Are placement tests really necessary?
Let us take Latin as an example. In any given semester, we as a department typically offer the study of Latin at about four or five (sometimes more) different levels, ranging from elementary through doctoral. Some courses even have different expectations for undergraduates than for students who have already completed BA degrees. For you to be placed in the level that is right for you, we need to assess your Latin against a measure that we can interpret fairly, consistently, and above all accurately, and the best instrument we have for this is our own placement test. Our past experience has shown that the Latin SAT II subject test may be an acceptable substitute, but only if it is taken very close to the time of entry into our courses. Click here to read more about the Latin SAT II option on the Certificate Admissions page. For Greek, since there is no SAT II subject test, you will need to take the department’s own Greek Placement Exam.
