Department offers Spanish, Portuguese placement exam online
By Alejandra Reyes-Velarde
Jan. 5, 2016 7:41 a.m.
Students can now take both Spanish and Portuguese placement exams online, eliminating scheduling conflicts and allowing more students to attempt the exams.
Juana Escobar, the undergraduate advisor for the Spanish and Portuguese department, said the department implemented the change because officials were concerned about meeting the high demand for the placements tests.
The exemption exam allows students to test out of the college language requirement, and the course placement exam recommends which language class students should take. Both exams are available on the UCLA Common Collaboration and Learning Environment website, and an unlimited number of students can take the exam, Escobar said.
In the past, students who needed to take the exemption exam needed to schedule appointments for two different dates for the oral and written exams, but the online exam includes both portions. Students can only take each exam once.
Escobar said she thinks allowing more students to take the exemption exam will open more spaces in language classes for those who actually need them.
“We’re moving these components onto an online platform that will allow anyone to attempt the exemption exam,” Escobar said. “Before, it was open to a limited group of students and scheduling was an issue for both faculty and students.”
Escobar said department officials were worried the online tests would make it easier for students to cheat. In response, UCLA purchased the Respondus LockDown Browser and Monitor, a software that monitors the server students use and asks for photo identification. Proctors can check the identity of each student to avoid cheating.
Escobar said the department was also concerned about internet connection and device failures. She added students can use the Learning Lab in Rolfe 2118 and the Digital Humanities computer lab in Public Affairs 1040 and 1041 to take the exams.
Though the exams are on CCLE, Escobar said she thinks it is more convenient for students to access them through the department website, which further explains the examination process.
Compiled by Alejandra Reyes-Velarde, Bruin senior staff.
