Spanish Placement

All UNM students who choose Spanish to fulfill their language requirement(s) must take a Spanish Placement Evaluation for placement at the appropriate level.  Upon completion of the evalutions, make sure to save and print your placement results before logging out of the website.  The website does NOT save results. Note: This is not a Proficiency Test.


This link should take you directly to the first question of the evaluation - it is not necessary to log-in to the website. If you are asked to log in, you are not at the correct site, change browsers or re-enter the web address.

  • Upon completion of the evaluation, print your placement results before logging out of the website.
  • If you lose or misplace the printed placement results, it will be necessary for you to re-take the placement evaluation.
  • Bring your placement results with you to the first day of class.

Continuing students who are following the sequence of Spanish language courses:

  • Bring an advisement transcript to the first day of class to verify enrollment in the appropriate course.
  • Keep in mind, if a period of one year or more has passed between Spanish courses, you will be required to take the placement evaluation again.

Any student enrolling in a Spanish language course (1000 & 2000 level) should know:

  1. A placement evaluation should be taken BEFORE enrolling in a Spanish class – especially if taking a Spanish course for the first time – or – enrolling in a beginning Spanish course (1110 or 1210).
  2. Students who do not have a print out of their placement results when the semester begins will be dropped from the course.
  3. Placement evaluation scores are valid for one year only. If a student has not taken the course they placed into within a year's time, the student will have to retake the placement evaluation.
  4. For students who are taking the four semester sequence of classes, it is recommended that these classes be taken in successive semesters.

When a student places into a higher-level Spanish course, the student can not only advance faster, but also has the option to earn credit for the lower level courses by taking the Spanish language CLEP test or may complete a Course Challenge form for the lower-level Spanish course(s) for credit.

Why are students required to take the placement evaluation?

The evaluation places students at the appropriate course level and helps determine the proper language program. The Department of Spanish and Portuguese has two Spanish language programs:
Spanish as a Second Language (SSL) – or – Spanish as a Heritage Language (SHL)

SSL - SPANISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE PROGRAM:
This program is designed for students of Spanish whose native home language is not Spanish.

SHL - SPANISH AS A HERITAGE LANGUAGE PROGRAM:
Spanish classes 1210, 1220, 2210, and 2220 are designated for students who have a cultural connection to the Spanish language. This is a comprehensive program that is designed to accommodate students at all phases of learning: from true beginners to those who are more fluent and are polishing their skills. By drawing upon our connection to the language, we make the study of Spanish more relevant to SHL learners; this serves as a significant motivating factor in language learning.

The Spanish as a Heritage Language program is for students who are heritage learners or native speakers of Spanish.

A Heritage Learner is:
Someone who has lived in the U.S. all or most of his/her life; is English dominant; may be two, three or more generations removed from daily use of the Spanish language; may have comprehension but may or may not have oral proficiency; and identifies Spanish as a part of his/her heritage and/or culture.

A Native Speaker is:
Someone who learned Spanish from birth in the U.S. or a country other than the U.S.; may have received some education in Spanish in a country other than the U.S.; may be Spanish dominant; has oral proficiency skills; may lack literacy skills.