Placement and proficiency exams

• Arabic: Ms. Mounia Mnouer, 928-523-8443
• Chinese: Ms. Di Wu, 928-523-6401
• French: Dr. Michael Rulon, 928-523-8571
• German: Ms. Jessica Wood, 928-523-6731
• Italian: Mr. Kevin Massoletti, 928-523-1236
• Japanese: Sensei Reiko Akiyama, 928-523-8244
• Navajo: Inez Nez, 928-523-6319

• You may earn no more than 60 units of credit-by-exam. This includes CLEP, Challenge Exam, Dantes, AP, or credit-by-exam earned at another institution.
• You may not Challenge or CLEP levels 101-202 of your native language. This is determined by the primary language spoken in the high school you graduated from, not what language is predominately spoken in your household.
• You may not repeat an exam within one year of your first attempt. Under no circumstances will you be permitted to take an exam for the same course more than twice.
• Credit earned through an exam must not duplicate credit you have already earned for the same course.
• You may not earn credit-by-exam in a course that is equivalent to, more elementary than, or substantially overlaps another course in which you have already obtained credit. If you are currently enrolled in a foreign language course and want credit for a more introductory course(s), you must take the exam for the lower course by the end of week eight of the current semester of the course in which you are currently enrolled. No exceptions. No refunds.
• Credits earned by Challenge Exam(s) do not transfer to other universities (do not show up on official transcripts).  You may take as much credit-by-exam as you want, provided it does not exceed the total 60 unit limit or the limit designated by your academic plan (Major or Minor). However, it will not become part of your academic record until after you complete your first semester. If you leave Northern Arizona University, Challenge Exam credit is not recognized by other institutions.
• CLEP Exam scores are recognized by other universities for credit; your total score to number of credits awarded varies by university and therefore credits earned at NAU from this exam do not transfer (do not show up on official transcripts). Scores must be transmitted to a different university/entity via the CLEP website, not via NAU.

• Currently enrolled NAU students may take Challenge Exams for credit.
• Challenge Exams are locally prepared by NAU faculty.
• Students must have met the pre-requisites for the Challenge Exams they wish to take and/or stipulate they wish to take the exam to show proficiency per their degree requirements.
• Challenge Exams cost $30 per unit (101-202 classes are 4 units so $120 for each Exam / 300 level and above are usually 3 units so they would run $90 for each Exam).
• You must review the Credit by Exam Policies before paying for or taking an exam.

Available Challenge Exams

• Chinese 101, 102, 201, and 202 (Di Wu/523-6401)
• French 303 and 304W (Professor Erika Hess/523-6676)
• German 303, 304 (Third Year) and 403, 404 (Fourth Year) (Professor Marilya Veteto Reese/523-9638)
• Greek (Ancient) 101, 102, 201, and 202 (Professor George Rudebusch/523-7091)
• Italian 101, 102, 201, and 202 (NOTE: prior consent from the instructor is required) (Kevin Massoletti/523-1236)
• Japanese 101, 102, 201, 202, 299 (Special Topics), 399 (Third Year), and 499 (Fourth Year) (Sensei Reiko Akiyama/523-8244)
• Latin 101, 102, 201, 202 (Professor Jeremy LaBuff/523-4518)
• Navajo 101, 102, 201, 202, 303, 304, and 311 (Ms. Inez Nez/523-6319)
• Portuguese 101 and 102 are posted as LAN 101 (4 credit hours) and LAN 102 (4 credit hours) (Professor Joseph Collentine/523-7791)
  • Note: Foreign language requirement must be manually applied by an adviser in LOUIE. LAN courses do NOT meet cultural understanding unit requirements.
• Russian 101, 102, 201, 202, 399 (Third Year), and 499 (Fourth Year) (Alexandria McConocha/ 523-6237)
• Spanish 303 and 304W (Alexandria McConocha/523-6237)
• Swedish posted as LAN 399 (Third Year/up to 6 credit hours = two semesters), and LAN 499 (Fourth Year/up to 6 credit hours = two semesters) - (Professor Marilya Veteto Reese/523-9638)
  • Note: Foreign language requirement must be manually applied by an adviser in LOUIE.

Challenge Exam Procedures

1. Read the Northern Arizona University CLEP Policies and Challenge Policies in the academic catalog (most of these same policies apply to Challenge Exams.)
2. Determine which Challenge Exam you would like to take, the number of units it will give you, and if the exam is still available. (IMPORTANT NOTE: Because exams are locally prepared, exam availability varies from semester to semester because faculty take sabbaticals, etc. Even if you see them on the drop-down menu from the Payment Page, they still may not be offered; please contact the department at 928-523-2361 to verify. There is always someone available to administer Spanish, German, and French Challenge Exams.)
3. Consult with your academic adviser or the Gateway Center and the current academic catalog to determine how the units will apply to liberal studies requirements and/or your degree. University language requirements for BAs can be found under Policy 100810 - if you are taking a challenge exam to meet a BA language requirement please review this policy before proceeding. If you think Policy 100810 might apply to you and you've received contrary information from your major adviser, please review it with your major adviser before proceeding (they may not be unaware of it). All advisers and students can contact Alexandria McConocha with questions or concerns - some majors are different in their requirements. Note: Demonstrating "proficiency" at a certain level or above does not require lower level units to get to that level of proficiency.
4. Make your payment on the payment page or you can make your payment in the department. Challenge exams cost $30 per unit. Four unit exams are $120 and three unit exams are $90. (Please note that if you pay in the department, we can only accept cash, check, or money order. Credit card payments are taken only from the Payment Page.) There are no refunds. A payment is your assertion that you have done all the research that is necessary prior to submitting that payment and you are ready to actually take the exam.
5. Alexandria McConocha will be notified of the transaction the following day. Students will then be notified by Ms. McConocha via email (usually within three days) to come in, fill out the paperwork, and schedule the exam (oral exams will need to be arranged with faculty as directed by the department). Most challenge exams are given in the Global Languages and Cultures Department, Babbitt Academic Annex (Bldg #23) Room 108. The department’s phone number is 928-523-2361.
6. Complete the required Challenge Exam form in the Global Languages and Cultures Dept. These three part forms must be filled out in the Global Languages office, Babbitt Academic Annex (Bldg #23) Room 108. Statewide academic advisers or students, please contact Alexandria McConocha to make arrangements for proctored exams.
7. Note for Yuma students: Please contact your academic adviser before paying for a challenge exam.

After the exam: