Q: Is placement by the proficiency test absolutely final?
Yes, in terms of an add code you can receive and the class you can begin attending. However, your teacher will monitor your progress and may make further adjustments based on the skills you show in class. If it is determined that you are too advanced, for example, you will be moved to another class, and your registration in the original class will be cancelled.
Q: I took the proficiency test but did not receive an add code. When I contacted the department, I was told that there is no room this quarter. What can I do?
Entry codes are distributed to students based on the order of their test dates, so registration in a particular term is not guaranteed. All the spots in the class students test into might already be taken when the students' test scores are in.
A particular course is offered only annually, and students sometimes have to wait one year to take Korean before the same course is offered. It is advisable that students take the proficiency test as soon as they choose Korean to fulfill the language requirement.
Q: I am a graduating senior with some background in the language. I am planning to graduate in the spring quarter but haven't taken the proficiency test. Since I have no time to waste, can I just take First-Year Korean heritage class?
No. All students with any amount of exposure to the Korean language are required to take the proficiency test. It is the student's responsibility to plan ahead. Some students cannot graduate as planned because they haven't satisfied the language requirement. Plan ahead. Take the proficiency test early and get the language requirement out of the way.
Q: I took the proficiency test and have been placed to Korean 301. I have no particular background in Korean except that I grew up listening to my parents speak Korean. Isn't Korean 301 too advanced for me?
No. Korean 301 is the most basic course in the Korean program, the first course of the First-Year Korean series.
Q: I took the proficiency test and have been placed to Korean X. I am not sure if I can do well in that class. Could I get an add code for a lower-level class Y?
No. The proficiency test you took at the Office of Educational Assessment is an official university test. You may not take a lower or higher level course than the course you are placed to.
Q: I took the proficiency test and have been placed to Korean 311. Does this mean I get 15 credits for Korean 301, 302, and 303?
Yes and no. Yes you get credit for first-year Korean (301, 302, 303), and you are exempted from the UW language requirement for graduation. That is, you do not need to take any more language courses. You do not, however, get 15 credits automatically counted toward your total number of UW credits since you did not take the actual courses.
Q: I was born in the States and grew up speaking English. My parents speak to me in Korean, but I respond to them in English. Do I still have to take the test?
Yes. The first part of the proficiency evaluates your listening comprehension skills in Korean, which determines whether you belong to the Advanced Beginners' Track (Heritage Track) or the Novice Beginners' Track. Listening skills are a vital asset to language ability, and as long as you can comprehend some spoken Korean, you should not be placed in a class with total novice beginners. If you have any exposure to the Korean language, you are required to take the proficiency test.
Q: I went to a Saturday school when I was little. I learned the Korean alphabet, but I can't read well in Korean. Do I still need to take the test?
Yes. Saturday schools, Hangul Hakkyo, or Church schools are unique to students with the Korean heritage. For best placement of beginning students, you are required to take the proficiency test regardless of how long or how many years ago you attended such a school.
Q: My friend and I mix Korean and English when we talk. My Korean is as good (or as bad) as my friend. We both took the proficiency test on the same day, but I am placed to Korean 302 and my friend to Korean 301. How come?
The proficiency test has a range of cut-off scores for listening, vocabulary, grammar, and reading. You and your friend may have similar spoken language skills, but you may have better vocabulary or grammar skills than your friend.
Q: I am placed to Korean 302, but my best friend is taking Korean 301. Can I take Korean 301 with my friend?
No.
Q: I was not feeling well when I took the proficiency test. Can I take it again next week?
No. You may take the proficiency test only annually.