Foreign Language Proficiency Exam Student Contact Form
Name:
Major (if Biology, indicate BA or BS):
Student ID number:
UNCG email address:
Phone Number:
Language to be assessed:
Expected Graduation Date (ex. Spring 2014):
I have read and understand the requirements for taking a foreign
language proficiency exam with CASA. I also understand that all
correspondence in regards to the exam, as well as the exam itself, is
subject to UNCG’s Academic Integrity Policy. I understand this policy
and understand violating this policy has consequences, including but
not limited to dismissal from the University.
Signature _________________________________________
Date ________________________________________________
Foreign Language Proficiency Exam Instructions
1. Let CASA know that you are interested in arranging a proficiency exam. We
will explain the requirements, ask you to fill out a foreign language
proficiency contact form and give you the contact information for an
instructor who can assess your language proficiency. You can make an
appointment to do this by emailing us at casa@uncg.edu
2. Contact the instructor or instructors (if CASA gives you more than one
person to contact) to request their help. You can use the sample letter from
CASA to get started! Please copy casa@uncg.edu on all correspondence with
the instructor. Many of these instructors have worked with us before, so
they may have an idea of what you need. Ask what type of exam they prefer
to give—telephone conversation, a reading and/or writing exam or both. Be
sure to ask if there is a fee, and if so, make payment arrangements. Ask the
instructor for the best time to take the assessment. If it is a written test, let
them know you must also arrange the exam during CASA business hours
(Mon-Fri, 8am-5pm).
3. Contact CASA to set up an appointment to take the exam. You must arrange it
at least 3 business days before you want to take the exam.
4. On the day of your appointment, come into CASA. Make sure to bring ID with
you, and if you are having a phone conversation exam, your cell phone. You
must use your phone for the exam. A staff member in CASA will have you sign
in, check your ID, and if you are having your exam over the phone, verify the
identity of the person administering the exam and give you a private room in
which take your exam. When you are finished, let CASA know. They will
collect any reading or writing exam materials and send them off to the
instructor for assessment.
5. CASA will contact you as soon as we get the results of the exam. If you passed,
you will have completed your foreign language requirement! We will also
forward the results to the appropriate person in the registrar’s office so your
degree evaluation can be updated. If you did not pass, CASA will let you
know what you need to do next. After you hear about your results, wait about
a week and check your degree evaluation to make sure it has been updated to
show your foreign language requirement has been completed! If at least a
week has passed and it has not been updated, let CASA know and we will
check on it. If you change your major after taking the exam, let us know,
we will have to update your degree evaluation again!
* Please feel free to contact Sarah Hamrick, the Program Manager at CASA, with any
questions or concerns! You can reach her at 336 334 4361 or casa@uncg.edu
Foreign Language Proficiency Exam FAQ’s
What is considered an intermediate-level proficiency in a language?
UNCG considers proficiency to be the ability to read a newspaper or magazine without a
dictionary and understand approximately 80% of what is read and approximately 60%
of the spoken word.
Will I get any course credit or credit hours by passing my proficiency exam?
No. The exam only waives your foreign language requirement, marking it as fulfilled.
You will not receive any credit hours or course credit.
When should I take the exam?
As soon as you can! The very latest you should plan on taking the exam is at least one
full semester before the semester you plan to graduate. This allows us time to find a
contact to test you and to process the results of the exam. If you wait until the semester
you graduate to take the exam, we cannot guarantee that we can find a contact for you
and do the test before you graduate!
Will someone contact me about the results of my exam?
Yes. Someone from CASA will contact you to let you know the results of the exam as
soon as we hear back from the instructor who administered the exam!
How long will it take to show up on my degree evaluation?
It can take up to a week for your degree evaluation to be updated after we get your
results! Our office will notify to tell you whether you passed the exam and to let you
know that we have sent the results to the registrar’s office. If you change your major
after taking the exam, let us know, we will have to update your degree evaluation
again!
Do I need to bring anything with me to the exam?
Yes. You need to bring a picture ID, and if you are taking your exam over the phone,
your cell phone. You will need to use your phone for the exam.
What if I don’t want to use the contact from CASA’s list or what if the list does not
have a contact for my native language?
If we do not have a contact for the language you want to be assessed for, we will spend a
reasonable amount of time in trying to find a contact. If we have significant difficulty
finding a contact, the student then becomes responsible for finding a contact that meets
the criteria below.
They must meet all of the following criteria:
*Fluent in the language to be assessed
*Works for a regionally accredited University and has a university email address
*Must not be related to you and/or be a personal friend of yours
If we have a contact for the language, we will not search for another person for you
unless there is a significant problem with the contact we have provided.
Will it cost me anything to take the proficiency exam?
It depends! That is up to the discretion of the instructor giving the exam. Some
instructors charge a fee and some do not. We do not have a list of who charges and who
does not! However, if there is a fee for the exam, the student is responsible for the
fee. Fees are typically around $100. It is also up to the student and instructor to make
payment arrangements.
Do I have to have an appointment to take my exam?
Yes! Unless you are going to meet the instructor at their office to take the exam or you
are doing a phone exam with the instructor outside of CASA, you must make an
appointment with CASA to take the exam at least 3 business days in advance of the date
you want to take the exam. In addition, you must make arrangements with the
instructor giving the exam. As a courtesy, you should work with the instructor’s
schedule and give them plenty of notice before you want to take the exam. For example,
if the instructor is going to give you an oral proficiency exam over the phone, you must
make an appointment with CASA and the instructor giving the exam so that you can be
in CASA while you take the exam over the phone. Please keep in mind that CASA is open
from 8am-5pm, Monday-Friday, so your appointment must be during a time that CASA
is open.
What if I change my major to a major that is not within CASA? Will my exam
results still exempt me from any foreign language requirements for my new
major?
No. Each school within UNCG (Bryan School of Business and Economics, School of
Human Health and Performance, School of Education, School of Human Environmental
Sciences, School of Music, Theatre and Dance, School of Nursing and the College of Arts
and Sciences) has different foreign language requirements, and may require a different
procedure for showing proficiency in another language. It is the student’s responsibility
to find out what these requirements and procedures are. Please keep in mind that not
all schools/majors have a foreign language requirement.
Do the results of my proficiency exam transfer to other institutions?
No. You must contact the school you are transferring to in order to find out what
requirements they may have about foreign language courses/proficiency/etc.
Sample letter/email requesting assessment
<<Date>>
<<Address>>
<<Address>>
<<Address>>
Dear Professor <<Last Name>>:
I am currently an undergraduate student at the University of North Carolina at
Greensboro (UNCG). My major requires that I complete study in a foreign language
through the intermediate level in order to earn my degree. Since I proficient in a
language other than English <<specify language>>, I am interested in having this
requirement waived.
The University will waive this requirement for me, provided you and I have a
telephone conversation in which I can show you that I have a level of proficiency in
this language equivalent to that of an intermediate-level language course. You may
also give a writing and/or reading exam in addition to or instead of a conversational
exam. UNCG considers proficiency to be the ability to read a newspaper or magazine
without a dictionary and understand approximately 80% of what is read and
approximately 60% of the spoken word. The University would then need you to
send a letter on university letterhead or an e-mail from your university e-mail
account describing my level of proficiency to Sarah Hamrick in the College of Arts
and Sciences Advising Office (slhamric@uncg.edu). The address for the CASA office
is:
Sarah Hamrick, CASA
1010 Administration Dr.
103 Foust Building
Greensboro, NC, 27412
Please contact me at <<your email address>> if you are willing to assist me in
having my foreign language requirement waived so that we may schedule a time for
an assessment.
Sincerely,
<<Your Name>>