Welcome to the Arabic Placement Test
About the test
The test is approximately two hours and a half in length, and it is composed of three portions:
a. The writing portion is completed via Zoom and it is worth a total of 100 points.
b. The reading portion is completed online through Canvas site, and it is worth a total of 48 points.
c. Right after finishing with the reading portion, each student will have a follow-up interview with a proctor. The interviews last approximately 15 minutes and it is worth a total of 20 points.
Important: The interview portion will be weighted most heavily as it will be used to validate performance on the other portions. The final result/score/rating will thus be based on the student’s performance on the interview above all. Rating of performance on the writing or reading portions is secondary.
How is the result calculated?
Students who receive 60% or above will be placed in Arabic 401 and thus placed out of the language requirement.
Where can I view my results?
Placement results are posted within 7 business days after the test.
You will not be notified of your score automatically. You may view your placements via: Wolverine Access > Student Business > Academic Records > View Placement Exam Results.
Important information about the test
* Please note that only students who are participating in the orientations are eligible to take the online placement test. If you are an existing UM student, please sign up to take the in-person placement test.
* Placements are valid for only one year. If you fail to register in the course that you are placed in, you will be required to retake the test.
* Retaking the placement test is only permitted after the placement results expire.
* The test assesses students’ proficiency in Modern Standard Arabic (MSA), NOT colloquial Arabic.
* If you speak an Arabic dialect but you do not know how to read or write or have little knowledge, feel free to register in Arabic 101.
* Students who know some Arabic because they came from an Arabic-speaking household or have studied Arabic before, must take the Arabic proficiency test in order to determine their placement.
* Students who have taken Arabic at other institutions and wish to continue their Arabic study at UM must take the placement test to determine their level. Credits for Arabic study undertaken at another institution prior to joining UM or in a summer program while attending UM, transfer in as generic departmental credits and students must take the placement test to determine credit equivalencies to UM courses.
* If you place in or beyond the 401 level, you will have satisfied the LSA language requirement.
* Students are encouraged to take a placement test as early as possible in their studies in order to determine the level they should enroll in, or if they test out of the language requirement. This is extremely important to avoid delays in graduation and complications with placement.
* Arabic 101, 201, 401, 501 are offered ONLY in the Fall semester, and Arabic 102, 202, 402, 504 are ONLY offered in the Winter semester.
* Arabic 103 (the equivalent of Arabic 101 &102, combined), Arabic 203 (the equivalent of Arabic 201 & 202, combined) are offered in the Spring-Summer term.
About the UM Arabic program
UM’s Arabic curriculum is a dual register curriculum in which students learn to speak and understand either the Egyptian dialect or the Levantine dialect (the dialect of Jordan, Syria, Palestine and Lebanon) in addition to learning to read and write and understand formal Arabic (fuSHa). Students starting to learn Arabic, if they have no background in Arabic, can choose to take either dialect or can switch their dialect focus from one semester to the next. The dialect focus of each class section is indicated in the schedule of classes.
If you have questions regarding the placement test, please contact the program director at, mesarabicprogram@umich.edu