<p>Does anyone know what the language tests will consist of and how long they’ll take? I am going to take the online Chinese and German test.</p>
<p>They consist of:
- reading comprehension with multiple choice
- speaking (responding to a prompt and talking into your computer’s microphone)
- writing short essays, with similar prompts</p>
<p>Should take about 2-3 hours</p>
<p>So, we can’t take the test if we don’t have a microphone on our computer? Either we buy one or wait until O-Week… choices, choices, choices.</p>
<p>I just finish taking the German one. It took me an hour. There was no listening, speaking or writing, just mulitple choice.</p>
<p>you can take em even at Rice if you need to. its not a big deal</p>
<p>I guess German is different from Spanish (which had all three sections). Sorry if I scared you into thinking it was a harder test</p>
<p>French had listening, reading, writing short paragraphs, and speaking.
It was kind of like the AP exam but pretty watered-down–very manageable; it took me about an hour and a half.</p>
<p>I would take the spanish one if I had a microphone…Rice won’t penalize us if we wait till Oweek right?</p>
<p>It’s fine to take the language test during o-week. I do remember, though, that my daughter was woken up by someone knocking on her dorm room door at 8:00 one morning, saying she had to take the language test in 15 minutes. It was the one part of o-week (for her) that didn’t seem very well planned. She didn’t get any more warning than that, so you may want to ask as soon as you get there for o-week…and keep asking.</p>
<p>D just took the Spanish test (didn’t go well for her… Spanish 101 at Rice here she comes!) but she didn’t need a microphone. Maybe if she’d done really well she would have “opened” more advanced question content, but she was pretty confident the Spanish test did not need a microphone.</p>
<p>we don’t have to take the placement test if we have absolutely no interest in ever pursuing the study of it…ever right? So foreign language isn’t a graduation requirement or anything, is it?</p>
<p>I haven’t taken Spanish for a whole year so I’m deathly afraid of having to face it. I’d much rather not if it’s not absolutely necessary.</p>
<p>The initial placement isn’t absolute - you can change after the semester starts if the levels in the class you are taking are too hard or too easy. My DD did that.</p>
<p>How hard is the hardest Chinese language classes at Rice? I am a native speaker, but I haven’t live in China for 9 years now. Writing is my only weakness. Would taking Chinese in college benefit me?</p>
<p>i never took the test and jumped straight to the 200 level classes. i dont think they are strict about it at all!</p>
<p>@Antarius - when did you do this? I think they may have become more strict in making sure everyone has taken the test. I AP’d out of Span 101/102/201/202 and want to continue with 301 (although I’ve probably forgotten half of it).</p>
<p>Esther won’t let me register for 301 because I haven’t taken the placement test… My question is: If I take the test and it suggests 201, can I register for 301? I hope they just want me to have taken the test, not care what score I made. …You probably can’t answer all this, I’m just rambling here. :)</p>
<p>PS: Esther lets you register up to Span 202 without error. It’s 301 and above that wants you to have taken a placement test…</p>
<p>this was last year. before the crazy ESTHER overhaul!</p>
<p>Register for 201, walk into 301 during the shopping period. ;)</p>
<p>MakeAWish–I don’t think anyone answered your question. The language placement test isn’t required. You only need it if you want to continue with some language you’ve already studied and need to figure out what level to start with. </p>
<p>As for taking a higher level language class than you test into, you would probably want to discuss that with the professor, or as Antarius suggested, sit in on the higher level class for a few sessions. My daughter ended up taking a lower level Spanish class than she tested into. You’ll have lots of flexibility in choosing your classes those first few weeks, plus advise from advisers during o-week (and after, if you want).</p>
<p>good point, berkeleymom</p>
<p>There is flexibility. The test is to ballpark. for me, i am completely fluent in a second language and thus took the higest level they had. It dissallows fluent native speakers from taking 101 etc. and also makes sure that you dont overreach and pull the class down/fail</p>