Language Placement Exams

Students who have not previously studied an East Asian Language at Harvard, but who wish to study that language in a course higher than Ba (the first semester of an "Elementary" or introductory-level course) must first have their level of proficiency assessed by taking a placement exam. This includes heritage speakers; students who have previously studied the language in a non-Harvard setting; and those who have taken non-Harvard summer and/or Study Abroad courses during their time at Harvard in order to advance their language level more quickly. Students who have completed language courses in the Harvard Summer School taught by EALP faculty are not required to take the placement exam. Students placing into the third-year level or higher on the exam may also use their results to demonstrate that they have satisfied Harvard College’s undergraduate language requirement. 

Below is information about current placement exams, which are offered prior to the start of classes each semester.

For students seeking language credit from study abroad:  

Please review OIE's Transfer Credit Policies thoroughly, and be sure to consult with OIE and the director of your chosen language program before studying abroad. If you have not taken language courses at Harvard before study abroad, please take the placement exam before departure to assess your current language level.

You may earn elective or language credit without a placement exam for semester- or year-long programs only if you meet the following criteria:

  • Your chosen program is on OIE's pre-approved list.
  • Your languages courses have been approved by the Program Director for that language during the abroad course enrollment process.
  • Your course is at the second-year level or higher, and you receive a B- or better. Note that you must take a placement exam to receive credit for beginning-level courses.

To earn credit for non-Harvard summer courses or courses not on the pre-approved list, please take the placement exam during your first semester back at Harvard (as soon as possible after you return from study abroad). You must place into a course level higher than the course taken abroad to receive transfer credit, regardless of how many hours of language coursework was taken abroad.

In order to earn language citation credit, regardless of whether your program is pre-approved, you must take the placement exam and place out of courses at the second-year level or higher. First-year language study (including Bx courses) is not citation-eligible. 

Note: Earning credit from a pre-approved study abroad program does not guarantee that you may proceed to the next language level. If you would like to continue taking language courses after you return to Harvard, please take a placement exam to determine your appropriate level.

Fall 2026 Chinese Placement Exam

Fall 2026 Chinese Placement Exam Instructions

 

Test Date:

Wednesday, August 12

10:00 am - 12:05 pm ET Written Test (composition; grammar & reading)

12:05 pm - 1:05 pm ET Oral Test (You will be assigned a 5-minute test slot between 12:05 pm and 1:05 pm. A Zoom link with your assigned slot will be sent to you through email.)

 

Makeup Exam:

Tuesday, August 18

10:00 am - 12:05 pm ET Written Test (composition; grammar & reading)

12:05 pm - 1:05 pm ET Oral Test (You will be assigned a 5-minute test slot between 12:05 pm and 1:05 pm. A Zoom link with your assigned slot will be sent to you through email.)

 

How to take the exam?

  1. To register for the Chinese placement exam, you MUST fill out the Chinese Placement Exam Survey and Registration Form (https://forms.office.com/r/DKZcNmtV3g)TWO DAYS prior to the exam, as we need to designate how many teachers will be operating the tests based off of which dates students will be testing. However, if you miss the deadline, you can still register for the exam by filling out the survey. But it would be appreciated if you can finish it two days prior to the exam. 

 

2. The placement exam includes three parts: grammar & reading, composition and oral interview. Before the exam, you will receive an email including the following information:

  • The Zoom meeting link for the written exam, which you need to attend for the first two hours.
  • The Zoom meeting link for the oral interview. You will find your name on an excel file where you can find your assigned slot and the Zoom link.

 

3. On the exam day you signed up for, please attend the Zoom meeting for the written exam first, where you will receive the exam links on Zoom chat. When you join the Zoom meeting, you will receive an exam link for composition first, you will be given half an hour to finish your composition (by typing). After that, you will receive the exam link for grammar & reading test. You will have one hour and a half to finish this part. You will have a 5-minute oral interview afterwards.

 

Test requirements

1. You must have

• One of the following: Harvard ID, driver’s license, passport, or government ID

• A quiet, well-lit room with no other people in the room

• A reliable internet connection

• A computer

 

2. Your computer must have

• Zoom

• A browser

• A Chinese input for typing the composition

• A front-facing camera

• A microphone

 

What you should know before the exam?

1. IMPORTANT: Please make sure to register by filling out the registration form (https://forms.office.com/r/DKZcNmtV3g) before you attend the exam. Your registration is confirmed immediately upon submission.

2. Please prepare your valid ID (with a profile photo on it), such as a Harvard ID, driver’s license, passport, or government ID. You will be asked to show your ID card to the teachers both on the grammar & reading exam Zoom meeting and the oral interview Zoom meeting.

