Karen von Kunes, Senior Lector I in Slavic Languages & Literatures
Other  

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Economics

Placement exam No
Placement procedure offered without exam Yes
Exam format  
Exam date(s)  
Who should take the exam There is no economics placement exam
Where instructions are located https://economics.yale.edu/undergraduate/freshman-placement
How the dept determines placement and where to find information  
Where and when results are posted

There is no economics placement exam. Instead, each entering first-year student receives an economics placement based on admissions data and information you provided in the Math & Science Survey. Using that information and past experience, the Economics Department determines which economics courses you should consider taking first. You can find your placement on the Canvas BIOL, CHEM, ECON, MATH, PHYS placement site. The majority of first-year students considering an economics course take introductory microeconomics (usually in the fall). That may be followed by introductory macroeconomics or introduction to data analysis and econometrics. Even students who already have a strong high school background in economics find that the Yale introductory micro course is usually the best place to start.  Nevertheless, there are some exceptions. See the Economics Department placement webpage for considerations about under-placement and over-placement.
Click on the Canvas site called "Course Placement 2020 (CHEM, ECON, MATH, PHYS)"
Contact information for technology issues  
Contact information for placement or departmental issues Evangelia Chalioti, Senior Lecturer and Associate Chair
Other  

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English

Placement exam No
Placement procedure offered without exam Yes
Exam format  
Exam date(s)  
Who should take the exam There is no English placement exam
Where instructions are located http://catalog.yale.edu/first-year-student-handbook/academic-information/special-programs-placement-preregistration/english/
How the dept determines placement and where to find information Courses numbered from 114 to 130 are considered introductory and are open to all students in Yale College. Advanced courses are open to upper-level students; the faculty recommends that students both within and outside the major prepare for advanced courses with two introductory courses. In addition, the introductory creative writing course, ENGL 123, is open to any student who has not taken an intermediate or advanced course in the writing of fiction, poetry, or drama
Where and when results are posted  
Contact information for technology issues  
Contact information for placement or departmental issues Jessica Brantley, Professor and Director of Undergraduate Studies, or Sunny Xiang, Assistant Professor and Associate Director of Undergraduate Studies
Other  

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French

Placement exam Yes
Placement procedure offered without exam No
Exam format Online
Exam date(s) July 1-July 31
Who should take the exam All students with previous study of French who intend to study French at Yale
Where instructions are located https://cls.yale.edu/students/placement-testing (for testing) and french.yale.edu (for preregistration)
How the dept determines placement and where to find information Preregstration required via Preference Selection for FREN 110, 121, 130, 140 , and 150
Where and when results are posted Results posted via canvas.yale.edu, “French Placement Test Site 20-21.” by August 7
Contact information for technology issues Use the Placement Test Support Form, https://cls.yale.edu/placement-test-support-form
Contact information for placement or departmental issues Ruth Koizim, Senior Lector and French Language Program Director
Other  

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German

Placement exam Yes
Placement procedure offered without exam No
Exam format Online
Exam date(s) July 1-July 31
Who should take the exam All students with previous study of German who intend to study German at Yale
Where instructions are located https://cls.yale.edu/students/placement-testing
How the dept determines placement and where to find information  
Where and when results are posted Results shown immediately upon completion of exam
Contact information for technology issues Use the Placement Test Support Form, https://cls.yale.edu/placement-test-support-form
Contact information for placement or departmental issues Theresa Schenker, Senior Lector II and German Language Program Director
Other  

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Hebrew

Placement exam Yes
Placement procedure offered without exam No
Exam format Online
Exam date(s) Online: July 1-July 31; remote oral interview in August. An electronic sign-up form for the interviews will be emailed to all students who have taken the online exam.
Who should take the exam All students with previous study of Modern Hebrew who consider studying Modern Hebrew at Yale
Where instructions are located For placement assessment: https://cls.yale.edu/students/placement-testing
How the dept determines placement and where to find information  
Where and when results are posted Results returned via email by end of day, August 7
Contact information for technology issues Use the Placement Test Support Form, https://cls.yale.edu/placement-test-support-form
Contact information for placement or departmental issues shiri.goren@yale.edu, Senior Lector II and Modern Hebrew Language Program Director
Other An electronic sign-up form for the interviews will be emailed to all students who have taken the online exam

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Italian

Placement exam Yes
Placement procedure offered without exam No
Exam format Online
Exam date(s) Online: July 1-July 31; oral interview in August
Who should take the exam All students with previous study of Italian who intend to study Italian at Yale
Where instructions are located https://cls.yale.edu/students/placement-testing
How the dept determines placement and where to find information Preregistration required via Preference Selection for ITAL 110 & 130
Where and when results are posted Results shown immediately upon completion of exam
Contact information for technology issues Use the Placement Test Support Form, https://cls.yale.edu/placement-test-support-form
Contact information for placement or departmental issues Anna Iacovella, Senior Lector I and Italian Language Program Director
Other  

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Japanese

Placement exam Yes
Placement procedure offered without exam No
Exam format Online
Exam date(s) Online: July 1-July 31; oral interview in August
Who should take the exam All students with previous study of Japanese who intend to study Japanese at Yale
Where instructions are located https://cls.yale.edu/students/placement-testing
How the dept determines placement and where to find information https://cls.yale.edu/students/placement-testing
Where and when results are posted Results returned via email by end of day, August 7
Contact information for technology issues Use the Placement Test Support Form, https://cls.yale.edu/placement-test-support-form
Contact information for placement or departmental issues Mari Stever, Senior Lector I in Japanese
Other  

