Spanish Placement Exam

The Spanish Placement Exam is a requirement for all students who wish to enroll in Spanish courses. Its primary purpose is to evaluate each student's current proficiency in the language and to place them in the level that best corresponds to their skills. By accurately determining language ability, the exam helps students avoid repeating material they already know while also preventing them from entering a course that may be too advanced.

The exam will be administered online via Zoom between  November 1st and November 15th. Each candidate will receive a personalized link with the date and time of their exam session. Based on their performance, students will be assigned to the appropriate course level within the Spanish program.

Students are invited to complete the online registration form to secure their place. Information about the exam fee will be provided on the registration page.

Beginner Spanish: Level A1.1  

This course serves as the foundation of the Spanish language learning sequence and introduces students to the essentials of communication in the target language. At this level, learners will begin to acquire fundamental vocabulary and grammatical structures necessary to identify themselves, greet others, and exchange basic personal information. The focus is placed primarily on comprehension, enabling students to recognize familiar words, classroom expressions, and predictable phrases in simple contexts. Through guided activities, learners will engage with topics such as introductions, descriptions of self and others, and short conversations about identity and daily life. Attention will also be given to building awareness of gender and number agreement, as well as the use of definite and indefinite articles. By emphasizing receptive skills before encouraging limited production, this course lays the groundwork for meaningful interaction, providing the cornerstone upon which subsequent courses will build.

Beginner Spanish: Level A1.2 

This course builds upon the foundation established in A1.1 by reinforcing essential vocabulary and structures while gradually moving learners toward more active production of the language. At this stage, students expand their ability to understand and communicate in familiar situations related to friends, family, and simple social interactions. Special focus is given to describing people and relationships, expressing likes and preferences, and engaging in short conversations about daily routines and leisure activities. Learners will also strengthen their control of basic grammar, including the use of pronouns, agreement in gender and number, and sentence formation for both oral and written communication. Classroom activities emphasize role-plays, dialogues, and guided writing tasks that encourage learners to connect words and ideas with greater fluency. By the end of this course, students will be able to introduce friends and family, share simple information about personal and family life, and participate in predictable interactions with growing independence. 

Intermediate Spanish: Level A2.1 

This course initiates the intermediate stage of Spanish learning, enabling students to broaden their comprehension and production in a variety of everyday contexts. The content emphasizes situations related to personal spaces, the community, and daily experiences. Learners will expand their vocabulary to describe objects, houses, classrooms, and neighborhoods, while practicing essential structures to ask questions, express opinions, and indicate possession. Special attention is given to consolidating the use of the present and introducing the past tense, allowing students to describe current routines as well as narrate personal experiences and impressions about familiar places. Guided tasks include role-plays, dialogues, and short written activities that encourage students to communicate about their homes, cities, and social spaces. By the end of this course, learners will be able to describe locations, express preferences, ask and give directions, and talk about their own experiences with greater accuracy, confidence, and fluency.

Intermediate Spanish: Level A2.2 

This course builds upon the foundation established in A2.1 and extends learners' ability to communicate in broader social and cultural contexts. Students will reinforce their command of the present and past tenses while also integrating the future tense to express intentions, make plans, and narrate experiences more fully. Course topics focus on daily activities such as eating out, preparing meals, shopping in markets and clothing stores, and comparing cultural practices in the Hispanic world. Learners will gain practice in expressing preferences, offering invitations, and recounting past experiences such as meals, purchases, or visits to restaurants. Classroom activities emphasize interactive strategies, including role-plays, dialogues, and cultural comparisons, to develop both oral and written fluency. By the end of this course, students will be able to handle longer conversations, give detailed descriptions, express opinions and intentions, and interact with increasing independence in a variety of everyday situations.

Advanced Spanish: Level B1.1

This course begins the advanced stage of Spanish learning, consolidating learners' ability to communicate in daily, social, and cultural contexts with greater accuracy and fluency. Students will engage in topics related to personal routines, leisure activities, sports, and plans for holidays, reinforcing their mastery of the present tense while integrating past and future forms to narrate experiences and express intentions. The course also introduces functional language for invitations, celebrations, and cultural events, encouraging learners to interact with confidence in predictable but extended situations. Classroom tasks emphasize role-plays, short narratives, and guided dialogues that require students to connect ideas and use a wider range of vocabulary. By the end of this course, learners will be able to sustain conversations about personal activities, describe past experiences and future plans, and interact effectively in familiar social contexts  

Advanced Spanish: Level B1.2

This course continues the development of advanced communication by broadening students' ability to integrate multiple verb tenses in spoken and written production. Learners will work with topics such as annual celebrations, invitations to social gatherings, and cultural traditions across the Hispanic world. Special emphasis is placed on narrating past events, discussing present habits, and projecting future activities, allowing students to combine tenses within the same task. Learners will also practice expressing opinions, preferences, and emotions more clearly, as well as handling less predictable interactions in social and cultural contexts. Through interactive activities such as debates, cultural comparisons, and guided writing, students will refine their ability to use Spanish with greater flexibility. By the end of this course, learners will demonstrate improved control of grammar and vocabulary, enabling them to engage in conversations and written tasks with more fluency and coherence.  

Upper-Advanced Spanish Level B2.1

This course marks the transition from advanced to upper-advanced Spanish, focusing on the integration of verb tenses and the ability to sustain communication in longer and more complex interactions. Students will explore themes such as health, well-being, and lifestyle choices, discussing common illnesses, body parts, and ways to maintain healthy habits. Learners will consolidate their control of present, past, and future forms, while beginning to incorporate more advanced structures such as conditional expressions and the subjunctive in familiar contexts. Classroom activities emphasize discussions, interviews, and written reflections, encouraging students to analyze situations, provide advice, and share personal and cultural perspectives. By the end of this course, learners will be able to narrate, describe, and argue with greater fluency, connecting ideas across tenses and producing more detailed and nuanced communication.  

Upper-Advanced Spanish Level B2.2

This course consolidates the upper-advanced stage by emphasizing the flexible and accurate use of verb tenses across a wide variety of communicative tasks. Learners will deepen their ability to discuss health, culture, and social interactions with greater independence and abstraction. Special attention is given to combining verb tenses in narration and argumentation, as well as expanding the use of conditional and subjunctive forms to express opinions, doubts, and recommendations. Through debates, role-plays, cultural projects, and written compositions, students will develop the capacity to sustain longer and more complex discourse. By the end of this course, learners will demonstrate the ability to handle unpredictable situations, compare cultural practices, and articulate detailed perspectives on both personal and social issues, showing readiness to move into the proficient stages of language learning.