Placement Tests and Student Survey
Every new student at Augustana takes two online placement tests— chemistry and at least one foreign language — and a student survey. These three items are required, even if you don't intend to take courses in these areas at Augustana. The placement tests are tools to help you and your advisor plan your course of study. Don't worry about the tests: they are not graded and do not affect your GPA at Augustana. As a matter of fact, they're beneficial to you because they assure that if you do take courses in these areas, you will begin your college course work at your proven level of ability. Therefore, it is very important that you take the tests without the assistance of other people or resources; taking a course above your ability level may affect your performance.
Taking the placement tests is your first opportunity to employ academic honesty within the college community. The Augustana Honor Code states "We, the students of Augustana College, committed to the ideals of academic integrity, accountability, fairness, and honesty, hereby establish (an) academic honor code in order to promote and foster intellectual and personal growth." You will learn more about Augustana's honor code at Summer Connection or Transfer Connection.
Once you have completed the required survey and placement tests, we will send you an e-mail with a link you can use to request a Summer Connection date or register for Transfer Connection. After we have received your request, you will receive a confirmation email within one week.
IMPORTANT: Some of the items below require your student ID number. You received your ID number in the Connection mailing and by email from the Admissions Department. Please use a laptop or desktop computer to complete the tests and survey. If you use your phone or tablet, we may not receive your responses. The results of your placement tests will be shared with you at your Connection event.
Student Readiness Survey
Please take a few minutes to complete this survey. The questions are designed to help us understand how you assess your own academic skills, behaviors and values. There are no right or wrong answers. Your honest responses will help your academic advisor support you during the coming year. Please do not use your phone or tablet to complete this survey. To begin, click here.
Chemistry
Many Augustana students decide after the first year to pursue a major in the sciences. To help with proper course planning in the first year and beyond, you and all new Augustana students will take the chemistry test regardless of previous experience or intended major.
In order for the test to be a true assessment of your understanding of chemistry and so that you are placed in a course that suits your abilities and preparation, please take the test with no assistance from other people or resources. Please do not use your phone or tablet to complete the test. Chemistry online placement test
Foreign Languages
All new Augustana students must take a foreign language placement test, even if they completed four years of a foreign language in high school. Augustana students must either complete the first year of a college level foreign language course (101, 102, and 103), or demonstrate an equivalent competency in a foreign language. Augustana offers courses in Chinese, French, German, Greek, Japanese, Latin, Spanish and Swedish. If you have any experience at all in French, German, Latin or Spanish, please take the placement test in that language—even if you don’t plan to study the language at Augustana. You may take placement tests in more than one language.
If you have no foreign language experience please contact connection@augustana.edu regarding your foreign language placement.
If you have taken four years of foreign language in high school, please take the appropriate placement test. You'll learn more about your requirements and options at your Connection event.
If you have experience in a language other than French, German, Latin or Spanish, please contact connection@augustana.edu regarding your foreign language placement.
If you are an international student and have studied a language other than English, please follow the instructions for the language placement tests. If English is your only language other than your native language or you do not intend to study a language while you are at Augustana, you are not required to take a language placement test.
Note: If your placement test indicates that you may be exempt from the foreign language requirement but you have taken less than four years of that language in high school, you will be re-tested when you arrive on campus in the fall.
French
Please do not use your phone or tablet to complete this test. If you have questions you may contact Dr. Taddy Kalas. French online placement test
German
All students with any prior study of German should fill out the online biographical questionnaire. Students with three or four years of German will be asked to complete an essay at the language session for German during your Summer Connection visit. This essay, followed by a short interview with a member of the German Department faculty, will aid to determine placement. *Note: There is no placement test for German. There is only a questionnaire. Please do not use your phone or tablet to complete the questionnaire. German online questionnaire
Latin
Expect the test to take less than thirty minutes. If you have questions before that, you may contact Dr. Emil Kramer. Please do not use your phone or tablet to complete this test. Latin online placement test
Spanish
The Spanish placement exam is offered in an online multiple choice format. After you've clicked "Begin," enter your first name, last name and e-mail address. If you have not yet received an Augustana ID number, leave that field blank. Click on "Continue" to move on with your test. Please do not use your phone or tablet to complete this test.
If you are asked to enter a password instead of the above information, the password is: vikings1.
Disregard the explanation of scores indicated upon completion of the Spanish placement test. The test was created by another institution and this information pertains only to their students. You will be notified of your placement when you register for classes during Summer or Transfer Connection. Spanish online placement test
