Foreign Languages, Translation, and Interpreting

PROFICIENCY TESTING

Test Your Language Proficiency - Measure your knowledge of a foreign language. NYU’s School of Continuing and Professional Studies offers proficiency testing in more than 50 languages. Test results, which are transcripted by NYU, may be used by universities to grant academic credit or award advanced placement. They may also be used for professional purposes, such as teacher certification or to establish linguistic competence for business objectives. Tests are given by appointment on the NYU campus or off-site locations in the United States and abroad.

This page contains complete information about exam fees, test sites, and scheduling exams.

• The Exams
• How to Make an Appointment
• Test Sites
• Exam Fees
• Request an Off-Site Exam
• Results

We offer exams in the following languages:

The Exams - There are three different examinations to evaluate your knowledge of a language and assign points equivalent to undergraduate credit at U.S. colleges. Dictionaries and other reference materials may not be used. These tests do not require knowledge of technical terms or specialized vocabulary.

The 12-point Exam: The NYU Foreign Language Proficiency Exam tests three skills—listening, reading, and writing— that are necessary for everyday communicative tasks. Students are required to answer questions after listening to a passage to demonstrate comprehension, to translate into English and into the test language*, and to write† a short essay in response to a selection of general topics. (The format of some language tests may be somewhat different, requiring short answers, multiple-choice selections, etc.) Students are given two hours (120 minutes) to complete the entire 12-point exam.

The 16-point Exam: The 16-point exam is comprised of the12-point exam, as well as a 350-word essay on a more complex subject. (Please note: A perfect 12-point score on the first part of the exam is required in order for the 4-point essay portion to be graded.) In the essay, students are required to write about abstract ideas, support an argument, hypothesize, and write in longer paragraphs. Students are given three hours (180 minutes) to complete the entire 16-point exam.

The 4-point Exam: For students who elected to take the 12-point exam, and later wish to be tested on the extended 350-word essay portion of the 16-point exam, we offer an additional 4-point exam. This exam is offered only to students who received a perfect score on the 12-point exam. Students are given one hour (60 minutes) to complete the 4-point exam.

The actual amount of credit granted is at the discretion of the institution receiving the results. Students are strongly urged to discuss accreditation with the institution’s advisor prior to taking the exam.

Note: Exam results are valid for five years from the test date. Official letters will not be mailed to institutions for tests that are more than five years old.

*Speakers of Bosnian, Serbian, and Croatian can take the test in only one of the three languages.
†Students taking the Yiddish exam are expected to write according to the Standard Yiddish Orthography, as established by the Yivo Institute of Jewish Research.

How to Make an Appointment

1. Call (212) 998-7030.

2. Be prepared to provide the following information:

• Name
• Social Security number (NYU Student ID number or passport number)
• Daytime telephone number
• Language and number of points of the exam you wish to take (4, 12, or 16 points)

Please call at least 48 hours prior to the exam if you must cancel or reschedule. If you fail to arrive at the test site on time, your place will be given to another applicant.

3. On the DAY of the exam, be sure you have with you:

• The name and address of the person or department where you want the   
  results mailed
• A photo ID, such as a driver’s license, student ID, or passport
• Your Social Security number or passport number
• Your credit card or money order payable to New York University. (See 
  Exam Fees below.) If you wish to pay by credit card, carefully write your credit card type, number, and expiration date on the appropriate lines of the registration form.**

Test Sites - Proficiency exams are given throughout the year by appointment. The Tuesday and Saturday exams are given at the following address:
NYU-SCPS Language Lab
48 Cooper Square, Room 206
New York, NY 10003
Do not send payment to this address.

Exam Fees
Fees for the NYU exam are:***
12-Point Exam          $300
16-Point Exam          $400
4-Point Exam            $120 (Students must have previously scored 12 points on the 12-   
point exam to be eligible.)

There is an additional registration fee of $20. The $20 registration fee is payable only once each semester, no matter how many times you add courses. Your exam and registration fees are due on the day of the exam. Refunds for exams are only issued before the end of the semester in which the test was requested. Registration fees are nonrefundable. All payments must be made by credit card or money order in U.S. currency only. The exam fee covers one official letter sent to a designated institution and one copy for the student’s records. Additional letters may be requested for $15 per language exam. 

***Fees effective September 1, 2009.

Request an Off-Site Exam - Tests may also be taken at other locations in the United States and overseas.  In this case, the student must arrange to have the examination administered by a proctor who is a college faculty member, administrator, or a government or company official (e.g., a member of the human resources staff). A letter from the proctor on letterhead stating that he/she agrees to administer the exam, along with the application and fees, should be mailed to:
New York University
School of Continuing and Professional Studies
Foreign Languages, Translation, and Interpreting
838 Broadway, 6th Floor
New York, NY 10003
To take the exam off-site, there is an additional postage and handling fee, which is:
U.S. locations: $20; Foreign locations: $50
Please make sure that your application includes:

• The proctor’s letter.
• Your completed registration form. (Please print clearly.)
• The exam and registration fee. (This fee can be charged to a credit card or paid by money order.)
• A separate money order or certified check for the shipping and handling fee payable to New York University. (This fee cannot be charged to a credit card.)

Please note: Off-site exams must be returned to NYU within eight weeks of receipt of the exam.

Results - An official letter stipulating the results of the examination will be mailed to the designated institution up to eight weeks after the test is taken. The student will receive an unofficial copy of the letter. Allow two extra weeks during winter break. The official letter is sufficient for most institutions. Should an official transcript be required, it can be obtained from the NYU Transcript Office by calling (212) 998-4280.

For more information about our foreign language and translation programs call (212) 998-7200.