Spanish & Portuguese Placement
Planning on taking Spanish or Portuguese? Let's place you in the right spot.
Did you take Spanish in High School?
- 0-1 Year of High School Spanish = placement in SPAN 101
- 2-3 years of High School Spanish = placement in SPAN 190
- 4 years of High School Spanish = placement in SPAN 202
If you get into a class and it is either too easy or too hard, speak to your instructor or contact hisp@cofc.edu for a better placement.
SPAN 202 is the last class required for the General Education Foreign Language Requirement. It is also the first class of our major and our minor! If you place directly into SPAN 202 or above, we’d love to help you continue to grow your fluency.
Two ways to complete the Spanish Basic Language Program:
Quick Guide to Spanish Placement
Students should use their previous Spanish experience to determine which course is the best starting point. The College of Charleston offers two course sequences: the Beginning Track and the Spanish Fast Track.
Beginning Track
For students with little or no previous Spanish experience.
- SPAN 101 – Beginning Spanish I
- SPAN 102 – Beginning Spanish II
- SPAN 201 – Beginning Spanish III
- SPAN 202 – Intermediate Spanish
Spanish Fast Track
For students with previous high school Spanish experience who qualify to begin at a higher level.
- SPAN 190 – Elementary Spanish I
- SPAN 200 – Elementary Spanish II
- SPAN 202 – Intermediate Spanish
High School Spanish Experience and Placement
- 0–1 year: Placement in SPAN 101
- 2–3 years: Placement in SPAN 190
- 4 years: Placement in SPAN 202
Questions About Placement?
Contact Hispanic Studies at 953-7619 or email hisp@cofc.edu.
Language Placement Guide
The Language Placement Guidelines for Incoming Students shows course placement, credit awarded, and Gen Ed requirement for the number of years of high school language, AP Spanish test scores, IB exam scores, and CLEP exam scores.
Students and advisors should choose the category below that best applies to the student’s individual situation:
- Spanish-speaking home environment
- High School Coursework
- AP Spanish Language Exam Score
- AP Spanish Literature Exam Score
- IB Exam Score
- CLEP Exam Score
- Seal of Biliteracy
- Heritage Language Learners.
- Cambridge Exam
General Note: Students MAY NOT be granted a General Education language waiver AFTER having initiated language studies at the College and completed a Hispanic Studies’ SPAN or PORT language course below the fourth semester level unless there are special warranted circumstances as determined by the Hispanic Studies Department Chair.
Spanish-speaking home environment
If you answer YES to one or more of the following statements, please see the Department of
Hispanic Studies to take the Placement Exam for Spanish Heritage Learners (HLL):
1. When I was a child, Spanish was spoken in my home.
2. My first language is Spanish.
3. I speak Spanish, or both Spanish and English, with family, friends, or community members.
4. My family members often speak to me in Spanish.
For students who grew up in a Spanish-speaking home environment, the departmentally- administered HLL placement test will provide the most appropriate course placement. (See the HLL Placement Test Scoring Guidelines category below)
For students who answer NO to ALL of the above questions, please consult the following categories to determine the one that is the most appropriate or consult with the Chair of the Department of Hispanic Studies.
