WebCAPE Exam
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The WebCAPE foreign language placement test is a computer adaptive language test authored by Brigham Young University. This multiple-choice test is individualized (self-adjusting to the student's level) and is not timed. It covers grammar, vocabulary and reading skills.
Who needs to take the WebCAPE Exam
Students with high school study in French or Spanish must take the WebCAPE exam before they can register for classes. Any student who has previous study of German is eligible to take the exam as well if they have had prior study of the language.
If you are a heritage learner, that is you learned Spanish at home, you should not take this exam without first consulting with Dr. Samia Mathew, Director of the Heritage Language Program.
How to take the WebCape Exam
Registering for the exam
Please read and follow the instructions below to register for the exam:
- Follow this WebCAPE Exam registration link and create an account using your email and studentID.
- Once you've logged into the WebCAPE, choose the University of Louisville and select French, German or Spanish.
- Enter your contact and billing information
- Enter the requested user information and click the "continue" button to begin the WebCAPE placement test language that you have selected.
Important: You must use your correct UofL student ID number when you fill out the information. You will receive a confirmation of the payment and testing instructions in your email. Immediately after you complete the exam you will receive your score and placement course level.
Please note: You must enter your UofL student ID number. Your score cannot be processed if you do not include your student ID number when you register.
Taking the exam
Before you begin, please keep in mind the following:
- You do not need to be an enrolled student to take the test.
- The WebCAPE test will cover both familiar and unfamiliar material, because the goal is to find out what you do know and what you don't know. Don't let this discourage you. If you aren't sure, make your best guess and move on. The test is designed to give you a number of opportunities to answer questions at different levels of skill.
- Because this test is used for placement purposes, we recommend only taking the WebCAPE test once per language. If you take the exam a second time without permission your placement may be recorded incorrectly.
How to take a second exam in a different language
Any student who chooses to take the WebCAPE exam a second time in a different language, will need to contact language@louisville.edu to get permission to access the test.
Please note: Your score will not be posted if you fail to provide your correct UofL student ID or do not use the email address that contains your ULink user ID @louisville.edu. For example: rfroeb01@louisville.edu.
What to do with the results
WebCAPE scores will be uploaded to PeopleSoft. Scores will determine the language course students will continue their studies in. The better the score, the fewer language courses students will have to take to complete the language requirement and the quicker they can get started on major or minor coursework in the language.
After taking the exam, students should sign up for the appropriate course depending on their score.
It may take up to seven business days for your score to be uploaded into PeopleSoft.
How to Interpret your Placement Score
| Score | Course to take |
|---|---|
| Below 250 | SPAN 121: Basic Spanish OR SPAN 141: Intensive Basic Spanish I |
| 250-369 | SPAN 123: Advanced Basic Spanish |
| 370-439 | SPAN 201: Intermediate Spanish I |
| 440-650 | SPAN 305: Spanish Grammar in Context |
| Above 650 | Consult with Prof. Greg Hutcheson |
Please note: You cannot place into Spanish 122, 142, 310 or 321.
| Score | Course to take |
|---|---|
| Below 250 | FREN 121 |
| 250-399 | FREN 201 (formerly FREN 123) |
| 400-500 | FREN 321 OR FREN 322 |
| Above 500 | Consult with Prof. Matthieu Dalle |
Please note: You cannot place into French 122 or 202
| Score | Course to take |
|---|---|
| Below 201 | GER 121 |
| 201-400 | GER 123 |
| 401-550 | GER 201 |
| 551-650 | GER 321 |
| Above 650 | Consult with Prof. Jordan Gabbard |
| Score | Course to take |
|---|---|
| 0-11 | LAT 101: Elementary Latin I |
| 12-13 | LAT 102: Elementary Latin II |
| 14-15 | LAT 201: Intermediate Latin I |
| 16-17 | LAT 202: Intermediate Latin II |
| Above 18 | Consult with Prof. Robert Luginbill |
Concerns about scores
The scores used for cutoffs are recommendations based on ample research among similar student populations and are the scores most predictive of success. If for whatever reason you don't believe that the score you obtained represents your actual ability, you should speak with the director of instruction for that language.
| Language | Director of Instruction |
|---|---|
| French | Prof. Matthieu Dalle |
| German | Prof. Jordan Gabbard |
| Spanish (placement into SPAN 121, 122 or 123) | Prof. Samia Mathew |
| Spanish (placement into SPAN 201 or higher) | Prof. Greg Hutcheson |
| Latin via UofL Testing Center | Prof. Robert Luginbill |
Questions?
For questions regarding payment or any issues with payment, please visit https://support.emmersion.ai/support/tickets/new.
Language Requirement for Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science and SPHIS Students
The Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree requires students to reach an intermediate level of study for a single foreign language. Bachelor of Science (BS) students and students in the School of Public Health and Information Sciences (SPHIS) require study of a foreign language for two complete semesters. To fulfill this requirement students can take classes in one of the ten languages offered by the Department of Classical & Modern Languages. Please refer to the charts below to determine which course you need to meet your degree requirement.
| Language | BS Arts and Sciences SPHIS Students | BA Students- Arts and Sciences |
|---|---|---|
| Arabic | ARAB 122 or higher | ARAB 123 or higher |
| American Sign Language | ASL 102 or higher | ASL 202 or higher |
| Chinese | CHNS 102 or higher | CHNS 202 or higher |
| French | FREN 122 or higher | FREN 201 or higher |
| German | GERM 122, 141 or higher | GERM 123, 142 or higher |
| Greek & Latin | GR or LAT 102 or higher | GR or LAT 202 or higher |
| Japanese | JAPN 102 or higher | JAPN 202 or higher |
| Spanish | SPAN 122, 141 or higher | SPAN 123 or higher |
*hours are approximate