Challenge Exams

Spring 2010 Hindi Challenge Exam Schedule

** Please note that it will be administered during the two listed dates ONLY**
Tues: March 16. 2010: 1-3.30 pm
Thurs. March 18, 2010: 1-3.30 pm
Students should come to the Center for India Studies, E5350 library for the exams.

STONY BROOK UNIVERSITY
FOREIGN LANGUAGE CHALLENGE EXAM PROGRAM

Stony Brook University’s Foreign Language Challenge Exam program permits students to meet requirements, earn credit, and receive advanced placement by taking examinations in place of foreign language courses. Students interested in taking a Challenge Exam must complete the Challenge Exam form and meet with an academic advisor in the Academic and Pre-Professional Advising Center (E-2360 Melville Library, (631) 632-7082, option 2), certifying eligibility before making payment or scheduling an exam.

Upon receiving advisor approval, the student should contact the appropriate academic department’s Director of Undergraduate Studies to seek approval, schedule the Challenge Exam, and make appropriate payment to the Bursar’s Office (IFR account #900056). The fee is $50 per credit (or $50 for skill 3 exemption only) and is non-refundable. The student should attach the Bursar receipt of payment to the Challenge Exam form and bring the signed form to the academic department before the exam is given. Upon completion of the Challenge Exam, the academic department will forward the form to the Academic and Pre-Professional Advising Center for processing.

Challenge Exam Guidelines

  • Only matriculated undergraduates are eligible to take a Challenge Exam.
  • The relevant academic department determines the foreign language courses, if any, for which it will offer Challenge Exams.
  • A maximum of fifteen (15) credits may be accumulated through the Challenge Exam program. This total is included in the thirty (30) credit limit on examination credits, including AP and CLEP, which can be applied toward the bachelor’s degree.
  • Challenge Exams cannot be taken in foreign language courses that are pre-requisites for courses already passed.
  • Challenge Exams cannot be taken for 111-level courses since they do not satisfy the skill 3 foreign language requirement.
  • Challenge Exams cannot be taken in foreign language courses that already appear on the student’s Stony Brook transcript, including courses transferred, registered (except during add/drop period), passed, failed, withdrawn, or incomplete.
  • Students may not take a Challenge Exam if they received credit in high school or college in the course being challenged or a higher level course.
  • Students may not take a Challenge Exam if they graduated from a high school where the language of instruction was the same as the course being challenged.
  • Challenge Exams cannot be taken more than once for the same course.
  • Challenge Exam credit does not count toward full-time student status or academic standing.
  • Challenge Exam credit does not fulfill the University residence requirement or satisfy the 55 credits in residence required of candidates for degrees with distinction.
  • Challenge Exam credit may be used to fulfill upper division credit for foreign language courses at the 300- level and higher.
  • Challenge Exam credit may be used to fulfill foreign language major and minor requirements, pending approval from the Undergraduate Program Director in the respective department.
  • Students who receive academic advising and academic departmental approval to take a Challenge Exam are eligible to take the exam by the end of the current semester, unless the applicant ceases to meet the eligibility requirements.
  • The grading option for Challenge Exams is satisfactory/unsatisfactory (S/U). S grades appear on the student’s transcript. U grades do not appear on the student’s transcript.
  • Credit is not awarded for Challenge Exams in foreign languages not included in Stony Brook’s curriculum.

MAJORS REQUIRING AN INTERMEDIATE-LEVEL OF A LANGUAGE

If a student needs both entry skill 3 proficiency (level 112) and the second semester intermediate-level of a language (level 212) for a major requirement, note the following options:

For languages taught at Stony Brook: The student should take a Challenge Exam for level 212 to meet both entry skill 3 and the major language requirement.

For languages NOT taught at Stony Brook: The student should take a Challenge Exam for level 112 from an approved proctor if the student still needs entry skill 3 for graduation purposes. Beyond the entry skill 3 proficiency, there is no Challenge Exam for a course not taught at Stony Brook. Students who need to demonstrate knowledge of a second semester intermediate-level of a language that is not taught at Stony Brook should work with an approved proctor (with permission from the respective major department) who is willing to test for this language/level. Verification of satisfactory completion of level 212 for courses not taught at Stony Brook should be transmitted to the major department directly.

Updated: 11/7/09