Online Placement Test (SPOT) and Proficiency Exam

If you have never been exposed to the Japanese language, JAPN-010A: FIrst Year Japanese I is the right class for you. Please enroll in it for the fall quarter.

If you have studied the Japanese language in any way, take the online Japanese placement test: the Simple Proficiency-Oriented Test (SPOT) to enroll in an appropriate JAPN course.

• taking Japanese classes (including AP Japanese in high school, Japanese courses offered at community colleges and other universities, Japanese Saturday school, Hoshukou, tutoring, etc.)
• self-studying
• speaking Japanese at home and/or with family/friends
• having lived in Japan
• studying abroad in Japan

Note: Students who completed their high school education in Japan are NOT eligibel for any JAPN courses at UC San Diego, except for those who attended an international school.
 

Placement Process:

1. Take SPOT online and submit your test results and other required information via Google Form as instructed below. SPOT is available online 24/7.
   
   
2. Keep an eye on your email inbox. One of our Japanese language faculty will email you within 5 business days to schedule your online placement interview (oral assessment). 
   
   
3. Your placement interview will take place for about 10-15 minutes on Zoom. You will find out your placement result (JAPN course level) at the end of your interview.
   
   
4. Registered UCSD undergrads will receive a JAPN course pre-authorization confirmation via VAC. Graduate students and Non-UCSD students (including Concurrent Enrollment Students) will receive it via email.
   
   
5. Book the JAPN course via TSS during your booking period for the appropriate quarter. 

Note:

• All the placement interviews are scheduled on a first come first served basis. 
• Your SPOT test result is valid only for one academic year (3 consecutive quarters).

Click here to access SPOT URL and instructions and get started.

Questions?
Current UCSD undergrads: Virtual Advising Center 
All others: japan@ucsd.edu

UC San Diego students may wish to have it certified that they have attained a level of conversational and reading proficiency to satisfy their language requirements. Revelle and Eleanor Roosevelt Colleges require such certification for the baccalaureate degree and some UC San Diego departments have an undergraduate language requirement as part of their major program. We offer a proficiency exam for Japanese.

Proficiency Exam Procedures

Please follow these procedures.

1. Contact the approved proficiency exam administrator and make an appointment for the test. After the test, the test administrator fills out the form and either certifies that you have passed proficiency or indicates that you are not proficient.
2. Bring the completed form to the Linguistics Language Program Office, APM 3101. You must return this form to the Language Program whether or not you passed the test.
3. The Language Program office will contact the test administrator to verify that the test has been given and that the results indicated are correct. If you have passed the test, the Language Program office will notify your college or major department of the results and will also inform the Registrar so the result can be posted to your transcript.

More information about taking a Proficiency Examination can be found on the Linguistics Department Website: http://ling.ucsd.edu/language/proficiency-exam.html