Placement exams ensure that your Yale courses are at the appropriate level.
Online placement exams are offered three times a year: in the summer, fall, and spring. Most placement exam results are valid for one year.
The departments below are offering summer online placement exams in advance of course registration for fall courses.
| Placement exam | Summer 2026 placement exam for 2026-2027 courses |
|---|---|
| Placement procedure offered without exam | No |
| Exam format | Online |
| Exam date(s) | July 1, 2026 at 9:00 a.m. to July 31, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. |
| Who should take the exam | Students with previous coursework or significant fluency in ASL who wish to enroll in a more advanced course |
| Where instructions are located | Center for Language Study Placement Testing |
| How the dept determines placement and where to find information | ASL Placement Information |
| Where and when results are posted | Results returned via canvas.yale.edu, “ASL Placement Test 26-27” by August 7 at 5:00 p.m. |
| Contact information for technology issues | Use Canvas Support, at canvas@yale.edu |
| Contact information for placement or departmental issues | Julia Silvestri, Senior Lector I |
| Other |
| Placement exam | Summer 2026 placement exam for 2026-2027 courses |
|---|---|
| Placement procedure offered without exam | No |
| Exam format | Online, including oral interview |
| Exam date(s) | July 1, 2026 at 9:00 a.m. to August 15 at 3:00 p.m. |
| Who should take the exam | All students with previous knowledge of Arabic who intend to study Arabic at Yale |
| Where instructions are located | Center for Language Study Placement Testing |
| How the dept determines placement and where to find information | Modern Arabic website; Modern Arabic FAQs |
| Where and when results are posted | Results returned via canvas.yale.edu, “Arabic Placement Test 26-27” after oral testing August 15th |
| Contact information for technology issues | Use the Placement Test Support Form |
| Contact information for placement or departmental issues | Sarab Al Ani, Language Program Director for Modern Arabic, Senior Lector II of Modern Arabic |
| Other |
| Placement exam | Summer 2026 placement exam for 2026-2027 courses |
|---|---|
| Placement procedure offered without exam | No |
| Exam format | Four individual timed exams administered online, one for each of the four BIOL modules. The format and style for each module will be slightly different; however, students may expect a mix of multiple-choice and short-answer questions. |
| Exam date(s) | July 1, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. to July 31, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. |
| Who should take the exam | The biology placement exams are intended exclusively for incoming first-year students and must be taken before you begin your studies at Yale. They are no longer available once the exam period ends, and your first semester begins. Taking the exams is optional for students who plan to complete all four modules of the Introductory BIOL Sequence. However, they are required for those who wish to skip one or more modules based on prior experience or coursework. We strongly encourage ALL students with any interest in biology—whether you plan to major in a life science discipline or are simply exploring your options—to attempt all four placement exams. This is important for two reasons: (1) The exams cannot be taken later in your academic career, even if you decide to pursue biology or change your major in the future. (2) They provide a valuable preview of the curriculum, helping you assess your strengths and identify areas for growth before making any scheduling decisions. Incoming transfer students and Eli Whitney students should contact the course coordinators for more information and to discuss placement options on a case-by-case basis. |
| Where instructions are located | Use the Biology Self-Enroll link to access the exams; your access will be denied otherwise |
| How the dept determines placement and where to find information | Biology Placement Exam Information |
| Where and when results are posted | Results returned directly by email by August 7 at 5:00 p.m. |
| Contact information for technology issues | Use Canvas Support, at canvas@yale.edu |
| Contact information for placement or departmental issues | Thomas Loreng or Edgar Benavides, Lecturers and BIOL 1010-1040 Coordinators |
| Other |
| Placement exam | Summer 2026 placement exam for 2026-2027 courses |
|---|---|
| Placement procedure offered without exam | No |
| Exam format | Online bank of questions requiring primarily multiple-choice and numerical-entry answers |
| Exam date(s) | July 1, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. to July 31, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. |
| Who should take the exam | Only incoming first-year students planning to take chemistry courses. Chemistry is required for many majors in engineering and health sciences, as well as premedical students. Anyone considering these tracks should take the exam. |
| Where instructions are located | Click the chemistry placement link for direct access to the exam. Additional information regarding the exam as well as possible placement outcomes may be found on the Chemistry Department’s Chemistry Placement webpage |
| How the dept determines placement and where to find information | Use Canvas Support, at canvas@yale.edu |
| Where and when results are posted | Results returned via the Canvas site entitled, “Course Placement 2026 (CHEM, ECON, MATH, PHYS)” by August 7 at 5:00 p.m. |
| Contact information for technology issues | |
