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.
EALCS department Language Class Sequence for Chinese, Japanese & 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 |
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 or in-person: 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
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 Monday, September 22, 2025 from 10:00am-12:00pm ONLINE
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
- 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.
Classical Chinese Placement Test
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
