Language Programs & Placement Tests

A Placement Test is required before enrolling in a language course at UCSB for students who have previously taken language classes or have a background in the following East Asian Languages: Chinese, Japanese, or Korean. For students interested in taking Chinese, Japanese, or Korean language classes at UCSB, the placement tests are usually offered each quarter. Students new to Chinese, Japanese, or Korean do not need to take a Placement Test, they can register for first year classes offered every year in the Fall quarter.

JAPANESE Language Placement Test

If you have studied Japanese previously or speak it at home, you MUST take the placement test to take Japanese language courses at UCSB.

To sign up, please complete this information sheet . The Placement Test is conducted before each quarter.

The placement test consists of the two parts:

Part 1 on Canvas: 1) Conjugations (verbs, adjectives) 2) Kanji   3) writing  (& reading)

Part 2 on Zoom: 4) Interview

< How to prepare for the Placement Test >
Review the materials (textbooks) of the course(s) you have taken before. We recommend reviewing verb and adjective conjugations, as well as vocabulary and kanji. Please refer to the course description (Japanese Language Course Description ) for more information about each level of our Japanese courses. If you have a specific course you wish to start, look at the description of the course prior to the placement test. A course description indicates what you are expected to be able to do to take the course you wish to take.

If you have any questions about the Japanese Language Placement Test, please contact Yoko Yamauchi〈yokoy@eastasian.ucsb.edu〉

CHINESE Language Placement Test for Winter 2025

Students who have studied Chinese or speak it at home, MUST take the Placement Test in order to enroll in Chinese language classes at UCSB (except CHIN 1).

The next Chinese Placement Test will be on Friday, January 3, 2025 from 10:00am-12:00pm
Please sign up for the test using this FORM

About the Chinese Placement Test

The Placement Test will be online and consists of two parts:
Part 1: listening, reading and typing (90 minutes) on Canvas
Part 2: Interview (10 minutes) on Zoom

How to prepare for the Placement Test
Review the materials (textbooks) of the courses you have taken before.

Materials that we use:

First-Year Chinese (Chin 1-2-3) <Ni Wo TA> Developing Chinese Fluency: An introductory Course

Second-year Chinese (Chin 4-5-6) < Transitions: Developing Chinese Fluency: Intermediate Chinese

If you have questions, please contact the Chinese Language Coordinator: Bella Chen at 〈bellachen@eastasian.ucsb.edu〉

Please Note: The Chinese Language Placement Tests are ONLY for students who plan to take a Chinese language course or need to be evaluated for the Chinese Major or Minor or the Asian Studies Major.

If you are not an EALCS Major or Minor and are not planning to test into or enroll in Chinese language classes at UCSB:

Please sign up for the CHINESE LANGUAGE EVALUATION for students who need to clear the Area B GE (3 quarters) or who need to clear several quarters of Chinese for their Majors and Minors. Please sign up for the CHINESE EVALUATION with this Form

KOREAN Language Placement Test FOR THE 2024-2025 Academic Year

• If you wish to waive your language requirement without taking classes at UCSB, please fill out this form to take the Korean proficiency test.
• If you would like to be placed in a Korean class without taking a prerequisite, please contact Wona Lee at wonalee@ucsb.edu.

EALCS department Language Class Sequence for Chinese, Japanese, and Korean:
The East Asian Language courses are offered in an annual sequence. A typical schedule for the language courses for each quarter are listed below:

Year:	Fall Quarter:	Winter Quarter:	Spring Quarter:
1st year	CHIN 1, JAPAN 1, KOR 1	CHIN 2, JAPAN 2, KOR 2	CHIN 3, JAPAN 3, KOR 3
2nd year	CHIN 4, JAPAN 4, KOR 4	CHIN 5, JAPAN 5, KOR 5	CHIN 6, JAPAN 6, KOR 6
3rd year	CHIN122A, JAPAN 120A	CHIN122B, JAPAN 120B	CHIN122C, JAPAN 120C

Classical Chinese Placement Test for FALL 2024

Please email Prof. Thomas Mazanec (mazanec@ucsb.edu) to arrange a placement test for Classical Chinese. The test is offered once a year, during the first week of the quarter in which Chinese 101A is offered (Fall 2024) and will require you to produce an accurate English translation of the literal meaning of a brief Classical Chinese text. Consulting dictionaries and other resources is permitted. Email Prof. Mazanec for further details. Note: This is for Classical Chinese (文言文), not Modern Mandarin Chinese. For Modern Mandarin Chinese, please follow the instructions above.

Contact

Please contact Ariella Lassiter, EALCS Academic Advisor for questions and information.
E-mail: alassiter@hfa.ucsb.edu