| Contact information for placement or departmental issues | Patrick Holland, Professor and Director of Undergraduate Studies (DUS), at chemistry.dus@yale.edu |
| Placement exam | Summer 2026 placement exam for 2026-2027 courses |
|---|---|
| Placement procedure offered without exam | No |
| Exam format | Online |
| Exam date(s) | July 1, 2026 at 9:00 a.m. to July 31, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. |
| Who should take the exam | All students with previous study of Chinese who intend to study Chinese at Yale |
| Where instructions are located | Center for Language Study Placement Testing |
| How the dept determines placement and where to find information | Center for Language Study Placement Testing |
| Where and when results are posted | Results returned via canvas.yale.edu, “Chinese Placement Test 26-27” by April 10, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. |
| Contact information for technology issues | Use Canvas Support, at canvas@yale.edu |
| Contact information for placement or departmental issues | Fan Liu, Senior Lector I and Chinese Language Program Coordinator |
| Other |
| Placement exam | Summer 2026 placement exam for 2026-2027 courses |
|---|---|
| Placement procedure offered without exam | No |
| Exam format | Online |
| Exam date(s) | July 1, 2026 at 9:00 a.m. to July 31, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. |
| Who should take the exam | All students, including native speakers, who have been exposed to Czech, whether formally or informally, who wish to enroll in a language course must take the placement test |
| Where instructions are located | Center for Language Study Placement Testing |
| How the dept determines placement and where to find information | Center for Language Study Placement Testing |
| Where and when results are posted | Results returned via canvas.yale.edu, “Czech Placement Test 26-27” by August 7 at 5:00 p.m. |
| Contact information for technology issues | |
| Contact information for placement or departmental issues | Constantine Muravnik, Slavic Language Program Director |
| Placement exam | No placement exam scheduled for Summer 2026 |
|---|---|
| Placement procedure offered without exam | No |
| Exam format | |
| Exam date(s) | |
| Who should take the exam | There is no economics placement exam |
| Where instructions are located | Economics Department first-year placement |
| How the dept determines placement and where to find information | |
| Where and when results are posted | There is no economics placement exam. Instead, each entering first-year student receives an economics placement based on admissions data and information you provided in the Math & Science Survey. Using that information and past experience, the Economics Department determines which economics courses you should consider taking first. You may find your placement on the Canvas BIOL, CHEM, ECON, MATH, PHYS placement site. The majority of first-year students considering an economics course take introductory microeconomics (usually in the fall). That may be followed by introductory macroeconomics or introduction to data analysis and econometrics. Even students who already have a strong high school background in economics find that the Yale introductory micro course is usually the best place to start. Nevertheless, there are some exceptions. See the Economics Department placement webpage for considerations about under-placement and over-placement. |
| Contact information for technology issues | |
| Contact information for placement or departmental issues | Evangelia Chalioti, Senior Lecturer II and Director of Teaching Support |
| Placement exam | No placement exam scheduled for summer 2026 |
|---|---|
| Placement procedure offered without exam | Yes |
| Exam format | |
| Exam date(s) | |
| Who should take the exam | There is no English placement exam |
| Where instructions are located | English Department website |
| How the dept determines placement and where to find information | Courses numbered from ENGL 1014 to 1030 are considered introductory and are open to all students in Yale College. Advanced courses are open to upper-level students; the faculty recommends that students both within and outside the major prepare for advanced courses with two introductory courses. Students intending to pursue the English major are encouraged to take foundational courses, ENGL 1025 through 1028, of which three are required. In addition, the introductory creative writing course, ENGL 1023, is open to any student who has not taken an intermediate or advanced course in the writing of fiction, poetry, or drama. Please see English Department website for further information. |
| Where and when results are posted | |
| Contact information for technology issues | |
| Contact information for placement or departmental issues | Feisal Mohammed, Professor and Director of Undergraduate Studies |
| Placement exam | Summer 2026 placement exam for 2026-2027 courses |
|---|---|
| Placement procedure offered without exam | No |
| Exam format | Online |
| Exam date(s) | July 1, 2026 at 9:00 a.m. to July 31, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. |
| Who should take the exam | All students with previous knowledge of French who intend to study French at Yale. Students who have never studied French may enroll in FREN 1100 directly. |
| Where instructions are located | Center for Language Study Placement Testing |
| How the dept determines placement and where to find information | Information about how the department determines placement may be found on the French Department website. |
