Online Placement Test & Registration Information
Updated October 2025 for Spring 2026 Registration
1. Online Placement Exam (November 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 1100 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 Spring 2026 Semester for all returning students :
Monday, November 3rd at 9:00 am (EDT) — OPEN
Friday, November 7th at 1:00 pm (EDT) — CLOSE
Friday, November 14th by 5:00 pm (EDT) — RESULTS POSTED
Placement Test Results (November 2025)
Placement results will be posted on Friday, November 14th 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 Spring 2026.
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:
Key Registration Dates (Yale College & GSAS)
| Date | Day | Event |
|---|---|---|
| Nov. 14 | F | Spring term registration opens for GSAS students, 8:00 a.m. |
| Nov. 17 | M | Spring term registration opens for Class of 2026, 8:00 a.m. |
| Nov. 18 | T | Spring term registration opens for Class of 2027, 8:00 a.m. |
| Nov. 19 | W | Spring term registration opens for Class of 2028, 8:00 a.m. |
| Nov. 20 | Th | Spring term registration opens for Class of 2029, 8:00 a.m. |
| Dec. 18 | Th | Spring term registration (and waitlists) close for all GSAS & YC students, 8:00 a.m. |
| Jan. 5 | M | Add/drop period opens for all GSAS & YC students, 8:00 a.m. |
| Jan. 12 | M | Spring-term classes begin. |
| Jan. 21 | W | Add/drop period closes for all GSAS & YC students, 5:00 p.m. |
Placement and Preregistration Contact (for NON-TECHNICAL issues):
Language Program Director: Constance Sherak (link sends e-mail)
Further information about placement testing and the use of placement scores at Yale can be found here.