3. Please prepare your laptop and make sure it is 100% charged. During the exam, please check your device battery constantly to make sure that you will not lose any work due to sudden power-off of computer.

4. Please be on time for the exam. Once the exam links are closed, you will not be able to access the exam.

5. Academic Integrity is Strictly Enforced. Independent work is required, and we allow zero external Assistance. Violations will result in immediate exam termination.

· No use of external materials (notes, apps, websites) under any circumstances.

· No switching browser windows/tabs during the exam.

· No dictionaries, translators, or AI tools.

· No communication with others (in-person or online).

Frequently Asked Questions:

1. If I don’t know Chinese at all, should I take the placement exam?

No. If you have never been exposed to any Chinese languages in a natural environment or through formal instruction, then it is not required for you to take the exam.

 

2. I am a Chinese heritage student. I can listen and speak Chinese but cannot read and write, should I take the placement exam?

No. If you have aural-oral skills but cannot read and write at all and know fewer than 50 characters, you are possibly a good fit for the Chinese Bx course and you are not required to take the placement exam. Chinese Bx course is an intensive elementary level course that is specially designed for heritage learners. If you have any questions regarding this course, you can contact their course head directly.

 

3. Can I use the exam result to fulfill the Harvard language requirement?

Yes. You will need to be placed into a third-year level course to fulfill the language requirement. For more information about the language requirement, please visit https://oue.fas.harvard.edu/language-requirement.

 

4. What is the exam format?

The Chinese placement exam has three parts: Composition, Grammar & Vocabulary, and Oral Exam. 

Composition: You will be given a topic and you will need to write an essay about it. 

Grammar & Vocabulary: You will have about 100 multiple choices questions, including grammar/vocabulary questions and reading comprehension questions. For example, choose the correct grammar/vocabulary to complete the sentence, or read a short essay and then finish the reading comprehension questions. You will have 90 minutes to complete this part. 

Oral Exam: You will be assigned to a 5-minute time slot to talk to one or two Chinese instructors. They will ask you some questions in Chinese.

 

5. Where can I find my placement result?

Your placement result will be emailed to you on the same day or the day after the exam. However, you will not be able to see your exam result at my.harvard immediately, as the University Registrar will need to upload the scores. It takes about 2-3 weeks for the result to show up at your my.harvard.

Fall 2026 Japanese Placement Exam

Japanese Placement Exam 

 

Test Dates:  

Wednesday, August 5th 9:00 AM - Friday, August 7th 9:00AM (Eastern Time) 

 

Makeup Dates: 

Online Makeup Written Exam: Open Monday, August 24th 9:00 AM – Tuesday, August 25th 9:00 AM (ET) 

 

 

Exam Link (Canvas site): https://canvas.harvard.edu/courses/173327 

Registration form: https://forms.office.com/r/2P3Mb2AzLV 

 

  • The exam will go online from 9:00 am, Wednesday, August 5th (ET), and will be open for students to take up through 9:00 am on Friday, August 7th.  (Makeup: from 9:00am, Monday, August 24th through 9:00am, Tuesday, August 25th (ET)). Please see 5. Exam Format for details. 

 

  • Those who miss taking the Japanese Placement Exam on the dates above, please contact the instructor of the level you wish to place into. 

 

  • The oral interview: Students will be asked to sign up for a time slot to complete the oral interview on one of these days using a sign-up form that will be posted on the exam site.  

 

  • If you are unsure of your language level, please contact eal@fas.harvard.edu. One of our instructors will contact you for consultation. 

 

  1. By four days before the exam: 

 

Registration:  

 

Harvard Guest Account:  

 

  1. By the exam day:  

  • Activate Japanese language fonts on your device before the day of the test and familiarize yourself with their use, including hiragana, katakana, and kanji. Installation instructions for both Mac and PC can be found here. If you have any questions about installing the Japanese input software, please contact Harvard IT as soon as possible so you can have your laptop ready in advance of the exam. 

 

  • Please make sure your laptop is 100% charged. During the exam, please check your device battery regularly to make sure that you do not lose any work due to your device suddenly losing power. 

 

  1. On the day of the exam: 

Locate yourself in a quiet, well-lit room with a reliable internet connection. 

Make sure you have a headset for the oral interview section of the exam. 

 

  1. When you take the exam: 

  • Honor Code: 

When you start the exam, go first to the Japanese Language Placement Test Honor Code section and fill out the necessary information. Keep in mind the Harvard honor code while taking the test. Opening tabs or windows to any site outside of the quiz and its questions may constitute a violation of the honor code. Additionally, sharing the link or any of the test’s contents with others is a violation of the honor code. 