| Where and when results are posted | Results returned via canvas.yale.edu, “French Placement Test 26-27” by August 7 at 5:00 p.m. |
| Contact information for technology issues | Use the Placement Test Support Form |
| Contact information for placement or departmental issues | Constance Sherak, Senior Lector I and French Language Program Director. |
| Other |
| Placement exam | Summer 2026 placement exam for 2026-2027 courses |
|---|---|
| Placement procedure offered without exam | No |
| Exam format | Online |
| Exam date(s) | July 1, 2026 at 9:00 a.m. to July 31, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. |
| Who should take the exam | All students with previous study of German who intend to study German at Yale |
| Where instructions are located | Center for Language Study Placement Testing |
| How the dept determines placement and where to find information | |
| Where and when results are posted | Results delivered immediately by email upon completion of exam. For levels between L4 and L5, students receive a message to contact the language program director in order to set up an oral interview to validate the exam. |
| Contact information for technology issues | Use the Placement Test Support Form |
| Contact information for placement or departmental issues | Theresa Schenker, Senior Lector II and German Language Program Director |
| Other |
| Placement exam | Summer 2026 placement exam for 2026-2027 courses |
|---|---|
| Placement procedure offered without exam | No |
| Exam format | Online with follow-up oral interview (on Zoom) |
| Exam date(s) | July 1, 2026 at 9:00 a.m. to July 31, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. |
| Who should take the exam | All students with previous knowledge of Modern Hebrew who intend to study Modern Hebrew at Yale |
| Where instructions are located | Center for Language Study Placement Testing |
| How the dept determines placement and where to find information | |
| Where and when results are posted | Results are discussed during the oral interview |
| Contact information for technology issues | Use Canvas Support, at canvas@yale.edu |
| Contact information for placement or departmental issues | Shiri Goren, Senior Lector II and Modern Hebrew Language Program Director |
| Other |
| Placement exam | Summer 2026 placement exam for 2026-2027 courses |
|---|---|
| Placement procedure offered without exam | No |
| Exam format | Online survey, with follow-up oral test |
| Exam date(s) | July 1, 2026 at 9:00 a.m. to July 31, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. |
| Who should take the exam | Students with prior knowledge of Hindi, such as native speakers or heritage learners, or those who have been exposed to the language either formally or informally, are required to complete the placement process before enrolling in a Hindi language course. If you wish to take a Hindi language test solely to assess your proficiency (and not to enroll in a course), you will need to take a different test administered by CLS. Please contact CLS directly for further information. Students with no prior knowledge of Hindi are not required to take a placement test and may enroll directly in HNDI 1100. |
| Where instructions are located | Center for Language Study Placement Testing |
| How the dept determines placement and where to find information | |
| Where and when results are posted | Placement results are provided by email |
| Contact information for technology issues | |
| Contact information for placement or departmental issues | Swapna Sharma, Senior Lector I |
| Placement exam | Summer 2026 placement exam for 2026-2027 courses |
|---|---|
| Placement procedure offered without exam | No |
| Exam format | Online |
| Exam date(s) | July 1, 2026 at 9:00 a.m. to July 31, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. |
| Who should take the exam | All students with previous study of Italian who intend to study Italian at Yale |
| Where instructions are located | Center for Language Study Placement Testing |
| How the dept determines placement and where to find information | Students register for ITAL 110 or 130 during course registration period based on placement exam results or other factors |
| Where and when results are posted | Results returned immediately upon completion; posted via canvas.yale.edu, “Italian Placement Test 26-27” by August 7 at 5:00 p.m. For levels between L4 and L5, students receive a message to contact the language program director in order to set up an oral interview to validate the exam. |
| Contact information for technology issues | Use the Placement Test Support Form |
| Contact information for placement or departmental issues | Anna Iacovella, Senior Lector II and Italian Language Program Director |
| Other |
| Placement exam | Summer 2026 placement exam for 2026-2027 courses |
|---|---|
| Placement procedure offered without exam | No |
| Exam format | Online |
| Exam date(s) | July 1, 2026 at 9:00 a.m. to July 31, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. |
| Who should take the exam | All students with previous study of Japanese who intend to study Japanese at Yale |
| Where instructions are located | Center for Language Study Placement Testing |
| How the dept determines placement and where to find information | |
| Where and when results are posted | Results returned via canvas.yale.edu, “Japanese Placement Test 26-27” by August 7 at 5:00 p.m. |
| Contact information for technology issues | Use Canvas Support, at canvas@yale.edu |
| Contact information for placement or departmental issues | Mika Yamaguchi, Senior Lector I and Japanese Program Coordinator |
| Other | Oral interviews conducted by Zoom |
