Course placement for German

Students with 1-2 levels of high school language study do NOT NEED to take a placement test. Determine your placement in a first-year course using this table:

If you have had more than three months of foreign study in a formal language-learning program (e.g., an exchange program) or you speak the foreign language at home, your placement may have to be adjusted. See the section on foreign study/foreign language at home below.

Students with 3 or more levels of high school language study should attempt the Entrance Proficiency Test (EPT) to place into a second-year course. The EPT is a three-hour test consisting of three sections: reading, listening, and writing. You will take all three test sections online.

Take the EPT online

If you score a high pass on the EPT, and you feel your language skills are very strong, and you are interested in starting your language study at U of M in a third-year course instead of a second-year course, you should take the Language Proficiency Exam (LPE). Students who pass the LPE prior to completing any German coursework at the University of Minnesota fulfill the CLA Second Language Requirement and may register for a third year course. Students who are successful on the LPE normally have perfect or near-perfect scores on the EPT and find the EPT to be easy.

Students who have completed German courses through the College in the Schools program will continue with the course sequence. For example, students who have completed GER 1003 through the U of M Twin Cities CIS program will take GER 1004 next. No placement exam is necessary.  

Students who have completed GER 1004 who wish to take more German classes may continue on to GER 3011; however, they must complete the Language Proficiency Exam (LPE) in order to do so. Students usually complete some sections of the LPE while enrolled in GER 1004 through the UMTC College in the Schools program. Students may register for GER 3011 prior to completing the LPE, but they should plan to complete all four sections of the exam by the end of the first week of class.  

Students who have completed GER 1004 through the U of M Twin Cities, earning a grade of C- or better, have fulfilled the CLA Second Language Requirement.  They are not required to complete the Language Proficiency Exam (LPE) if they do not wish to continue their studies in German.  For information on taking the LPE after GER 1003, check the information about the LPE SCREENING Test.  Please note that students who pass the LPE after completing GER 1003 fulfill the CLA Second Language Requirement, but if they wish to continue to advanced classes, they must complete GER 1004.

Students with previous college-level instruction at another college or university should consult their previous transcripts and speak with their adviser to determine which course in the sequence of language courses they completed. Find the most recent language course on this chart to determine the appropriate test for placement.

*Students completing a fourth-semester course at another college or university should consult their adviser to determine if the course fulfills the CLA Second Language Requirement. If the course fulfills the language requirement, then the LPE is needed only if the students want to continue in 3011.

A semester of language instruction at the University of Minnesota consists of 70 - 75 class hours. If your semester course offered less than 70 hours, adjust your placement procedure to a lower level regardless of the actual number of semesters you completed.

NOTE: Students are strongly advised against attempting the LPE if they do not have the suggested amount of college-level instruction or its equivalent, or if this instruction is not in the very recent past.

Students who pass the EPT will be placed in a second-year course.

Students who pass the LPE will have fulfilled their second-language requirement for CLA and may register for a third-year language course. Students who fail the LPE should contact the CLA Language Testing Program for more information.

If you are interested in taking a second-year course (1003-1004) at U of M, you must first pass the Entrance Proficiency Test (EPT).

If you are interested in taking a third-year course (3000-level), you must pass the Language Proficiency Exam (LPE).

If you want to start your language study in a first-year course, you do not need a placement test. See the course descriptions below for information on first-year courses.