language@usc administers competency exams for many languages not commonly taught at USC. Competency exams can be used to fulfill the Foreign Language Requirement.
Competency exams are administered on the Friday of Week 10 of classes during the Fall and Spring semesters. Consult the language@usc calendar for exact date. You must register — and submit a deposit check — for the exam by October 1 for the fall semester examination or March 1 for the spring semester examination. Click “Test Dates” on the navigation bar above for exam dates.
In order to register for a competency exam, fill out this form. Bring the form and a personal check (not a money order) to the language@usc office in THH-B2. The check should be in the amount of $50.00, and payable to the University of Southern California. When you take the exam, your check will be returned. If you no-show the exam, your check will be deposited.
Exams are taken online and are multiple choice. Exams test listening and reading comprehension, grammar, and vocabulary. There are no study guides for these tests. Results are PASS or NO PASS only.
language@usc currently offers competency exams for the following languages:
| Albanian | Armenian (Standard) | Bulgarian | Cambodian |
| Cantonese (Simplified) | Cantonese (Tradiational) | Cebuano | Croatian |
| Czech | Danish | Dutch | Estonian |
| Fijian | Georgian | Greek (Modern) | Haitian Creole |
| Hmong | Icelandic | Hungarian | Icelandic |
| Ilonggo-Hiligaynon | Indonesian | Latvian | Lithuanian |
| Malgasy | Malay |
Mongolian | Navajo |
| Norwegian | Polish | Romanian | Samoan |
| Serbian | Swedish | Tagalog | Tahitian |
| Thai | Tongan | Ukrainian | Vietnamese |
For Languages Not Listed Above
Consult the list of languages for which testing is available through the University of Pennsylvania here. These exams consist of two parts – a written exam that you will take on campus at USC’s Center for Testing & Assessment and an oral proficiency interview which will take place after you finish the written exam. Upon successful registration and payment for the UPenn exam, please email Dan Bayer who will arrange for the written exam.
(Scroll down to Non-Penn students and complete the form. Where it asks for proctor name, please use “Dan Bayer”, danbayer at usc dot edu for the email. Results should be sent to same.)
Please note that American Sign Language (ASL) is not eligible for fulfillment of USC’s foreign language requirement.
Languages taught at USC are not eligible for this method of testing.
For Armenian
language@usc offers a competency exam that tests modern, standard Armenian.
If you want an exam specifically for Western Armenian, the UCLA Department of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures offers one. You can register on your own here.
Fees Associated with UCLA & UPenn
Fees associated with UCLA and UPenn foreign language testing are the responsibility of the student. language@usc does not provide funding to offset the cost of these exams.
I Cannot Find My Language Anywhere
Non-USC foreign language competency exams are contingent upon the availability and willingness of suitable academic examiners. There is no guarantee that any language can be tested to fulfill the USC foreign language requirement.
If there is no competency test available through language@usc, UCLA, or the University of Pennsylvania, you need to use another language to fulfill the foreign language requirement. Please consult your academic advisor.
Note About NYU Exams
USC no longer accepts NYU exams for fulfillment of the USC foreign language requirement (January 2023).