Chinese Language Program Placement Test

Update on Certifications of Language Proficiency (for the  fulfillment of language requirements):

Due to our department’s remote access, we cannot issue hard copies of language certificates this semester. Our program director, Prof. Liu, will send a list of test results to the following deans/coordinator of each school which they will share internally with the appropriate administrators.

SIPA:  Tsuya Yee, ty2466@sipa.columbia.edu

CC and SEAS: Sarah Oldham smo2127@columbia.edu

GS: The language test scores will be sent to the Dean of Students office. Please follow up with your regular academic advisor regarding your score.

Barnard : Wendy Garay, wgaray@barnard.edu

MARSEA: Lin King, lin.king@columbia.edu

We appreciate your patience as there are more than 400 each year. We are unable to report the result individually and ask that you write to your deans respectively and ask them to contact the above contact person if you just want to be placed out of language requirement.

If you still have questions regarding your certificate, please contact Prof. Jiang at tj2342@columbia.edu

The Chinese Language Program will administer the Chinese Placement Test online for the academic year of 2023-2024.
2023 Spring Semester Placement Test TimeTable
Pre-exam Open to register on courseworks December 28 Register only no exam will be published until January 4
Take the exam Writing/Multiple-choice January 4-11 Sign up for speaking exam except for EALAC Graduate Students
Speaking exam via Zoom January 13

 

10 AM-12 PM

 10 mins

 

Get your Test ID
Check your exam result online You will be signed a Test ID when you take the speaking exam, you need to use that ID number to check your exam result.

Important Reminders:

If you have a public (not international) high school or college diploma from mainland China or Taiwan where Mandarin Chinese is the instructional language, you do not need to take the test. Please contact Prof. Wu Yanwen (yw4033@columbia.edu) with your diploma to receive a language certificate, which will exempt you from the 2-year foreign language requirement.

If you are not going to take a Chinese language course but want to receive a language certificate to confirm your level of proficiency, we highly suggest you to register for the exam during the spring semester. Due to the high volume of test-takers in the fall semester, our priority must be for students who want to take classes. We cannot guarantee that you will be able to receive your certificate on time during the fall semester.

The Placement test will consist of three components: a multiple-choice section, a timed composition portion, and a speaking portion.

Please see the table below for the breakdown of the components of the Spring 2023 PLACEMENT EXAM:

  When How long What format Platform
Online multiple-choice items

 

Writing

1/4(12:01am）–

1/11(11:59pm)

 About 3 hours 176 multiple choice

 

·      Listening comprehension (27 questions)

·      Vocabulary (70 questions)

·      Grammar Structure (56 questions)

·      Reading comprehension (7 short passages with 23 questions)

Two questions. Handwrite and then upload the picture of your essays.

 Via CourseWorks

 

(Sign in with your Uni)

See link below
Speaking test 1/13, Friday

 

10AM-12PM

 About 10 minutes One-on-one oral interview with a Chinese instructor Via Zoom(Sign up time slot at the beginning of online test)

Note: You must complete the online multiple-choice items and writing on your own before taking the speaking test.

Here is what you need to do:

  1. After the online test is open to register (December 28), enroll the course via the link:   https://courseworks2.columbia.edu/enroll/J4KB34
  2. Read the announcement and see whether you qualify for the test or not.
  3. Look for Modules and click on them (January 4-11), then you will see the test.
  4. If you can’t see the test, please email Prof. Jiang (tj2342@columbia.edu)

The speaking test will take place on January 13 via Zoom. You must complete the speaking test in order to get the final result of the placement test.

On that day you will be assigned a test ID. Note, that the test ID is very important as you will need it to check your placement result.

EALAC Graduate Students

If you are a graduate student from the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures, you will have to take the written test as everyone else online, but your oral and translation tests will be with Prof. Liu between 10:00am-1:00pm on Friday 1/13. You should use this zoom link to meet with him: https://columbiauniversity.zoom.us/j/94836300615?pwd=azlFcmgzWmFXbzNBN0xxdGRmc1p5dz09
 
Note: You don’t need to sign up on the oral testing sheet when you take the online test.
Classical Chinese Placement Test
 
 
For those who wish to skip the Introduction to Classical Chinese and take the Readings in Classical Chinese directly, please take the placement test with Prof. Liu. The test will be held at 626 Kent Hall at 3:00 pm on Friday, 1/13. If this time is not convenient for you, please contact Prof. Lening Liu at ll172@columbia.edu and make an appointment with him.

For all the placement/proficiency test fees, please visit our Language Testing Fee Policies page.

Proficiency Test: Please visit the Placement/Proficiency Frequently Asked Questions below for a list of contacts.

Placement Test Results for Spring 2023

Placement results can be found at this link. Please do not write to us asking for your result.