Language Placement Testing Options

CAPE - Required Examination

Students registering for a French, German or Spanish course for the first time at Georgia College & State University, including transfer students, are required to take the CAPE (Computerized Adaptive Placement Exam).  This online exam is used to determine the language course level most appropriate for each student based on his or her current ability.  At this time, the CAPE is not available in other languages.  There is no fee associated with this exam to students.

Incoming Freshmen

If in high school you took one or more years of the language for which you want to register at GCSU, you are required to take the CAPE.  Example:  If you took Spanish in high school and want to take Spanish at GCSU, you must take the Spanish CAPE.

Exception: If you took an AP exam and scored 3, 4 or 5, you will be placed by your academic advisor according to your AP test score.  You are not required to take the CAPE.  (See more information on AP scores below). 

• If you studied French, German or Spanish in high school, but you plan to take a different language at GCSU, you are not required to take the CAPE.  Indicate the language you wish to study on your POUNCE form. Example: If you studied Spanish in high school, but you want to take German at GCSU, you do not take the CAPE.
• If you did not take any French, German or Spanish courses in high school, you are not required to take the CAPE.  Simply select the language you would like to study on your POUNCE form.  Example: If you studied Latin in high school, and you want to take Spanish at GCSU, you are not required to take the CAPE.
• If you took an AP exam in French, German or Spanish, and your official score of 3, 4 or 5 is received by Georgia College, you are not required to take the CAPE for that language.  Students with AP scores of 3, 4 or 5 will be placed according to their score.  Students with AP scores below 3 must take the CAPE.  Example: If you took the Spanish AP test and scored a 3, and you want to study Spanish at GCSU, you are not required to take the CAPE for Spanish.  Your academic advisor will place you in the appropriate Spanish course based on your official AP score.

If you have questions about the CAPE requirements for incoming freshmen, please contact the WLC Administrative Assistant, Susan Hurst at susan.hurst@gcsu.edu or 478-445-4415.

All Students

Please note that students must register for the course level they place into based on the CAPE results.  Also note that the CAPE is for placement purposes only and does NOT result in academic credit.  For example, if a student takes the CAPE and places in French 2002, the student does not receive academic credit for French 1002 or French 2001.  The student will need to take those credit hours in order to satisfy overall university requirements; the student should consult with his or her academic advisor to select alternative courses which align with the student’s academic and graduation goals. (See the information below about the CLEP test for receiving academic credit.) 

The CAPE exam takes about 15-20 minutes to complete. Students may take the exam from any computer with internet access and a browser.  No outside materials, such as a language dictionary, may be used during the exam.  Only the first test score will be considered for course placement, so please do not take the test more than once. Scores will remain valid for one year from the date of the exam. 

CAPE Instructions

• Log in to PAWS
• Select the Student Services Tile
• Select the 'WebCAPE Test for Foreign Language Placement' tile
• You will be directed to the Emmersion WebCAPE Exam and need to register.

Note:  Students planning to take multiple language courses, for example German and Spanish, must take the CAPE for each language, unless they have never taken classes in that language at the high school or university level.

Test results will be displayed after the completion of the test and posted to your student file.  Students may wish to print a copy of the test score, as the score is not visible in PAWS after exiting the test results screen.  Academic advisors, Language Coordinators, and the WLC Administrative Assistant have access to CAPE scores.

CAPE Test Scores and Course Placement

Spanish CAPE Exam

French CAPE Exam

German CAPE Exam

After viewing your test score, contact your academic advisor so you may register for the appropriate class.  Incoming freshmen should indicate the appropriate course on their POUNCE Course Preference Form.  French and Spanish degree concentration students should contact the Department of World Languages and Cultures Chair, Dr. Libby Murphy at libby.murphy@gcsu.edu.

Optional Examination
CLEP (College Level Examination Program)

The College Level Examination Program (CLEP) is a national program of credit that allows students to obtain recognition for college-level achievement.  At Georgia College students may receive up to 12 hours of course credit, or up to the 2002 level of French, German, or Spanish based upon the official CLEP exam score.  Any student who has at least three years of high school language or who is a native or heritage speaker should consider taking the CLEP.  The CLEP is offered at Georgia College in the Center for Testing; it is also offered at many other locations.  Please visit the CLEP web site for more information on the exam and the locations available.

Note: Students who took two years of the same foreign language in high school (and have therefore already met the College Preparatory Curriculum requirement) will not receive credit for SPAN, FREN, or GRMN 1001. In such cases the maximum credit awarded by the CLEP exam is 9 credit hours, corresponding to levels 1002, 2001 and 2002.

Please be aware that CLEP option is not available to a student who registers for a class in the same language at the university level.  Students should take the CLEP before registering for the language class.

Please remember that it takes approximately 4 weeks for test results to be received and processed by the GCSU Registrar’s Office.  The Registrar’s Office will only accept official copies of CLEP exam scores sent to them directly from testing services.  Course placement cannot be finalized until test scores are processed by the GCSU Registrar’s Office, so please plan the test date accordingly.

For CLEP scores/course placement and much more information on the CLEP exam, please visit:

• GCSU Testing Center website
• CLEP website
• Georgia College CLEP policy found in the GCSU Undergraduate Catalog.