Online Placement Test & Registration Information

 Updated February 2025 for Fall 2025 Registration

1. Online Placement Exam (March 2025)

Students who have not yet taken French at Yale must take the departmental placement test which is offered 3 times per year  (March, July, October).
 
If you have absolutely no previous formal or informal exposure to French, you should register for L1. (PLEASE NOTE: FREN 110 is only offered in the Fall).
 
The Department strongly recommends that ALL STUDENTS take the placement exam – EVEN students who earned a score of 5 on the Advanced Placement exam, a 6 or 7 on the Advanced-Level International Baccalaureate (IB) exam, a Common European Framework rating of C1, or an A or B on the GCE A-Level exam.  This will ensure that you will be directed to the most appropriate course for your level.
 
Placement Tests for Fall 2025 Semester for all returning students :
 

Friday, March 7th at 9:00 am (EDT) — OPEN   

Tuesday, March 25th at 12:00 pm (EDT) — CLOSE

Friday, March 28th by 5:00 pm (EDT)  — RESULTS POSTED

Placement Test Results (March 2025)
 

Placement results will be posted Friday, March 28th by 5:00 pm , on Canvas, in “French Placement Test Site 25-26” Please visit the Center for Language Study French Placement Test Page  to access information about online testing. 

It is your responsibility to check your Placement results. They will NOT be emailed to you.

Placement exam results remain valid for one calendar year.

Please proceed to the CLS website (https://cls.yale.edu/students/placement-testing/french-placement-test) for more information – and to register for the test.

2. Preference Selection

PLEASE NOTE: We WILL NOT be participating in Preference Selection for Fall 2025.

3. Instructor Permission Required for Registration

Instructor Permission Required applies to all French language courses. When requesting Instructor Permission, please list the Yale French courses that you have taken, with Instructor Name and Semester Included, and/or Placement Score and date of testing.

Please refer to the Registration dates below and on the Yale Registration Website:

April 11, 8:00 a.m. Registration opens for Graduate School students
April 15, 8:00 a.m. Registration opens for Yale College students in the Class of 2026
April 16, 8:00 a.m. Registration opens for Yale College students in the Class of 2027, visiting students, and Eli Whitney students (without a class year)
April 17, 8:00 a.m. Registration opens for Yale College students in the Class of 2028
May 16, 5:00 p.m. Registration closes for all Yale College and Graduate School students
August 20, tbd Registration opens for first-year, transfer, and Eli Whitney students; details to follow
August 25, 8:00 a.m. Add/drop opens for all students
August 27 Classes begin
September 9, 5:00 p.m. Add/drop closes for all students

Placement and Preregistration Contact (for NON-TECHNICAL issues):

Language Program Director:  Candace Skorupa (link sends e-mail)

Further information about placement testing and the use of placement scores at Yale can be found here.