| Placement exam | Summer 2026 placement exam for 2026-2027 courses |
|---|---|
| Placement procedure offered without exam | No |
| Exam format | Online |
| Exam date(s) | July 1, 2026 at 9:00 a.m. to July 31, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. |
| Who should take the exam | All students with previous study of Korean, including through summer programs and student abroad, who intend to study Korean at Yale |
| Where instructions are located | Center for Language Study Placement Testing |
| How the dept determines placement and where to find information | Results returned via canvas.yale.edu, “Korean Placement Test 26-27” by August 7 at 5:00 p.m. |
| Where and when results are posted | Use the Placement Test Support Form |
| Contact information for technology issues | |
| Contact information for placement or departmental issues | Bookyung Jung, Senior Lector I, Korean Placement Coordinator |
| Placement exam | Summer 2026 placement exam for 2026-2027 courses |
|---|---|
| Placement procedure offered without exam | No |
| Exam format | Online |
| Exam date(s) | July 1, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. to July 31, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. |
| Who should take the exam | All incoming students who may wish to enroll in calculus within their first three semesters at Yale or during the summer of 2027. All continuing students who wish to take calculus and do not have a current placement. |
| Where instructions are located | Calculus Placement & Enrollment information |
| How the dept determines placement and where to find information | Please find information about Math Department introductory courses information, as well as the mathematics major, at |
| Where and when results are posted | The math placement test is available on a Canvas site called “Math placement exam 2026.” Results may be accessed immediately upon submission of the exam, by clicking on the “placement calculator” tab on the same site |
| Contact information for technology issues | Use Canvas Support, at canvas@yale.edu |
| Contact information for placement or departmental issues | Please e-mail the director of undergraduate studies at math.dus@yale.edu |
| Other | Please find information about introductory courses, as well as the mathematics major, on the mathematics department website. |
| Placement exam | No placement exam scheduled for summer 2026 |
|---|---|
| Placement procedure offered without exam | There is no placement exam for music theory courses. Instead, students are invited to identify the right course for them by using the Music Department’s self-placement guide and, at the start of the term, consulting with course instructors. |
| Exam format | |
| Exam date(s) | |
| Who should take the exam | |
| Where instructions are located | Yale Department of Music Self-Placement Guide (DOC) |
| How the dept determines placement and where to find information | |
| Where and when results are posted | |
| Contact information for technology issues | |
| Contact information for placement or departmental issues | For questions about individual classes, contact the instructor after first consulting the self-placement guide. For general questions, contact Anna Zayaruznya, Associate Professor and Director of Undergraduate Studies. |
| Other |
| Placement exam | Summer 2026 placement exam for 2026-2027 courses |
|---|---|
| Placement procedure offered without exam | No |
| Exam format | In-person only |
| Exam date(s) | Students should contact the director of Persian program, Dr. Farkhondeh Shayesteh, to arrange a date in August to take the exam |
| Who should take the exam | All students with any previous knowledge or study of Persian, including heritage speakers, must take a placement exam before enrolling in any Persian language course at Yale |
| Where instructions are located | Center for Language Study Placement Testing |
| How the dept determines placement and where to find information | |
| Where and when results are posted | Results returned via email |
| Contact information for technology issues | |
| Contact information for placement or departmental issues | Farkhondeh Shayesteh, Senior Lector I and Persian Language Program Director |
| Other |
| Placement exam | No placement exam scheduled for Summer 2026 |
|---|---|
| Placement procedure offered without exam | There is no placement test in physics. However, the DUS can provide a recommendation for an appropriate introductory physics course sequence (based on each incoming student’s High School Math & Science Survey responses, i.e., their math and physics test scores) before the fall term begins. Students should also consult the guide to selecting physics courses and visit the prospective introductory physics courses during the course selection period before setting their schedules. |
| Exam format | |
| Exam date(s) | |
| Who should take the exam | |
| Where instructions are located | Yale College Programs of Study (Physics) |
| How the dept determines placement and where to find information | |
| Where and when results are posted | |
| Contact information for technology issues | |
| Contact information for placement or departmental issues | Reina Maruyama, Professor of Physics and Astronomy and Director of Undergraduate Studies, dus.physics@yale.edu |
| Other | Additional information: A Guide to Selecting the Best Introductory Physics Courses for You |
| Placement exam | Summer 2026 placement exam for 2026-2027 courses |
|---|---|
| Placement procedure offered without exam | No |
| Exam format | In person |
| Exam date(s) | Students should contact Dr. Krystyna Illakowicz to arrange a date to take the exam |
