Steps in the Process
There are potentially two steps in the Foreign Language Placement Process. The first step tells us whether or not you can be placed into a course without any other testing, or if we need you to take a specific language test (step 2) before making your placement.
Step 1- Foreign Language Road Map Survey
- We require ALL students to complete a Foreign Language Road Map Survey. In this survey, you will indicate which languages you have studied (if any), and the language you wish to study while at High Point University.
- Within one to three business days of completing this survey, your Road Map Survey Results will be sent to your HPU Email, informing you of any additional foreign language testing requirements.
- In many cases, if you qualify for a Specific Language Test, you will be automatically redirected to that test once you finish the Foreign Language Road Map Survey.
Step 2- Specific Language Test (not required for all students)
- Not all students will be required to take a specific language test. These tests are required only for those that receive language test placements as found by logging into my.highpoint.edu using your HPU username and password and selecting Placement Test Results. These tests may load automatically when you finish the Foreign Language Road Map Survey.
- If you have a SPN-TEST, FRE-TEST, ITA-TEST, GER-TEST, or ESL-TEST placement, you will be required and instructed to take that specific language test.
- For other placements/instructions, please read below.
FAQ about the Foreign Language Testing Process
Do I need to study a foreign language at High Point University?
Yes. Foreign language courses are required as part of our core curriculum here at HPU (read more about our core curriculum requirements on p. 45 in the Undergraduate Bulletin).
Students need to take a foreign language course at the 1020 level or higher in order to meet this core requirement. So, if you place into a 1010 level course, you will need to take two semesters of that language (1010 & 1020). If you place into 1020 or higher, then you will only need to take one semester of that language to meet this requirement.
How do I know if I need to take a specific language test?
If you have a SPN-TEST, FRE-TEST, ITA-TEST, GER-TEST, or ESL-TEST placement, you will be required to take that specific language test online. The Placement Test Results screen in my.highpoint.edu will instruct you on which you may need to take.
The best way to find out if you have a test to take is by logging into my.highpoint.edu using your HPU username and password and selecting Placement Test Results.
What is the benefit of studying the same language as I studied in high school?
The benefit of staying with the same language you studied in high school is you may be able to place higher than the 1010 level. Then, you would only be required to take one semester of a foreign language. However, just because you select the same language that you studied in high school to take at HPU, it does not guarantee that you will place higher than 1010. Your Foreign Language Road Map Survey will give us the necessary information to determine if you need further testing or not. Our foreign language survey and tests are designed specifically for our foreign language courses by our own foreign language faculty members. Therefore, the instructions you receive in your Road Map Survey Results email will reflect the best course of action for making your customized foreign language placement.
What if I want to study a new language when I come to High Point?
You absolutely can! For those of you who wish to study a different language when you come to college, you’re welcome to explore and try something new for those two semesters. However, if you wish to continue studying the same language you did in high school, this is a great time to refine and strengthen your language skills at the college level.
I took the Foreign Language Road Map Survey, and after answering some basic background questions about my foreign language experience, I was taken into a test for the foreign language I wanted to study. Do I still need to do a Specific Language Test?
Nope! The Road Map Survey has logic that uses your responses to determine if you automatically qualify for a Specific Language Test. If you do, then the Specific Language Test for your chosen language of study will begin immediately after you finish the Road Map Survey, and you will not need to do it at a later time.
I took the Road Map Survey and was automatically sent into a Specific Language Test. However, I am not able to take this second test at this time. Am I able to access it another way at a later time to complete it?
Yes. If you automatically qualify for a Specific Language Test, but are unable to complete it in the same sitting as when you completed the Foreign Language Road Map Survey, you can access the link to the test at your convenience by logging into my.highpoint.edu using your HPU username and password and selecting Placement Test Results. Please note that the link to take the test may not be available immediately, and may take one to two days to display in MyStuff.
I’m pretty sure that I need to take a Specific Language Test, but when I finished the Road Map Survey, I wasn’t automatically sent into the second test. Was there a mistake?
Nope! While the majority of students who will need to take a Specific Language Test will be sent into their test immediately after finishing the Road Map Survey, some responses will need additional review before the students will receive their final placement. If that is the case, then you will find out your language placement, including whether or not you will need to take a Specific Language Test, when you receive the Foreign Language Road Map Survey Results email from Jay Lowrey.
I received my Road Map Survey Results email, now what do I do?
After you complete the survey, you will receive the Foreign Language Road Map Survey Results email to your HPU Email account with either:
(a) a placement into a course, without the need for further testing;
-OR-
(b) instructions on how to access one of the specific language tests, so the Modern Foreign language faculty can grade your test before making a placement.
Where can I see my foreign language placement results?
Your placement results will be available by logging into my.highpoint.edu using your HPU username and password and selecting Placement Test Results. Additionally, your placements will be included in the Foreign Language Road Map Survey Results email you will receive from Brett Hurst.
Here are a few examples of the types of messages that you may see:
- If you have been placed into a specific class (i.e. FLG-1010, SPN-1020, FRE-1010, etc.), your foreign language placement test process is complete.
- If you have a placement code indicating that you need to take a test (i.e. SPN-TEST, FRE-TEST, etc.), you need to complete the specified test so that the Modern Foreign Language faculty can place you into the appropriate course level. You can access your test by logging into my.highpoint.edu using your HPU username and password and selecting Placement Test Results.
- If you have a “See Faculty” placement, please follow the directions in the Foreign Language Road Map Survey results email that was sent to you.
What if I have a question that is not answered here?
If you have any other questions about placement testing or the foreign language process, please contact Jay Lowrey at [email protected] as soon as possible.