Spanish Oral Proficiency Exam
What You Need to Know & What You Need to Do
What is the Oral Proficiency Exam?
The Spanish Oral Proficiency Exam (sometimes also
referred to as the Spanish Exit Interview) is an
assessment of a student’s speaking ability in the
target language, Spanish. The OPE is conducted by
two professors, and is similar to an interview in its
format. The exam is about thirty minutes in length,
but only about twenty of those minutes comprise the
actual speaking portion. The professors pose
questions to the student, who should answer them in
Spanish with the appropriate grammar and
vocabulary.
Who has to take it?
Spanish majors are the only students who are
required to take the Spanish Oral Proficiency Exam.
However, all Spanish classes do assess students’
speaking ability through other oral exams,
presentations, and class participation.
When should I take this exam?
Any time after completing Advanced Spanish (SPAN
2301), a student is eligible to attempt the OPE. This
exam is a non-negotiable requirement for graduation
with a B.A. in Spanish. For this reason, it is
recommended that you take the exam as soon as
possible, so that it does not become a potential delay
to your graduation. While there is mandated time to
take the exam, there are several times that would be
particularly beneficial to the student. For instance, a
student just returning from a study abroad trip or an
extended vacation in a Spanish-speaking country
would likely be more comfortable speaking, due to
the previous daily use of Spanish. Also, students
choosing to take the exam immediately after
completing Advanced Spanish might feel more
prepared, as they had a similar-style oral exam as a
component of that class which they had to prepare
for. Students taking a challenging Spanish class, or
who are taking more than one Spanish class in a
given semester, might feel that their routine use of
Spanish has prepared them for the OPE. While these
are all good times to take the exam, it is up to the
individual student to decide when.
How can I schedule the exam time?
Exams only take place between weeks 2 and 12 of a
given semester. To register, open your UMD Gmail
account. Click on the “Calendars” tab, and enter the
name “Exit Interviews for Spanish Majors” into the
“add another coworker’s calendar” field. Then, you
can search week by week to find an available
appointment that works for you. Please note that you
can only choose from the allotted times shown on the
calendar. These times have been pre-agreed-upon by
Spanish professors as available time slots. The earlier
you sign up, the easier it will be to find something
that works with your schedule. When exam slots are
taken, they disappear from the calendar. If you see no
time slots for a given week, that means they have
been already taken. If you have problems with the
calendar, or any additional questions about the signup process, please contact bpark@d.umn.edu.
Where do the exams take place?
Your Spanish Oral Proficiency Exam will take place
in the office of one of the professors that is assessing
you. When you make your appointment, you will be
notified of the room assignment for your exam.
How soon will I know my results?
After completing the speaking portion of your exam,
you will be asked to step into the hallway while the
professors confer. After a brief conference, you will
be invited back in the room to (1) be congratulated on
passing the exam or (2) be invited to retake the exam
at a later date. Regardless of the outcome of your test,
the professors will give you some feedback on the
strengths and weaknesses of your performance. The
successful completion of your OPE will be reflected
on your APAS soon after your exam.
What if I need to retake the exam?
Students may attempt the Oral Proficiency Exam two
times per semester. If you are invited to retake your
exam, you will simply need to schedule the exam
using Google Calendar in the same way that you
scheduled your first attempt. Remember, if you plan
to try again during the same semester, you should
sign up sooner rather than later, as the time slots fill
up quickly. If there are no remaining slots, or if none
work with your schedule, you will need to wait until
the following semester.
How should I prepare for the exam?
Students can prepare in a number of ways. You could
attend a Tertulia before you take the OPE so that you
practice speaking with your peers. You could also
review old grammar notes that you might have on
hand to help you review some things that you found
particularly difficult in the past. You could also think
of some potential questions that the professors might
ask and think of how you’d answer them, or you
could enlist the help of a friend—preferably one who
has passed the OPE—to chat with you in Spanish.
Lastly, you could schedule an appointment with
Bridget Park (bpark@d.umn.edu) to run through a
mock oral exam to see how you can focus your
studying.
Below, the format of the Oral Proficiency Exam is listed. Please note that there are some
wonderful sample questions you can use for practice.
Oral Proficiency Exam Format
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Warm up
Interview
o Dinos quién eres, cómo eres, cuántos años tienes, de dónde eres, en qué consiste tu
familia, que estudias, que te interesa o te gusta…
o Cuéntanos de algún viaje o alguna aventura que hayas hecho. ¿Qué hacías
rutinariamente? ¿Cuáles de tus experiencias se destacaron y por qué? Si no has viajado
o tenido ninguna aventura, cuéntanos el argumento de tu película o tu libro predilecto.
¿Cómo eran los personajes? ¿Qué pasó?...
o Ahora que estás a punto de graduarte o que hayas vuelto de estudiar en el extranjero o
…., dinos que te aguarda en el futuro. Si pudieras tener la vida de tus sueños, cómo
sería y por qué. Si todo fuera posible, en qué consistiría tu futuro…
Cool down and exit (student waits briefly in hallway)
Professors confer
Professors invite student to enter office and 1) congratulate if s/he has passed or 2) invite
student to retake exam at a later date. Discussion/feedback on student’s performance ensues
(regardless of outcome).