The Department of Asian Languages and Cultures requires that students with any prior knowledge of the languages taught in our department (e.g. Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Hindi, Urdu, Tibetan, Persian, Sanskrit, Hmong, Thai, Vietnamese, Filipino, Indonesian) and who plan to enroll in our language classes, take a placement evaluation before enrolling in a language course.
Important: at this time all placement evaluations will be conducted remotely.
Chinese
For students who have had prior experience studying Chinese, either as a secondary language or through family experiences are required to complete our a placement test. The test will be administered online through Canvas. Students have 90 minutes to complete the test. Please contact Rachel Weiss (rweiss@wisc.edu) to register along with your UW net ID and ID# and the date/time that you plan to attend the test.
- Wednesdays, 3 pm: 11/15, 11/29
- Fridays, 12 pm: 11/17, 12/1
During the academic year (Sept-May) additional times may be arranged, please provide dates and times (allowing 90 min) M-F 9:30 am – 4:30 pm to rweiss@wisc.edu.
Filipino
The Filipino placement test will be conducted remotely. Students will receive a Zoom link for the test following their registration. The evaluation consists of an oral interview (20-25 minutes) and a short writing in Filipino (25-30 minutes). Please complete this form to begin the process of registering for a placement test.
Hindi-Urdu
Students with prior experience in formally studying Hindi or Urdu must fill out this Background Questionnaire. Though your medium of instruction may have been English, please note the years (or standards) you studied Hindi or Urdu formally through schooling. It is also helpful to know what institution you studied at: ICSE/CBSE/IGCSE/IB/State Board.
If an enrolling student with some background in Hindi/Urdu cannot read or write, the student must automatically enroll in the first semester of Hindi/Urdu to learn the script, after which a placement test can be administered upon request by the course instructor for approval to enroll in a higher-level course.
Hmong
The Hmong placement test will be conducted remotely. Students will receive a Zoom link for the test following their registration. The evaluation consists of an oral interview (20-25 minutes) and a short writing in Hmong (25-30 minutes). Please complete this form to begin the process of registering for a placement test.
Indonesian
The Indonesian placement test will be conducted remotely. Students will receive a Zoom link for the test following their registration. The evaluation consists of an oral interview (20-25 minutes) and a short writing in Indonesian (25-30 minutes). Please complete this form to begin the process of registering for a placement test.
Japanese
The Japanese placement test takes 30 minutes and will be conducted remotely. Students will receive a Zoom link for the test following their registration. Please complete this form to register for a placement test and indicate date and time you want to register. For further information on the Japanese placement test, please read our FAQs.
Tuesdays, 9:00-9:30 am, 9:30-10:00 am
12/12
Thursdays, 1:30-2:00 pm, 2:00-2:30 pm
12/7
Fridays , 2:00-2:30 pm, 2:30-3:00 pm
12/8 (2:00 pm)
Korean
The Korean placement test will be conducted remotely. Students will receive a Zoom link for the test following their registration. The evaluation consists of an oral interview (20-25 minutes) and a short writing in Korean (25-30 minutes). Please contact Dr. Jaerin Ahn to register along with your UW ID#.
Persian / Farsi
The Persian placement test will be conducted remotely. Students will receive a Zoom link for the test following their registration. The evaluation consists of an oral interview (20-25 minutes) and a short writing in Persian (25-30 minutes). Please complete this form to begin the process of registering for a placement test.
Sanskrit
The Sanskrit placement test will be conducted remotely. Students will receive a Zoom link for the test following their registration. The evaluation consists of an oral interview (20-25 minutes) and a short writing in Sanskrit (25-30 minutes). Please complete this form to begin the process of registering for a placement test.
Thai
The Thai placement test will be conducted remotely. Students will receive a Zoom link for the test following their registration. The evaluation consists of an oral interview (20-25 minutes) and a short writing in Thai (25-30 minutes). Please complete this form to begin the process of registering for a placement test.
Tibetan
The Tibetan placement test will be conducted remotely. Students will receive a Zoom link for the test following their registration. The evaluation consists of an oral interview (20-25 minutes) and a short writing in Tibetan (25-30 minutes). Please complete this form to begin the process of registering for a placement test.
Vietnamese
The Vietnamese placement test will be conducted remotely. Students will receive a Zoom link for the test following their registration. The evaluation consists of an oral interview (20-25 minutes) and a short writing in Vietnamese (25-30 minutes). Please complete this form to begin the process of registering for a placement test.
Other Asian Languages
If you are a student with prior experience in an Asian language (e.g., self-taught, learned in elementary, middle or high school, or learned from family, relatives or friends, etc.), and seek advise about foreign language placement, or continuing with the language of your heritage please fill out this questionnaire in order to receive appropriate advising or guidance.