Welcome to the French Language Placement Information page, where you can find information about language courses in the French Department, language study requirements, and the placement exams that are recognized by New York University.
If you do not have a score for a French placement test already (AP French score, SAT-II score, or IB test score), your first step should be to take the online Language Placement exam. This is sufficient to place you into the correct level of French. If you are looking to be exempt from the CAS language requirement, and you received a score of 46 or higher on the Language Placement Exam, you will also need to take the in-person exemption exam offered by CAS.
For more information about the placement exams, including upcoming dates, see here.
In order to take these exams, be sure to RSVP and to bring your NYU ID card with you on the day of the test.
Students registered with the Center for Students with Disabilities (CSD) must R.S.V.P. to cas.placementexams@nyu.edu at least two days in advance of their scheduled testing time.
Read more about the language requirement, the different scores accepted by the university for placement and exemption, and the online Language Placement exam below.
Language Study Requirement
College of Arts and Science (Undergraduates)
Students in the College of Arts and Science (CAS) need to complete a fourth semester of language study as part of their College Core Curriculum. For French, this would entail completing Intermediate French II (FREN-UA 12) or Intensive Intermediate French (FREN-UA 20).
CAS students can also fulfill this language requirement with an appropriate score on one of several placement exams, listed below.
Graduate School of Arts and Science
Students in some programs in the Graduate School of Arts and Science may need to fulfill a second language requirement. This can be fulfilled in several ways:
I.B. taking such a course while in residence at NYU. See placement information below.
GSAS students should consult their departments for further information about their second language requirements.
Course Placement
Students who have never studied French before should enroll in either Elementary French I (FREN-UA 1) or Intensive Elementary French (FREN-UA 10).
All other students must show proof of placement through one of the following four exams:
ii. the IB French Exam (High Level)
iii. the online language placement exam
Detailed information about each of these exams can be found below.
I. French AP Exams
A student who receives a score of 4 or 5 on the French Language and Culture AP Exam is exempt for the CAS language requirement. A student with such a score should enroll in Written Contemporary French (FREN-UA 105). Such a student should also go the French Department for advising. Please note that if a student with a score of 4 or 5 on the French Language and Culture AP exam enrolls in Conversation & Composition (FREN-UA 30), he or she will lose credits granted for the AP exam score.
See the the AP Central subsite of the College Board for more information about the French AP exam.
I. IB French Test (High Level)
The IB French Test (High Level) can be used both to determine language placement level and to fulfill the College Core Curriculum language requirement. Please see the box below for placement and College Core Curriculum requirement equivalencies.
IB Test Score |
places student in |
IB6 or IB7 | A score of 6 or 7 on the International Baccalaureate High-Level examination is accepted as evidence of intermediate-level accomplishment. A student with such a score is exempt from the language requirement and should enroll in Conversation and Composition (FREN-UA 30). Such a student should also go to the French Department for advising. |
IB5 and under | A student with a score of 5 or lower needs to take another placement test – the SAT Subject Test in French or the online Language Placement exam – to determine the French course in which he or she should enroll. |
III. Online Language Placement Exam
Students must take the online Language Placement Exam if they have none of the following:
i. a score from the SAT Subject Test in French
ii. a score of 4 or 5 on the French Language and Culture AP Test
iii. a score of 6 or 7 on the IB French Test (High Level)
Students must take the test before they can register for French class. Students entering NYU and having taken university-level French courses at a non-NYU site must also take the Language Placement Exam. Please note that the online Language Placement Exam may not be used to fulfill the College Core Curriculum language study requirement; it is only used for placement purposes.
The online Language Placement Exam in French consists of a series of multiple-choice questions on vocabulary, grammar and reading comprehension. Since it is an adaptive test, the length varies from one individual to another, with an average time of 20 minutes. At the exam welcome screen students must provide their name, last name, NYU email and student ID number. The score and placement recommendation will be provided to the student and to the Department of French immediately upon completion of the exam. Students must print their score and bring it to class on the day of class.
Please be aware that the exam must represent each student’s own work. Students are bound by New York University’s College of Arts and Science Code of Academic Integrity, which can be found at the following site: http://cas.nyu.edu/page/academicintegrity
To take the online Language Placement Exam please go to: http://www.nyu.edu/cas/flpexam/
Upon arriving at the site, you will be prompted to log-in with your NetID and password before beginning the exam.
See the box below for placement equivalencies.
Online Language Placement Exam Score |
places student in |
0 - 21 |
Elementary French I (FREN-UA 1) or Intensive Elementary French (FREN-UA 10) |
22 - 30 |
Elementary French II (FREN-UA 2) |
31 - 37 | Intermediate French I (FREN-UA 11) or Intensive Intermediate French (FREN-UA 20) |
38 - 45 |
Intermediate French II (FREN-UA 12) |
46 - 54 | Conversation and Composition (FREN-UA 30). A student receiving a score of 46 or above and wishing to fulfill the College Core Curriculum language requirement needs to take the in-person placement exam offered through the Office of Academic Affairs. The schedule for this placement test can be found here: http://cas.nyu.edu/page/placementexams |
55 - 73 |
Spoken Contemporary French (FREN-UA 101) or Written Contemporary French (FREN-UA 105). A student with a score of over 72 should contact the French Department for advising. |
For further information about French language courses or placement information, contact the Department at 212-998-8700.