• Students who do not have any previous experience with Spanish, should enroll in Spanish 0100.
• For those students who have fulfilled their language requirement in another language and would like to begin taking Spanish, you may consider Spanish 0120.

Students who have never formally studied Spanish before, but had/have exposure to the language at home should consult with the Director or Assistant Director of the Language Program.

• If you have previously studied Spanish in high school, but did NOT take the SAT, AP, or IB exam(s), you must take the online (computerized) placement exam.
• Once you complete the online placement exam, please enroll in the course that corresponds with your score.
  Students in the College have the option of moving up one level from their online placement score. Permission is not needed.
• Wharton, Nursing, Engineering, and LPS students who are interested in moving up one level from their online placement score, must receive permission from the Spanish course coordinator and take the course for a letter grade. (For example, if you are placed into Spanish 0300, but are considering Spanish 0400, please speak with the Spanish 0400 coordinator.)
• If you are placed into Spanish 0400, you may not, however, move higher than the 0400/0405 level.

Many students enter Penn having already satisfied the language requirement, either via the SAT II or with an appropriate score on the AP or IB Higher Level examinations. Students must send their AP scores in to the university directly from the College Board website. IB scores must be sent in directly from the ETS website. Use code 2926 if prompted.

Placement via the AP examinations

• Students who receive a 3 or below on the AP Spanish language or literature examination will need to complete the online placement exam to determine the appropriate course level.
• Students who have scored a 4 on the AP Spanish language or literature examination have fulfilled the SAS language requirement and  should enroll in SPAN 1000 if they wish to continue with Spanish.
• Students who have scored a 5 on the AP Spanish language examination and who wish to continue in Spanish should enroll in SPAN 1200. Those students who scored an AP 5 in language with a strong Spanish-speaking heritage background or with a year of post-AP Spanish may also consider SPAN 1800 or SPAN 1900. A 5 on either exam fulfills the SAS language requirement.
• Students who have scored a 5 on the AP Spanish literature examination and who wish to continue in Spanish should enroll in SPAN 1890 or 1990.
• Students with the above scores may also consider SPAN 1005 or 1010. 

Placement via the IB examinations

• Students who have taken the Standard Level IB examinations cannot use their score for placement purposes and will need to complete the online placement exam to determine the appropriate course level.
• Students who have scored a 6 or 7 on the IB Higher Level B exam or 5 on the IB Higher Level A exam and wish to continue in Spanish should enroll in SPAN 1200. These scores fulfill the SAS language requirement.
• Students who have scored a 6 or 7 on the IB Higher Level A exam and who wish to continue in Spanish should enroll in SPAN 1800 or 1900. These scores fulfill the SAS language requirement.
• Students with the above scores may also consider SPAN 1005 or 1010.
• Students who have earned an A or A- in the British A Level examination in Spanish should contact the Undergraduate Chair.
   

Placement via the SAT II

• If your SAT II score is 650 or above, you have fulfilled your language requirement in Spanish and may enroll in SPAN 1000.
• If your score is between 600 and 640, you qualify to take an oral exam to be exempt from the language requirement. The oral exam is offered during the first two weeks of a semester only. Please sign up for the exam with the Undergraduate Coordinator.
• If your score is less than 600, you may use your SAT II score for placement at the 0100 - 0400 level. You may consult the SAT II Placement Scale.
   

Please see the College's policy on AP, IB, and Pre-College Credit.

Students are also advised to consult the policies and procedures for their specific class as these may vary.

Do not hesitate to seek further advice by contacting the Undergraduate Chair, Professor Toni Espòsito, or the Director of the Spanish Language Program, Professor Victoria García-Serrano.

Wharton Language Requirement and Placement

Transfer Credit Information

• If you have no knowledge of Spanish, you should enroll in SPAN 115, Spanish for the Medical Professions, Elementary 1.
• If you have some knowledge of Spanish because you studied it before or have been exposed to the language at home, please contact Dr. Jean Knight, coordinator of the medical Spanish courses, to discuss your background and placement.

If you are a graduate student at Penn and would like to take a Spanish course, please note the following:

• Please check with your Division and Department to ensure that you can take an undergraduate course.
  If you have previously studied Spanish (ie. you were a Spanish major in college or have had exposure to the language at home) please contact the Undergraduate Coordinator.
• If you have some previous experience (ie. taken some language courses) please take our online placement exam to determine the appropriate level and then contact the Undergraduate Coordinator.
• Registration in undergraduate courses is based on space in the course and some courses require a permit. Priority is given to Penn undergraduates.
• If interested in the summer Reading for Knowledge courses, offered exclusively through the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, please contact the Graduate Coordinator.

• If you are a student who is not represented in the previous categories, please consult with the Undergraduate Coordinator, the Director, or the Assistant Director of the Language Program.
• Examples include: Native Spanish speakers who have studied Spanish in their country of origin; graduate students who are interested in auditing; and exchange students.