A.B. Language Requirement

Before graduating from Princeton, all A.B. candidates must demonstrate proficiency in a language other than English. Princeton does not accept standard test scores in Chinese or Japanese; you will need to take the departmental placement test.

Language Placement Test

If you would like to study a new language at Princeton, you may simply register for the first course in the language sequence (normally 101-level). If you wish to continue studying a language that you have previously studied in high school, you will need to take a placement test.

The placement tests in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean for the 2022-2023 Academic Year should be taken online between June 15 and July 29 for fall semester and between November 21 and December 2 for spring semester. You may access the placement tests on the Your Path to Princeton website, which will provide detailed instructions and access information. The placement test does not become part of your academic record —it is simply a diagnostic tool to help the department place you in the appropriate course. If you achieve a sufficiently high score on the test, you may be certified as completing the foreign language requirement.

When to Enroll in a Foreign Language

If you are taking a language course to meet the A.B. language requirement, it is advisable to get started as soon as possible. Beginning language courses (Chinese 101, Japanese 101, or Korean 101) are not offered in the spring term, so if you are starting from the 101-level and choose not to take a language course in your first semester, you will have to wait until the fall of your sophomore year. This, in turn, means that you would be completing the language requirement during your junior year, along with junior independent work and departmental courses. If you are entering a language at the 105 or 108-level, you risk forgetting what you know if you wait until sophomore year to fulfill the requirement. The best advice is to complete the language requirement without delay. Remember that a 101-level language course will not count toward your degree unless you take the 102-level course.

For additional information about language study in the Department of East Asian Studies, see Chinese, Japanese, or Korean in the left-hand menu, or contact one of the the senior language lecturers: Jing Wang (Chinese); Shinji Sato (Japanese); Ho Jung Choi (Korean).