Arabic Placement Testing

1. How can I enroll in an Arabic course? 

If you are interested in enrolling in Arabic 1A:

No placement test is required. You may enroll directly through WebReg if space permits. Please visit the Schedule of Classes to view course offerings and seat availability.

If you are interested in enrolling in a level above 1A:

You must take an Arabic placement test to receive course placement and enrollment authorization. See below for more information about the test.

Students should be aware that being placed in a level above any language course they are currently or were previously enrolled in will lead to losing credit for the lower-level course. Therefore, those students considering taking an exemption or placement exam are advised to take the exam prior to enrolling in any language course.

2. What is the purpose of the Arabic Placement Test?

The Arabic Placement Test is designed to assess your proficiency in Arabic. It assesses your readiness for Arabic courses at UCI. You will be placed into one of the following courses based on two tracks of Arabic courses offered at UCI: 

Track One: Classical Arabic  – 1A, 1B, 1C: developing your grammar, writing, and reading skills in formal standardized Arabic.

Track Two: Spoken/Colloquial Arabic – 2A, 2B, or 2C: improving your communication skills in Arabic

For more information about the Arabic program at UCI, please visit the Program in Global Languages and Cultures website here.

3. Who needs to take courses in Arabic?

Language learning is an integral part of university education, and learning another language is a worthwhile endeavor for any student, whether that language is one’s heritage language or a completely new language. The acquisition of a second or even third language increases one’s global literacy and helps to foster a greater appreciation of diversity. In our rapidly changing and increasingly interconnected world, students with skills in more than one language will be able to engage with the world in more meaningful and productive ways.

Successful completion of lower-division coursework (or the equivalent) in Arabic through the 2C level may be used to satisfy the foreign language requirement in the School of Humanities. Completion of Arabic coursework through the 1C level may also be used to satisfy UCI’s Language Other Than English (Category VI) General Education requirement. Students majoring in International Studies must satisfy Language Other Than English requirements through the 2B level. Please consult your academic advisor if you have questions about these requirements.

4. What should I study before the examination?

You do not need to study any specific resources in preparation for the Arabic placement/exemption test. The test is designed to assess your current Arabic skills. These skills are developed over time through practice and exposure, so there is no need for intensive study beforehand. Just focus on demonstrating your existing knowledge, as the test will help place you in the appropriate level for further learning.

5. What is the format of the Arabic Placement Test?

Part 1: Self-Assessment Questionnaire (Questions 1-5)—This ungraded section involves a series of questions about the student’s language background and experiences. It is recommended that you spend 10 minutes on this part.

Part 2: Graded Assessment (Questions 6-51)—This section includes 46 multiple-choice questions aimed at assessing the student’s communicative competence in Modern Standard Arabic (MSA). Students have 50 minutes to complete this part, which covers various topics such as pronouns, interrogatives, sentence structure, time and numbers, noun plurals, reading comprehension, listening comprehension, and verb tenses.

6. How long are the results valid?

The results are valid for your entire academic career at UCI. You may take the test only one time. Please be advised that if you take the test more often than allowed, your new results will not be reported.

No University credit is given. There is no fee to take the test if you are a UCI student. 

7. Is test registration required?

Yes. Test registration is always required. You may register by using the Register/Check Result portal on our website.

Arabic Exemption Testing

The Arabic Exemption Test is offered to students as an alternative means for satisfying the Language Other Than English (Category VI) and the International/Global Issues (Category VIII) General Education requirements. You should take this test if you have a strong background in Arabic and are NOT interested in taking additional coursework. The Exemption Test is the same test as the Placement test. You may schedule an appointment online through Campus Groups.

This test is the same test as the Arabic Placement Test. The highest proficiency level attainable at UCI by taking the Arabic Placement/Exemption Test is 2C. Registration is available online through the Register/Check Result portal on our website.

This test may be taken only once. No University credit is given for taking the Arabic Placement/Exemption Test. There is no fee to take the test if you are a UCI student. There is no fee to take the test if you are a UCI student.

Results will not appear on the student’s transcripts and notification will be sent to each student’s academic unit at the end of the quarter.

For questions regarding Arabic course enrollment, please visit the Program in Global Languages & Cultures website or contact hum-glc@uci.edu.

Students who are not affiliated with UCI are eligible to register and take the Arabic Exemption exam for a fee. For more information, please contact hum-glc@uci.edu.