UChicago’s Practical Language Proficiency AssessmentTM measures test takers’ ability to functionally use a foreign language in most personal settings and some academic or professional settings. Both the College and graduate students across all Divisions and Schools at the University of Chicago can take the Practical Language Proficiency Assessment to earn Practical Language Proficiency Certification. This certification documents what a student can do with the language in a meaningful and impactful way and how their language abilities–listening, reading, speaking, and writing–will serve them in their professional and academic careers. The Practical Language Proficiency Certification will also strengthen test takers’ resumes and expand their career opportunities.
Eligibility Criteria
Our goal is to ensure success on this assessment. Therefore, test takers should carefully read these guidelines to determine their eligibility to sit for an Practical Language Proficiency Assessment:
- For Romance and Germanic languages (e.g., French, German, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish) and Persian: completion of the final course in the second-year sequence at the college level. Students placed beyond the second year must have completed one language course at a higher level.
- For other languages (e.g., Arabic, Bangla, Chinese, Korean, Modern Hebrew, and Turkish): completion of the final course in the third-year sequence at the college level. Students placed beyond the third year must have completed one language course at a higher level.
* Some languages take more time to gain higher levels of proficiency. * FLPC Practical exams are not administered to test takers who attended school since childhood where the target language has been the primary language of communication OR were enrolled as a fulltime student at an accredited post-secondary institution where the target language was the language of instruction.
Policies
- The exam fee is $90, but it is currently waived for College students and graduate students in the Humanities Division.
- A student may only take a UChicago Language Proficiency Assessment in a given language once within a twelve-month period.
- Test taker can only register for one exam each test administration cycle.
- Native speakers of a given language are not eligible to take a Language Proficiency Assessment in that language.
- The Office of Language Assessment has the right to determine each student’s eligibility, based on the criteria above.
- Since these assessments take significant planning and proctoring, no makeup dates or rescheduling can be provided.
For questions about these policies, visit the FAQ page or contact languageassessment@uchicago.edu.
Taking the Practical Language Proficiency AssessmentTM
The Practical Language Proficiency Assessment will be administered once in the Autumn quarter and once in the Spring quarter each academic year. Test dates for the 2024 – 2025 academic year:
- Autumn 2024: Tuesday, Nov 12, 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM
- Spring 2025: Tuesday, April 15, 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM
Languages offered in Spring 2025:
- Arabic
- Bangla/Bengali
- Chinese
- French
- German
- Hebrew (Modern)
- Italian
- Korean
- Persian
- Portuguese
- Spanish
- Turkish
Registration and Deadlines
| Registration Begins | Registration Ends | Test Administration |
| Monday, February 24th | Friday, April 4th | Tuesday, April 15th, 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM |