Placement Exams
DATES BELOW ARE FOR THE INCOMING CLASS OF 2027
Class of 2028 information will be available soon. Please check back when you receive an email from us!
When choosing your courses for the first semester, you will need information about the level at which you should enter a particular field of study. This process is known as "Placement."
In some cases (most often foreign language and math), this means taking a placement exam between June 15 and August 1. All placement exams are completed in Moodle. Here’s how to enroll in them:
- Log in to Moodle.
- Click on the magnifying glass icon in the upper right of your Moodle dashboard and type "Placement Fall 2023" in the search box that opens.
- Then click on the title of the course and click “Enroll.”
Please note that while August 1 is the general deadline for placement exams, some languages do require completion of some parts by an earlier deadline (usually around July 15) so that any required essay or interview can be complete by August 1.
In other cases (economics and some natural sciences), AP or other standardized exams, along with consulting faculty members, are central to the process. You’ll find more information about placement in all these fields on this page.
For areas of study not included on this page, entering students may be able to take classes at the 100-level and 200-level. When you are exploring courses, see whether any prerequisites are listed. If none are listed, you are eligible to take that class.
Language Exams
The exam consists of some basic grammar exercises, various brief translations (Arabic to English, and English to Arabic), a reading comprehension section, and a short essay. In addition to completing the placement exam, students may be asked to meet via Zoom for a brief and informal conversation in order to ascertain fluency and knowledge of Arabic. Time limit: 120 minutes.
Deadline: August 1
Contact: Manar Darwish (mdarwish@brynmawr.edu)
Notes: Required for students who have previously studied Arabic and are considering taking Arabic at Bryn Mawr.
The exam consists of a language background survey, an online multiple-choice test, an essay, and an interview by zoom with a faculty member. The multiple choice test includes both grammar and reading and listening comprehension. Time limit: 3 hours.
Deadlines: July 10 for written exam; July 13 for interview (students will be notified of interview time on July 12).
Contact: Changchun Zhang (czhang@brynmawr.edu)
Notes: Required for all entering students with some background in Chinese who wish to take Chinese, including heritage students who can speak the language with no or limited reading and writing skills.
The exam consists of a personal fact sheet, an oral comprehension passage with questions and a reading section with multiple choice questions. Students who are placed in French 005 or more advanced courses will be asked to submit a 400-word essay. In addition, students placing into 005 or higher may be asked to meet via Zoom for a brief oral interview.
Deadline: July 13 for basic exam. If required, essay will be due July 17, and interviews will take place later in July.
Contact: Grace Armstrong (garmstro@brymawr.edu) or Agnès Peysson-Zeiss (apeyssonze@brynmawr.edu)
Notes: Required for all entering students with some background in French who wish to study French.
The online placement exam consists of 100 multiple-choice questions and a short essay that test listening, grammar, reading, and writing. If a student’s score is near the cut-off for the next level, an interview may be scheduled.
Deadline: August 1 for online exam; early August for interview if applicable.
Contact: Qinna Shen (qshen@brynmawr.edu)
Notes: Required for all entering students with some background in German who wish to study German.
The Italian exam consists of three sections: oral comprehension, reading comprehension, and grammar. Students may also be asked to meet with the Italian faculty via Zoom for a brief conversation in order to ascertain fluency Italian. To fine-tune their placement, after this meeting, students may be asked to submit a 400-word essay on any topic. Total time: 3 hours.
Deadline: August for online exam; early August for the interview and essay (if required).
Contact: Daria Bozzato (dbozzato@brynmawr.edu)
Notes: Required for all entering students with some background in Italian who wish to study Italian.
The Japanese placement consists of an online exam through the University of Tsukuba and an oral interview (by Zoom). Please first contact Tetsuya Sato for access to the online exam.
Click Here for Placement Exam Instructions
Deadline: Early July.
Contact: Tetsuya Sato (tsato@haverford.edu)
Notes: Required for all entering students with some background in Japanese who wish to study Japanese.
The exam has sections on morphology (declining nouns and adjectives, providing different verb forms), translation of brief phrases from Latin into English, and a longer passage from Latin into English. Time limit: 60 minutes.
Deadline: August 1
Contact: Radcliffe Edmonds (redmonds@brynmawr.edu)
Notes: Required for all entering students with some background in Latin who wish to study Latin.
The placement test is an adaptive multiple-choice test of grammar, vocabulary, and reading comprehension developed by Brigham Young University. It also includes a language background questionnaire. The information on the questionnaire will be an important part of your placement. Time limit: 20-25 minutes. Students who place above Intermediate will be asked to submit a previously written essay in Spanish.
Deadline: August 1.
Notes: All entering students with some background in Spanish who wish to study Spanish.
Language Classes Without Placement Exams
There is no formal placement exam. Students with prior knowledge of Greek interested in placing out of Elementary Greek should contact Professor Radcliffe Edmonds by mid-July.
Contact: Radcliffe Edmonds (redmonds@brynmawr.edu)
There is no formal placement exam. Students with prior knowledge of Russian interested in placing out of Elementary Russian should contact Professor Walsh by mid-July.
Contact: Irina Walsh (iwalsh@brynmawr.edu)
Placement in Other Fields
An AP Biology score of 5 or an IB Biology score of 7 can be used to satisfy one semester of introductory biology; an additional semester of Biology 110/111/115 is required to fulfill the introductory biology requirement for the Biology major. However, students should keep in mind that placement out of one semester of introductory biology based on AP/IB scores does not satisfy the pre-requisite for 200/300-level courses. Students considering fulfilling one semester of introductory biology based on AP or IB scores are strongly encouraged to speak with the Chair of the Department to discuss this option.
Students with credit for the AP Chem exam (score of 4 or 5) are eligible to place out of Chem 103 and enroll directly in the second semester of General Chemistry (Chem 104) in the spring. Students with credit for the IB or A-Level may be eligible to begin their studies directly with Organic Chemistry (Chem 211). Students in any of these situations should consult with the Chair of the Chemistry department, Jonas Goldsmith. All other students should begin their chemistry studies with Chem 103.
Students have a choice of three different courses with which to begin their computer science study at Bryn Mawr: CMSC 109 (Introduction to Computing), CMSC 113 (Computer Science I), and, very rarely, CMSC 151 (Intro to Data Structures). CMSC 109 and 113 are both open to students with no experience in computer programming, but are also appropriate to students who do have some experience. CMSC 113 expects a higher level of mathematical maturity than 109 does, demonstrated by one of the following: AP level Calculus, Statistics, Physics, Chemistry, Economics, or Computer Science; or IB Mathematics HL; or an SAT score of 650 or higher in Mathematics; or ACT score of 28 or higher in Mathematics. Students interested in CMSC 151 should contact Professor Dianna Xu of the Computer Science department.
Students interested in taking intermediate or advanced ballet should contact ballet instructor Denise D'Angelo directly at denise.dangelo1961@gmail.com by August 1 for information on the video placement process.
Most entering students will enroll in Econ 105 Principles of Economics. The Economics Department may waive the Econ 105 prerequisite for students who score a 5 on both the Microeconomics and Macroeconomics AP exams. A score of 6 or7 on the Economics Higher Level Exam of the International Baccalaureate also permits a waiver. The waiver does not count as course credit toward the major or minor; majors and minors receiving advanced placement must still take a total of 10 and six courses in economics, respectively. Students who receive a waiver can enroll in a 200-level economics elective as their first economics course. Waivers are not automatic and must be confirmed by the department chair. Students qualifying for a waiver should meet with the department chair during Customs New Student Orientation to confirm the waiver and for advice on the elective that will substitute for Econ 105.
Placement in mathematics is highly individualized. Placement tests are offered and recommended as a source of information, but the results are not binding. Students interested in math or in fields that require or encourage math (the natural sciences, economics, computer science) should familiarize themselves with the information available on Moodle and take any placement tests recommended or required.
The Psychology Department will waive the Psych 105 prerequisite for students who score a 5 on the AP exam. Such students are qualified to take any 200-level psychology course and are encouraged to discuss their plans with faculty during Customs New Student Orientation.