 

  • Oral Interview: 

You will be contacted to confirm the Zoom link and time of your interview a day before the interview. When it is time for your oral interview, please go to the zoom link to meet with an instructor for the level you wish to place into.   

 

  • Accommodations: 

If you will need any special accommodations for the exam (e.g. assistance for a visual/hearing impairment or extra time), please contact Jennifer Crist < jcrist@fas.harvard.edu>. 

  

  1. Exam Format: 

The exam consists of the following five sections with the time limit for each shown in ( ): 

  1. Grammar (40 minutes)
  2. Reading Comprehension (40 minutes) [Choose one option.] 

               (II-A) for those wishing to place into 2nd year Japanese. 

               (II-B) for those wishing to place into 3rd year Japanese. 

               (II-C) for those wishing to place into 4th year Japanese. 

(II-D) for those wishing to place into 5th year Japanese. 

  1. Essay Writing (30 minutes) 

  2. Oral Interview (10 minutes) [administered individually via Zoom] The Zoom link will be sent to you by an instructor of the level you wish to place into.  

 

  • You may complete the sections in I-III in any order you wish as long as you complete all the sections during the exam period.  

  • In II. Reading Comprehension, choose only one option to complete from II-A, II-B, II-C, or II-D, depending on the level that you wish to place into. 

  • Each of the sections I-III has a time limit, so please be careful to pace yourself to answer the questions in each section within the time allotted. 

  • If you finish the answers in a section before the time limit is up, you may submit the answers early and move on to another section. 

  • Please note that each section closes automatically when the time limit is up, and you cannot take any section more than once. 

  • DO NOT: (1) switch to any other browser window during the exam.  

                         (2) make use of any tools other than the Japanese input system on your computer. 

                         (3) seek the help of any other person during the exam. 

 

  1. After the exam: 

You will be notified of the results of the exam within 2-3 business days after completing it. 

  

Fall 2026 Korean Placement Exam

KOREAN PLACEMENT EXAM (for Fall 2026)

TEST DATES: 
- Friday, August 7, 2026
- Monday, August 17, 2026 (*Make-up date)

TIME:  
9:30 am – 11:00 am (EST) Writing /Reading/Grammar & 10-min Oral Exam (EST) 
(You will be signing up via canvas for the Oral Exam)

TO REGISTER:

To register for the exam, please fill out the registration form and questionnaire (at least 3 days before the chosen exam date) through this link: https://forms.gle/geYZZovZV1YBZQRc6

  • Once we receive your completed online form, we will send you a confirmation email with instructions and a zoom link for the written portion of the exam (Writing/Reading/Grammar) and how to sign up for the 10- minute Oral Exam.

ON THE DAY OF THE EXAM:

  • Please come into the zoom 2 minutes before the exam time. You MUST stay in zoom throughout the exam with the video on. 
  • You MUST be registered prior to taking the exam.
  • After checking in, you will be given detailed instructions to access the placement exam through a canvas site. 

Fall 2026 Literary Sinitic Placement Exam

Literary Sinitic Placement Exam

 

To register: e-mail Matthew Wild (mwild@fas.harvard.edu).  Please provide your name and year of study, and describe your prior study of literary Sinitic or classical Chinese. Indicate whether you intend to take the first- or the second-year exam (see program website for details about this).

For information about literary/classical Chinese at Harvard and the placement exams for first- and second-year courses, please visit the Literary Sinitic and Classical Chinese Language Program website.

 

Fall 2026 Vietnamese Placement Exam

Vietnamese Placement Exam

 

Fall placement exams for Vietnamese language will take place on Monday, August 10th, 11am-1:30pm EST.
(Make-up exam date: Tuesday, August 11th, 2:00-4:30pm EST)


The Vietnamese placement exam consists of two components: oral and written, both conducted online (via Canvas/Zoom). The oral exam lasts approximately 15–20 minutes. The written exam, which includes reading and writing assessments, takes about 60–75 minutes.

Students who speak some Vietnamese at home but do not read or write in the language are encouraged to enroll in the Heritage Vietnamese course (Vietnam Bx). These students may not need to take the placement exams.

However, students who can speak Vietnamese and have basic reading and writing skills should take the placement exams to determine the appropriate course level.

Courses at the intermediate level and above (e.g., VIETNAM 120a, VIETNAM 120xb, VIETNAM 120b, and higher) count toward the Vietnamese language citation.

Students interested in taking the placement exam should email Cô Hoa at hle@fas.harvard.edu to schedule the exams or ask any further questions.

 

See also: