Language Proficiency Testing Program

Grounded in the guidelines established by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL), we offer proficiency exams for more than 30 languages. Point scoring is equivalent to undergraduate-level language study at US colleges, and is used by many universities to grant academic credit or advanced placement in your language of study. The test also may be used for those who require it for professional purposes, such as teachers who need certification or verification of language proficiency; government or law enforcement officials who seek career advancement; or individuals who wish to establish linguistic competence for business objectives, such as a promotion or job placement.

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New York University is a member of the Association of American Universities and is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. (Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, 3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104; (215) 662-5606). Individual undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs and schools are accredited by the appropriate specialized accrediting agencies. Graduate and professional accrediting agencies recognize its degrees in all categories.

The Exams

NYU School of Professional Studies offers three different language-testing examinations to evaluate an individual’s knowledge of a language and to assign points equivalent to undergraduate credit at US colleges. The points scale is guided by ACTFL's Proficiency Guidelines and suggests college-level language equivalencies. Exam results are valid for three years.

Dictionaries and other reference materials may not be used. These tests do not require knowledge of technical terms or specialized vocabulary.

12-point Exam
The 12-point exam assesses reading, writing, listening and oral proficiency. It consists of multiple-choice questions, short answers, one essay, one translation, two short audio sections, and two oral responses.

16-point Exam
The 16-point exam comprises the 12-point exam, as well as advanced oral and written components. In the oral component, students listen to a recorded statement in the target language, then record a maximum two-minute oral response in the target language, taking a stance on the statement and defending their point of view. The written component of the exam consists of an extended 350-word essay on a more complex topic. Students are asked to write about abstract ideas, support an argument, hypothesize, and compose longer paragraphs.

4-point Exam
The 4-point exam is available to those who have achieved a score of at least 8 on the 12-point exam and who wish to earn up to four additional points. The exam consists of advanced oral and written components (also components of the 16-point exam). In the oral component, students listen to a recorded statement in the target language, then record a maximum two-minute oral response in the target language, taking a stance on the statement and defending their point of view. The written component of the exam consists of an extended 350-word essay on a more complex topic. Students are asked to write about abstract ideas, support an argument, hypothesize, and compose longer paragraphs.

**It is important to note that the actual number of credits granted is at the sole discretion of the institution receiving the results. Students are strongly urged to discuss credit awards with the institution’s adviser prior to taking the exam. All test results are final and may not be appealed. Official letters will not be mailed to institutions for tests that are more than three years old.

The chart on the next page illustrates how the total possible number of cumulative points earned on one of our exams corresponds to the number of semesters of college level language study and the corresponding ACTFL proficiency levels.

Oral Template PALA Language Proficiency Test Score to College Credit Equivalency

Part	Test section task and corresponding (ACTFL-guided) content level	Possible points for section	Cumulative points thus far in test	Undergrad semester timing benchmarks	Corresp. ACTFL proficiency level anticipated by this point in undergrad	Corresp. undergrad. semester credits earned
1	Int low reading	.75	.75	Beginning sem. 1	Novice mid
2	Int low reading	.75	1.5	Nearly halfway through sem. 1	Novice mid/high
3	Int low speaking	.75	2.25	Halfway through sem. 1	Novice high
4	Int low listening	.75	3	Nearly completed sem. 1	Novice high/Int low
5	Int mid rdg	1.25	4.25	Completed 1 semester	Int low	Earned 4 credits
6	Int mid rdg	1.25	5.5	Nearly halfway through sem. 2	Int low/Int mid
7	Int high speaking	1.25	6.75	Over halfway through sem. 2	Int mid
8	Int high listening	1.25	8	Completed 2 semesters	Int mid/Int high	Earned 8 credits
9	Writing: 100 wd (Int high/Adv low level)	2	10	Halfway through sem. 3	Int high
10	Translation (Adv low)	2	12	Completed 3 semesters	Int high/Adv low	Earned 12 credits
11	Adv mid speaking	1.6	13.6	Nearly halfway through sem. 4	Adv low/mid
12	Adv mid writing: 350 words	2.4	16	Completed 4 semesters	Adv mid	Earned 16 credits

→ Cumulative NYU SPS test scores can be seen to align closely with corresponding benchmarks of undergraduate language credits earned after 1, 2, 3 and 4 semesters of language at NYU (4 credits per semester; semester benchmarks correspond to 4, 8, 12, and 16 cumulative test points).

→ Based on ACTFL guidelines, anticipated proficiency levels attained at the end of 1, 2, 3 and 4 semesters also align with the ACTFL-based difficulty levels of corresponding test tasks.

→ Note: A few of the NYU SPS test levels at these 4 point increments may indicate one sub-level higher than the corresponding college-level proficiencies. The assumption is if a test-taker earns ALL points up through a certain level, they have demonstrated their ability to place solidly on the higher end of what we might expect students to attain over the corresponding semesters’ duration.

Exam Results

An official letter stating the results of the examination will be mailed to the designated institution within three weeks after the test is taken. The student will receive an unofficial copy of the letter.

Allow two extra weeks during winter break. Though the official letter is sufficient for most institutions, should an official transcript be required, it can be obtained from the NYU Transcript Office.

For more information or to register to take a language proficiency exam, please click on the language exam you wish to take. Language proficiency tests are offered exclusively online through a convenient, remotely-proctored platform. Results for exams are issued within two to three weeks of the testing date, and scores are valid for three years. Please email us at sps.flpe@nyu.edu with any questions.