Spanish Placement

All UNM students who choose Spanish to fulfill their language requirement(s) must take a Spanish Placement “diagnosis” test for placement at the appropriate level. Note: This is not a Proficiency Test, nor it is a test that is used for grades. The results of this test inform students, instructors and advisors the Spanish UNM course to take that is most appropriate.


This link should take you directly to the first question of the test- 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.

  • You will receive via email your test results with UNM course recommendation to register. Please share this email with your advisor and instructor when registering for classes. Your UNM instructor will also ask to share this info during the first two weeks of a Fall/Spring semester.

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

  • Your UNM instructor may ask you to share your unofficial UNM transcript during the first two weeks of a Fall/Spring semester 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, & 300 level) should know:

  1. A placement test 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. 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 test.

If you have AP/CLEP/IB credit from high school, make sure you check this website to identify the Spanish courses at UNM you are ready to take!

Why are students required to take the placement test?

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 their 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 their 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.

Placement at the SPAN 300 level

If you take the Placement exam and it places you in “Span 300 or Above”:

  1. Register in Span 301/Span 305 (Topic courses) OR
  2. Contact Undergraduate Advisor, Dr. Carmen Julia Holguín-Chaparro (cjhch@unm.edu) to explore together other options for courses in 300 level.
IMPORTANT: 
  1. You can earn credit for lower level courses by taking the Spanish language CLEP test or by completing a Course Challenge form for the lower-level Spanish course(s) for credit.
  2. Only Span 300 level courses fulfill your language requirement(s) at UNM (not 400 level courses).

If interested in a Spanish Major or Minor, you will need SPAN 300 level (and above) courses.