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Korean

Placement exam Yes
Placement procedure offered without exam No
Exam format Online and writing
Exam date(s) Online: July 1-July 31; oral interview in August
Who should take the exam All students with previous study of Korean who intend to study Korean at Yale
Where instructions are located https://cls.yale.edu/students/placement-testing
How the dept determines placement and where to find information  
Where and when results are posted Results returned via email
Contact information for technology issues Use the Placement Test Support Form, https://cls.yale.edu/placement-test-support-form
Contact information for placement or departmental issues Angela Lee-Smith, Senior Lector II and Korean Program Coordinator
Other  

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Math

Placement exam Yes
Placement procedure offered without exam No
Exam format Online
Exam date(s) July 1-July 31
Who should take the exam All students who wish to take calculus during either Fall or Spring of the upcoming academic year
Where instructions are located https://math.yale.edu/undergrad-programs/placement-exam
How the dept determines placement and where to find information  
Where and when results are posted The math placement test is available on a Canvas site called "Math placement 2020". Results can be accessed immediately upon submission of the exam, by clicking on the "placement calculator" tab on the same site. 
Contact information for technology issues Use Canvas Support, at canvas@yale.edu
Contact information for placement or departmental issues Miki Havlickova, Senior Lecturer and Associate Director of Undergraduate Studies, and Brett C. Smith, Lecturer
Other You can find FAQ with information about introductory courses, as well as the mathematics major, at https://math.yale.edu/undergraduate/frequently-asked-questions

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Music

Placement exam No
Placement procedure offered without exam No
Exam format Please contact Prof. Anna Zayaruznaya for information
Exam date(s) Please contact Prof. Anna Zayaruznaya for information
Who should take the exam N/A
Where instructions are located https://yalemusic.yale.edu/undergraduate/placement-exams
How the dept determines placement and where to find information  
Where and when results are posted Results returned via email within 24 hours of the exam
Contact information for technology issues  
Contact information for placement or departmental issues Anna Zayaruznaya, Associate Professor and Director of Undergraduate Studies
Other  

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Persian

Placement exam Yes
Placement procedure offered without exam No
Exam format Online
Exam date(s) By arrangement in August
Who should take the exam All students with previous study of Persian who intend to study Persian at Yale
Where instructions are located By arrangement with the Persian Language Program Director
How the dept determines placement and where to find information  
Where and when results are posted Results returned via email, by the examiner
Contact information for technology issues  
Contact information for placement or departmental issues Farkhondeh Shayesteh, Senior Lector I and Persian Language Program Director
Other  

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Physics

Placement exam No
Placement procedure offered without exam Yes
Exam format  
Exam date(s)  
Who should take the exam There is no physics placement exam
Where instructions are located http://catalog.yale.edu/ycps/subjects-of-instruction/physics/
How the dept determines placement and where to find information There is no placement test in physics. However, a recommendation for an appropriate introductory physics course sequence (based on each incoming student’s Math & Science Survey responses, i.e., their math and physics test scores) is prepared for every first-year student before the fall term begins. These are recommendations; while the best approach is to consider the recommendation, students should consult a guide to selecting physics courses and visit the prospective introductory physics courses during course selection period before setting their schedules
Where and when results are posted Click on the Canvas site called "Course Placement 2020 (CHEM, ECON, MATH, PHYS)." In addition, a recommendation for an appropriate introductory physics course sequence is sent by email to every new student in late August
Contact information for technology issues  
Contact information for placement or departmental issues Nikhil Padmanabhan, Professor and Director of Undergraduate Studies
Other A Guide to Selecting the Best Introductory Physics Courses for You, https://physics.yale.edu/academics/undergraduate-studies/guide-introductory-physics-course

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Polish

Placement exam Yes
Placement procedure offered without exam No
Exam format Online
Exam date(s) By arrangement in August
Who should take the exam All students with previous study of Polish who intend to study Polish at Yale
Where instructions are located https://cls.yale.edu/students/placement-testing
How the dept determines placement and where to find information  
Where and when results are posted Results returned via email, by the examiner
Contact information for technology issues  
Contact information for placement or departmental issues Krystyna Illakowicz, Senior Lector I in Slavic Languages & Literatures
Other  

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Portuguese

Placement exam Yes
Placement procedure offered without exam No
Exam format Online
Exam date(s) By arrangement with Prof. Ame Cividanes
Who should take the exam All students with previous study of Portuguese who intend to study Portuguese at Yale
Where instructions are located  
How the dept determines placement and where to find information  
Where and when results are posted Please contact Prof. Ame Cividanes, Spanish Language Program Director, for results
Contact information for technology issues  
Contact information for placement or departmental issues Ame Cividanes, Senior Lector II and Spanish Language Program Director
Other  

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Russian

Placement exam Yes
Placement procedure offered without exam No
Exam format Online
Exam date(s) By arrangement with Prof. Irina Dolgova
Who should take the exam https://cls.yale.edu/students/placement-testing
Where instructions are located  
How the dept determines placement and where to find information  
Where and when results are posted Results returned via email, by the examiner
Contact information for technology issues  
Contact information for placement or departmental issues Irina Dolgova, Senior Lector II and Russian Language Coordinator
Other Students with questions about the placement exam are invited to contact Irina Dolgova at irina.dolgova@yale.edu

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Spanish

Placement exam Yes
Placement procedure offered without exam No
Exam format Online
Exam date(s) July 1-July 31
Who should take the exam https://cls.yale.edu/students/placement-testing
Where instructions are located Placement exam information is listed at https://span-port.yale.edu
How the dept determines placement and where to find information Placement exam information is listed at https://span-port.yale.edu
Where and when results are posted Results returned via canvas.yale.edu, “Spanish Placement Test Site 20-21.” Ratings available in August
Contact information for technology issues Use the Placement Test Support Form, https://cls.yale.edu/placement-test-support-form
Contact information for placement or departmental issues Ame Cividanes, Senior Lector II and Spanish Language Program Director
Other  

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