To take a second-year course (1003-1004) at U of M in French, German or Spanish, you must pass the Entrance Proficiency Test (EPT). If you have had three or more years of high school language study or one year of college language study, you should take the EPT. Students with one or two years of high school language study do not need to take the EPT and should instead follow course placement procedures.
If you have had 5+ years of high school language study or if you have completed a fourth-semester college language course, you should take the Language Proficiency Exam (LPE). Students who pass the LPE have fulfilled their second-language requirement for CLA and may register for third-year language courses. If you are unsure if you are prepared for the LPE, we suggest you start with the reading and listening portions of the EPT. If you find the on-line portions of the EPT extremely easy, then take the LPE or contact us to discuss your situation.
The first portion of the EPT is the reading test. To take the reading portion of the EPT on-line, you must have:
- a quiet, private space to work for about 60 minutes
- a modem connection of at least 28.8 kbps
PLEASE NOTE:
Almost any computer will deliver the EPT reading test. However, the sound files for the EPT listening test are delivered as pop-ups. Many internet service providers and software packages are designed to block pop-ups. Please read the information below before continuing with the EPT listening test.
LAN users: If you are attempting the test from a public library, a school, a corporate office, or a similar institution with a LAN network, do not proceed with the listening test until you speak to the system administrator. Most LAN networks have software filters and security firewalls that are associated with the server, not your individual computer. These security protocols MUST be disabled for the pop-ups to work. If you cannot have these firewalls disabled on the server, you cannot take the listening test at that location.
WINDOWS XP USERS: To allow QuickTime streaming under Windows XP, you must disable the built-in firewall in Windows XP. Go to the Network control panel in XP, open the Properties window, go to the Advanced tab, and make sure the firewall is disabled. You must also turn off all other security features of this software, such as Zone Alarm.
CUSTOMERS OF AOL, MSN, and SIMILAR SUBSCRIPTION INTERNET SERVICES: The latest versions of these sign-up internet services have pop-up blockers that prevent you from hearing the sound files. You most likely cannot disable these features. Instead, minimize the browser window provided by the service, then open Netscape (or Mozilla or Safari) and try the test through that browser window.
If you follow these instructions and are unable to hear the listening test, be aware that there is still something on your computer or your internet service provider that is blocking the test. In order to try the listening test again from another computer, you must file a problem report. Go to the main page of the EPT and click on the link called problem report. Fill out all the requested information and submit.
If you want to take the listening test on campus prior to your orientation date, click here for more information on labs at the University of Minnesota where you can take the listening test.