Latin Placement

The Latin Placement Exam is available online through Blackboard. On Blackboard, search for "Latin Assessment". Hovering over the name of the site and then clicking on the downward facing arrow will allow a student to enroll in the course site and take the exam. The exam should be completed during the summer before the student begins coursework at William & Mary. For details contact the language placement coordinator for the department, [[glirby, Professor Irby]].

Guidelines for Latin Placement

The Department of Classical Studies does not allow self-placement under any circumstances.
If you have not taken a standardized exam and you wish to continue with Latin, you must take the Department's placement exam.
Even if you have taken a standardized exam that earns you placement in a higher level of Latin (see next section), taking the departmental exam is recommended to make doubly sure that you are starting at the right level.
If you wish to continue with Latin, but a year or more has elapsed since your last Latin course, you must take the departmental exam, regardless of any score that you might have earned on the Latin AP exam or SAT II subject test in Latin.
Students who transfer Latin credit from other institutions and wish to continue with Latin should confer with the chair or language placement coordinator.
Credit earned from standardized tests can be relinquished, thus allowing a student to retake a course for credit.

A student who has taken a standardized exam in Latin and wishes to continue in Latin will be placed into the appropriate level as follows (unless performance on the departmental placement exam indicates a different placement):

SAT II Subject test in Latin
- 650 or above: Latin 300 or above
- 450-640:Latin 201
- Below 450: Latin 101
AP-Latin Exam
- Score of 5: Latin 300 or above
- Score of 4: Latin 201

How credit hours are awarded for exam scores

Note that the placement processes described above do not automatically confer course credit. For instance, students testing into Latin 201 on the departmental exam will not automatically receive course credit (credit hours) for Latin 101 and 102.
Credit hours can be earned through scores on certain standardized exams. Note that these exams must be taken prior to matriculation at W&M to earn credit. Credit for exams will be awarded as follows:
- SAT II Achievement Test in Latin:
  - Score of 650 or above: 3 credit hours for LATN 201.
- AP Latin exam:
  - Score of 3: 4 credits for Latin 101
  - Score of 4: 4 credits for Latin 102
  - Score of 5: 6 credits for Latin 201 and 202.
- International Baccalaureate (IB) exam in Latin - Standard Level
  - Score of 5 or above: 4 credits for Latin 102
- International Baccalaureate (IB) exam in Latin - Higher Level
  - Score of 4 or 5: 4 credits for Latin 102
  - Score of 6 or 7: 6 credits for Latin 201 and 202.