Earning up to 16 credits through BYU language challenge exams

On a university campus with more than 120 languages spoken, BYU offers a Challenge Exam that gives credit for students' language experience.

This exam is offered by departments such as math and science to help students gain credit for their knowledge but for those with proficiency in a language, the exam is an opportunity to not only gain extra credit, but also hone and practice skills.

One important thing students should know is that challenge exams are an opportunity to receive credit for knowledge they already have, potentially saving them both time and tuition costs. They only pay the fee for taking the exam, which is currently $20, Stacey Anderson from BYU Enrollment Services said.

Tracy Brousseau, Operations Manager for the Center of Language Studies, explained that the students can gain much extra credit, adding that students may eventually go on to earn a language certificate.

It allows the students to get up to 16 hours of credit for the 100 and 200 level classes and then also because this is another proficiency test, we also recognize it for the language certificates, and so they can get language certificates as long as they take three 300 level courses, Brousseau said.

To take a language challenge exam, students must enroll in the exams accompanying course.

During that time, sometimes at the beginning of the semester, sometimes it's near the end, but during that semester you take the exam. And then you have to pass the class to be able to then receive the credits, Mariah Nix, Curriculum and Instruction Coordinator for the Center of Language Studies said.

Nix explained that after passing the class, students have up to a year to decide whether or not to accept or decline the credits.

If you get all these, it can really help your GPA, right? Some will just accept a few here and there. It just really depends on what they need and what's there, Nix said.

BYU student Emily Nielson, who took the Challenge Exam for Spanish, believes that taking the exam is well worth it.

Just do it, Nielson said. Cause it's like $20 and if you don't pass, oh well, but if you do pass, then at least for Spanish, you get like 16 elective credits.

Nix highlighted other reasons why taking language classes can be valuable.

My biggest thing is like, take the class, take it. The class is such a great way to just be able to connect back to your mission culture, and just to keep it going. And we really emphasize becoming a lifelong learner, especially in your language. Maybe you're going to use it in your career, maybe you won't. Maybe you're going to have a chance.

For students who have not served a mission, the language courses are still beneficial.

It's just taught me so many skills, the languages that I've learned, like whether or not I'm using them on a regular basis, but it's taught me critical thinking. It's taught me that I can do hard things, Nix said.

Both Nix and Brousseau explained that while all students are tested on the same level, it is taken into account that some languages provide more challenges than others.

It doesn't mean the students get lower scores. It just means that it could be a little bit harder testing-wise, Nix said.

They shared that for languages such as Mandarin, Korean and Japanese, students are allowed to handwrite instead of using a keyboard on a computer. This way, it feels more familiar to them.

While 84 languages are taught on campus, not all of them have a subsequent challenge exam.

The exams available can be found here. Others that are not listed on the website but are available include Spanish, Portuguese, Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, Japanese, German, Russian, French, Italian and Haitian Creole.