Course placement for Spanish

Students with 1-2 levels of high school language study do not need to take a placement test. You can determine your placement in a first-year course using the Beginning Spanish Class Recommendation Tool to see what you know and receive a course recommendation based on your current skills.

SPAN 1001 - SPAN 1002 is a two-semester sequence designed for students with little or no knowledge of the Spanish language. This course is recommended for students who: 

1. have had less than two years of high school Spanish,
2. have been away from studying Spanish for 3 years or more and/or,
3. seek an opportunity to refine their skills and solidify their foundation in the language.

When you pass 1002 with a 70% or better, you can move on to Spanish 1003.

If you’ve studied some Spanish and are unsure if SPAN 1001 or SPAN 1022 is a better fit for you, you can use the Beginning Spanish Class Recommendation Tool to see what you know and receive a recommendation based on your current skills.

Students must take SPAN 1001 at UMTC to qualify for SPAN 1002. Students who have taken one semester of Spanish at another institution should register for SPAN 1022. Students who have taken SPAN 1001 at UMTC may request a permission number from the Department of Spanish & Portuguese Studies ([email protected]).

SPAN 1022 is an accelerated beginning Spanish course designed for those students who have some experience learning the language and feel confident in their basic Spanish skills. This course is recommended for students who:

1. have had two or more years of Spanish in high school or one or more semesters of Spanish in a higher education institution,
2. have taken these courses in the last three years,
3. feel confident in their language skills and ability to succeed in an accelerated course,
4. want a faster-paced track to completing the University’s language requirements.

Building upon your previous knowledge of Spanish, SPAN 1022 begins with a quick review of the foundational basics to then focus on the skills and language structures to take your Spanish to the next level!

If you are uncertain whether your Spanish is strong enough for SPAN 1022, you can use the Beginning Spanish Class Recommendation Tool to see what you know and receive a course recommendation based on your current skills.

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 (online) consisting of three sections: reading, listening, and writing. You do not need to take all 3 sections in one sitting, but you must set aside one hour for each section.

Take the EPT online

If you score a high pass on each section of the EPT, and you feel your language skills are very strong, you may wish to attempt the Language Proficiency Exam (LPE). Students who pass the LPE fulfill their 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 Spanish through the College in the Schools program will continue with the course sequence. If a student completed SPAN 1003 through a U of M Twin Cities program, they will take SPAN 1004.  If they have completed SPAN 1004, they may continue on to SPAN 3015 or 3011. The prerequisite for SPAN 3015 and 3011 is to pass the Language Proficiency Exam (LPE).  Students usually take some sections of the LPE while they are enrolled in the CIS 1004 course. Any remaining sections of this test can be taken on campus.

For information on taking the LPE after SPAN 1003, check the information about the LPE Screening Test.

Students with previous college-level instruction at another college or university should consult their previous transcripts and syllabi to determine which course in the sequence of language courses they completed. Find the most recent language course you have completed (number of hours) 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 3015.

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.