Frequently Asked Questions

If you have never studied Spanish before, then you may enroll in 101 without taking the exam, but all others must take it. We do not allow students to self place. For more information, please visit the Placement Exam webpage.

You are encouraged to take the exam by July 15th.

You need to create your LC e-mail account on the Web at Account Management

There are 62 multiple-choice questions. You have one hour to complete the test. You may NOT stop and return to the test once you have started.

Yes, it is highly recommended to take the exam as early as possible. Knowing your current level will help you plan your registrations. Your placement will expire after one year unless you place out of the foreign language requirement. However, if you take the exam during the summer of NSO (New Student Orientation), your placement will still be valid this spring when registering for a fall Spanish course.

All students who place into 202 or higher are required to confirm their placement by taking a proctored exam on campus during NSO. This is to ensure that the results are honest and accurate. Once you have confirmed your placement, you may register for an upper level course. All incoming students who score highly on the exam will have to wait until NSO to register for these courses as well.

No. SPT can only be taken once per academic year. You may not take it multiple times to improve your level. If you are in a course and feel that it is not the appropriate level for you, discuss this with your professor.

No. The Spanish Placement Test is not intended to be a challenge test. You may not take the SPT if you are enrolled in or have already taken a Spanish course at Lewis & Clark College. If you are in a course and feel that it is not the appropriate level for you, please discuss this with your professor.

Yes. Spending a prolonged period of time in a Spanish speaking country counts as experience speaking Spanish. It is recommended that you take the SPT to determine your current language proficiency.