Placement Exam

About the May 15 to June 15 Placement Exam for Fall 2025 Chinese Language Classes

1. Welcome to Middlebury! If you are interested in studying Modern Standard Chinese (Mandarin) at Middlebury, the first thing you should do is email the Chair of the Chinese Department, Professor Moran, at moran@middlebury.edu. He will guide you through the placement process and answer your questions about the study of Chinese at Middlebury.
    
2. Who should take the Chinese placement exam? The Chinese placement exam is for students who have studied Mandarin or have learned some of the language in a context other than formal study and wish to continue learning Mandarin at Middlebury. If you have not studied Mandarin before and want to enroll in Beginning Mandarin Chinese (CHNS 0101) in fall 2025, you do not need to take the placement exam.
    
3. When should I take the Chinese placement exam? Between May 15 and June 15, 2025.
    
4. I don’t plan to start studying Chinese until spring 2026, and so do I have to take the exam between May 15 and June 15, 2025? Yes, and if you do not, you may be disqualified from spring Chinese courses. If you are in the class of 2029, have studied Chinese before and want to study it at any time during your Middlebury career, you must take the placement exam between May 15 and June 15, 2025.
    
5. What Chinese classes can I place into by taking the exam? The fall 2025 Chinese language classes into which students may place by taking the exam are: CHNS 0201 (2nd-year), CHNS 0301 (3rd-year), CHNS 0411 (Classical Chinese I) and CHNS 0425 (Contemporary Social Issues in China: Advanced Readings). The results of the placement exam may mean you will place out of fall courses and begin your study of the Chinese language with us in Winter Term or Spring 2026. Please be aware that even if you have studied Chinese for several years, the placement exam may indicate that you should start in CHNS 0101 (1st-year) in the fall semester.
    
6. Where do I find the exam, and how do I take it? The exam is done online and remotely. The exam is available on the Chinese Department Canvas page. Before taking the exam, email Professor Moran at moran@middlebury.edu. He will guide you through the placement exam process.
    
7. What are the components of the exam? An initial Zoom conversation in English and Chinese with Professor Moran, a 30-60 minute written test, and a 10-20 minute oral interview in Chinese by Zoom with a member of the Chinese Department faculty.
    
8. Where do I find complete instructions for the placement exam? They are at the top of the Chinese Department Canvas page in the document “READ FIRST: About the Chinese Placement Exam.”
    
9. How do I submit my completed placement exam? By June 15, 2025, send it to Professor Moran as an attachment to an email to him at moran@middlebury.edu. When you send the email, “cc” yourself so you will catch it if you forget to attach the document. 
    
10. Should I be stressed about the Chinese Placement exam? Absolutely not. The placement exam is just one tool we use to make our best estimate of where you should start your study of the Chinese language at Middlebury. We want to place you at the level that gives you the greatest opportunity for success. We may discover in the first week of classes that your placement is not ideal, and if this happens, we will move you up or down a level as appropriate.