Computer Adaptive Placement Exam (CAPE)

General Fulton Language Requirement

All departments in the Fulton School of Liberal Arts require students to complete a language at a 102 level. Students may fulfill the requirement via one of the following ways:

(1) Three or more years of study of one foreign language in high school; no college course work is needed to meet the requirement. Transfer students should have their high school transcripts sent to the registrar’s office.
(2) A combination of high school and college study; the most common example being two years of high school foreign language study plus a 102-level college level course in the same language (The CAPE PLACEMENT EXAM is required to enroll in a 102 level course).
(3) College-only study of one foreign language by taking both 101- and 102-level courses in college.

International Student/ Foreign Native Speakers

Please, contact Dr. Van de Wiele for more information at axvandewiele@salisbury.edu

Answers to Frequently Asked Questions

1. SU's Computer Adaptive Placement Exam (CAPE) is available for French, German, Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, Italian and Russian.
2. This is a placement test, so it will only tell you in what course you should enroll.
3. Taking the Placement Exam does NOT give you any credits.
4. You can only receive credits (up to twelve credits) if you take the course (See below).
5. The placement test scores will not affect your GPA.

Next Placement Exam

Contact the Department Chair, Dr. Aurélie Van de Wiele to schedule an appointment to take the CAPE.

Please allow at least 20 minutes to complete the exam.

General Information About Cape

IMPORTANT: SU's Computer Adaptive Placement Exam (CAPE) is currently available for French, German, Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, Italian and Russian. You may earn up to twelve (12) discounted buy-back credits for your prior language learning in high school. Note that SU does not award back credits through our Computer Adaptive Placement Exam (CAPE). You must take the recommended course first and receive a “C” or better.

NOTE: The Placement Exam (CAPE) is administered a limited number of times throughout the year. However, you will be allowed to take the Placement Exam only once. New students can take the Placement Exam when they visit campus on Admitted Student Day or following Freshman Convocation. Current students should look for the testing dates prior to program planning in the spring and fall (see dates above).

INSTRUCTIONS

The Placement only itself should take 20-30 minutes. It is an “adaptive” test because it increases or decreases the level of difficulty of each question based on whether you answer the previous question correctly or incorrectly. The Placement Exam focuses on grammar, vocabulary and reading comprehension. There are no sections that evaluate listening or speaking.

When the program has established your level, it will end the Placement Exam suddenly and automatically and display your results.

It is very important to follow all instructions: Please remember to click on “Finish.” We will not receive your score if you do not complete this final step.

Once you have your score, locate it on the following scale. The chart below tells you both the level in which you should be enrolled and how many, if any, back credits (also called Credits Without Registration) you will be able to purchase following completion of the course, with a C or better, in question.

REMINDER: IF YOU DO NOT ENROLL IN THE CLASS AND IF YOU DO NOT GET A C OR BETTER, YOU CANNOT EARN BACK CREDITS! (SEE INFORMATION BELOW)

Directions for Receiving Credits Without Registration from the CAPE

Congratulations! Based on your performance on the Computer Adaptive Placement Exam, you may be eligible for receiving Credits Without Registration! In order to receive those credits you MUST complete all of the following steps.

Earn a grade of C or better in the level into which you placed (or a higher level).

1. From within your GullNet account, print an unofficial copy of your transcript which displays your grade of C or better in the language course into which you were placed.
2. Pay the tuition fee at the Cashier’s office on the second floor of Holloway Hall. By earning the credits through this Placement Exam they will cost only ½ the usual per-credit-hour tuition!
3. Return to Modern Languages Office (Fulton Hall 286A) with a copy of the receipt from the Cashier’s office for the paid back-credits.

Verify at the end of the semester following the completion of #4 above that the credits have indeed been added to your record. After the completion of #4 the process may take as long as several months before the credits appear on your record. Contact the Program Management Specialist in the Department of Modern Languages, Mr. Dave Treber, if they do not appear on your record at datreber@salisbury.edu