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Placement & Proficiency Exams

These exams are designed to help you determine the correct course for beginning your language study at KU, if you already have experience in a foreign language. These placement exams focus on your abilities and knowledge of the language, rather than the amount of prior coursework. While some of the exams are offered online, the process of determining the proper placement will include a conversation with a placement advisor about your language background. If you are newly enrolling at KU, you will meet with that advisor during on-campus orientationprollment

Russian

In order to take an exam in Russian, you must create a new user account on the placement exam website. That process requires the use of a KU email address but you should NOT use the same password as that used for your KU online ID.  You will only use this new user account to log into the placement exam website. 

At the end of the exam you will be provided with a score and a suggested placement, a copy of which will be provided to you at Orientation.  Descriptions of all courses are provided in the Course Catalog. If you feel that your placement exam results do not reflect your current level, please consult an appropriate advisor in the School for Languages, Literatures & Cultures.

Take the Placement Exam

Other Slavic Languages

Unfortunately, we currently do not offer a placement or proficiency exam for other Slavic languages online. Please get in touch with our Language Program Coordinators to take a test. 


In Memoriam

Reed Rankin ✝ 12/29/2019

The faculty and students in the Department Slavic Languages and Literatures are deeply saddened that one our undergraduate majors, Reed Rankin, passed away last week (12/29) in Fredonia, Kansas. Reed was a beloved student in the department and is fondly remembered by his peers and professors. He began studying Russian as a Freshman and stayed with a challenging but rewarding language for three and a half years, tackling introductory, intermediate, advanced levels, and even continuing his studies into his senior year with Russian for the Professions. We know that he was planning further study in Moscow in the next academic year, prior to matriculation at KU School of Law.

A thoughtful student, Reed often contributed insight and posed challenging questions in class. ​​ Reed’s dedication to the study of Russian language, culture, and history was tremendous and fueled by infectious curiosity. He showed great acumen in translating from Russian into English, always finding English-language equivalents for Russian cultural concepts through skillful use of one-liners from American films. We also treasured his ability to speak in fluid Russian about rural, farm life in Kansas, and the effects that natural phenomena, like floods, on a farming community. He was a pleasure to know and teach, and will be remembered for his kind and polite demeanor. Our thoughts are with Reed’s family at this time

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Why KU Slavic?
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KU’s Center for Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies program is one of only 12 federally-funded national resource centers in the US
Only doctoral program in Slavic Languages and Literatures between the Mississippi and the West Coast
100% of graduate students in the Slavic program had funding in academic year 2012-13
KU's Libraries house over 500,000 volumes of Slavic books and electronic editions
Two of the department’s last four doctoral candidates have won a Fulbright grants to conduct dissertation research abroad