| Who should take the exam | All students, including native speakers, who have been exposed to Polish, whether formally or informally, who wish to enroll in a language course must take the placement test. Students with no previous study of Polish should enroll directly in PLSH 1100. |
| Where instructions are located | Center for Language Study Placement Testing |
| How the dept determines placement and where to find information | |
| Where and when results are posted | Results returned via email |
| Contact information for technology issues | |
| Contact information for placement or departmental issues | Krystyna Illakowicz, Senior Lector I in Slavic Languages & Literatures |
| Other |
| Placement exam | Summer 2026 placement exam for 2026-2027 courses |
|---|---|
| Placement procedure offered without exam | No |
| Exam format | Online |
| Exam date(s) | July 1, 2026 at 9:00 a.m. to July 31, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. |
| Who should take the exam | Students with no previous study of Portuguese should enroll directly in PORT 1100. International students who completed their entire education in a Portuguese-speaking country are encouraged to consult the Portuguese Language Program Director (Giseli Tordin) before taking the placement exam to determine the most appropriate course for enrollment. All other students with prior knowledge of Portuguese, whether acquired formally or informally, must take a placement exam before enrolling in a Portuguese language course. |
| Where instructions are located | Placement exam information is listed on the Department of Spanish and Portuguese website |
| How the dept determines placement and where to find information | Placement exam information is listed at the Department of Spanish and Portuguese website and in the Placement Exams section |
| Where and when results are posted | Results will be returned via email and will be available on canvas.yale.edu, “Portuguese Placement Test Site 26-27” by August 7 at 5:00 p.m. |
| Contact information for technology issues | Use the Placement Test Support Form |
| Contact information for placement or departmental issues | Giseli Tordin, Senior Lector I in Spanish and Portuguese, Portuguese Language Program Director |
| Other |
| Placement exam | Summer 2026 placement exam for 2026-2027 courses |
|---|---|
| Placement procedure offered without exam | No |
| Exam format | Online |
| Exam date(s) | July 1, 2026 at 9:00 a.m. to July 31, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. |
| Who should take the exam | All students, including native speakers, who have been exposed to Russian, whether formally or informally, who wish to enroll in a Russian language course must take the placement exam |
| Where instructions are located | Center for Language Study Placement Testing |
| How the dept determines placement and where to find information | |
| Where and when results are posted | Results will be returned via email and will be available on canvas.yale.edu, “Russian Placement Test 26-27” by August 7 at 5:00 p.m. |
| Contact information for technology issues | Use Canvas Support, at canvas@yale.edu |
| Contact information for placement or departmental issues | Constantine Muravnik, Senior Lector II and Russian Language Program Director |
| Other |
| Placement exam | Summer 2026 placement exam for 2026-2027 courses |
|---|---|
| Placement procedure offered without exam | No |
| Exam format | Online |
| Exam date(s) | July 1, 2026 at 9:00 a.m. to July 31, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. |
| Who should take the exam | All students, including native speakers, who have been exposed to Spanish whether formally or informally, who wish to enroll in a Spanish language course must take the placement test. Students who have never studied Spanish may enroll in SPAN 110 directly. |
| Where instructions are located | Please find placement exam information here: Center for Language Study Placement Testing |
| How the dept determines placement and where to find information | Information about how the department determines placement may be found on the Department of Spanish and Portuguese website |
| Where and when results are posted | Results posted via canvas.yale.edu, “Spanish Placement Test 26-27” by August 7 at 5:00 p.m |
| Contact information for technology issues | Use the Placement Test Support Form. |
| Contact information for placement or departmental issues | Jorge Méndez-Seijas, Senior Lector II |
| Other |
| Placement exam | Summer 2026 placement exam for 2026-2027 courses |
|---|---|
| Placement procedure offered without exam | No |
| Exam format | Online |
| Exam date(s) | July 1, 2026 at 9:00 a.m. to July 31, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. |
| Who should take the exam | All students, including native speakers, who have been exposed to Ukrainian whether formally or informally, who wish to enroll in a language course must take the placement test |
| Where instructions are located | Please find placement exam information here: Center for Language Study Placement Testing |
| How the dept determines placement and where to find information | Information about how the department determines placement: Center for Language Study Placement Testing |
| Where and when results are posted | Results returned via canvas.yale.edu, “Ukrainian Placement Test 26-27” by August 7 at 5 p.m. |
| Contact information for technology issues | Use Canvas Support, at canvas@yale.edu |
| Contact information for placement or departmental issues | Olha Tytarenko, Senor Lector I in Slavic Languages & Literatures |
| Other |