High School Coursework
| Years of High School Coursework | SPAN Course Placement | Credit Hours Awarded | Satisfies General Education Foreign Language Requirement? | Banner Code |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | SPAN 101 | 0 | No | 0015 |
| 1 | SPAN 101 | 0 | No | 0015 |
| 2 | SPAN 190 | 0 | No | 0020 |
| 3 | SPAN 190 | 0 | No | 0025 |
| 4 | SPAN 202 | 0 | No | 0030 |
| 5 | SPAN 313 and/or 314 | 0 | See below* | 0035 |
AP Spanish Language Exam Score
| AP Spanish Language Exam Score | SPAN Course or Level Placement | Credit Hours Awarded | Satisfies General Education Foreign Language Requirement? | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | SPAN 313 and/or 314 | 6 (201 & 202) | Yes | |
| 4 | SPAN 313 and/or 314 | 6 (202 & 390) | Yes | |
| 5 | SPAN 313 and/or 314 | 6 (202 & 390) | Yes | |
AP Spanish Literature Exam Score
| AP Spanish Literature Exam Score | SPAN Course or Level Placement | Credit Hours Awarded | Satisfies General Education Foreign Language Requirement? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | SPAN 313 and/or 314 | 6 (202 & 390) | Yes |
| 4, 5 | SPAN 313 and/or 314 | 6 (320 & 390) | Yes |
IB Exam Score
| Spanish A Lang & Lit HL | SPAN Course or level in which student is placed | Credit Hours Awarded | Satisfies General Education Foreign Language Requirement? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4,5,6,7 | Contact Department | 3 (SPAN 333) | Yes |
| International Baccalaureate Exam Score (Spanish B HL) | SPAN Course Placement | Credit Hours Awarded | Satisfies General Education Foreign Language Requirement? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | SPAN 201 | 6 (101 + 102) | No |
| 5 | SPAN 202 | 9 (101, 102, 201) | No |
| 6 | SPAN 313 and/or 314 | 9 (102, 201, 202) | Yes |
| 7 | Contact department | 12 (102, 201, 202, 313) | Yes |
CLEP Exam Score
| CLEP Exam Score | SPAN Course or Level Placement | Credit Hours Awarded | Satisfies General Education Foreign Language Requirement? |
|---|---|---|---|
SPAN exam 50 SPAN / writing 52 | SPAN 201 | 6 (101 + 102) | No |
| SPAN exam 63 | SPAN 313 and/or 314 | 9 (102, 201 + 202) | Yes |
| SPAN / writing 65 | SPAN 313 and/or 314 | 9 (102, 201 + 202) | Yes |
Seal of Biliteracy
| Seal of Biliteracy Level | SPAN Course Placement |
|---|---|
| Bronze (Intermediate Low) | Contact department |
| Silver (Intermediate Mid) | Contact department |
| Gold (Intermediate High) | Contact department |
Heritage Language Learners
Heritage Language Learners will be identified by a brief initial screening questionnaire and referred to the Department of Hispanic Studies for appropriate placement. Students will speak to an advisor in the department and take the Intermediate-Advanced Spanish Exam (IASE) placement exam developed by Georgia State University. The online test will then be followed by a brief oral interview with the Chair of Hispanic Studies.
| ISAE Raw Score* | SPAN Course or Level Placement | Credit Hours Awarded | Satisfies General Education Foreign Language Requirement? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-10 | SPAN 190 | 0 | No |
| 11-25 | SPAN 202 | 0 | No |
| 26-79 | SPAN 312 | 0 | Yes* |
| 80-100 | Level 3 | 0 | Yes* |
* Raw score is based on an internal placement guide.
Cambridge Exam
| Cambridge Exam AS Score | SPAN Course or Level in which student is placed | Credit Hours Awarded | Satisfies General Education Foreign Language Requirement? |
|---|---|---|---|
| SPAN First Lang (8665) A,B,C,D | SPAN 314 | 3 (SPAN 313) | Yes |
| SPAN First Lang (8665) E | SPAN 313 | 3 (SPAN 312) | Yes |
| SPAN Language (8685) A, B | SPAN 313 and/or 314 | 12 (101, 102, 201 & 202) | Yes |
| SPAN Language (8685) C, D | SPAN 201 | 6 (SPAN 101 & 102) | No |
| SPAN Language (8685) E | SPAN 102 | 3 ( SPAN 101) | No |
| SPAN Lit (8673) A, B, C, D, E | Contact Department | 3 (SPAN 320) | Yes |
| Cambridge Exam A Level - Grade | SPAN Course or Level in which student is placed | Credit Hours Awarded | Satisfies General Education Foreign Language Requirement? |
|---|---|---|---|
SPAN (9719) A, B | Span 313 and/or 314 | 12 (SPAN 101, 102, 201 & 202) | Yes |
| SPAN (9719) C, D | Span 201 | 6 (SPAN 101 & 102) | No |
| SPAN (9719) E | SPAN 102 | 3 (SPAN 101) | No |