Proficiency

At three equidistant points in the program, you will take a proficiency test (in the middle of the Spring Semester of ARAB 031, in the middle of the Fall Semester of ARAB 033, and in the middle of the Spring Semester of ARAB 031). This is not a test of your knowledge of the syllabus for the course, but of your ability to use the language in the native environment. The Minimal Functional Proficiency Standards below are those required for completion of the Arabic language requirement.

MINIMAL FUNCTIONAL PROFICIENCY STANDARDS FOR ARABIC 

 

Skils & Method of Testing	Points	Points	Points
	5	10	15
Oral Interview	IL	IM	IH
Listening Comprehension	IL	IM	IH
Reading Comprehension	IL	IM	IH
Writing	IL	IM	IH

 

TESTING PROCEDURES

1. All students are required to take all four sections of the test.

2. Performance below 10 on any portion of the test constitutes failure for that section.

3. Cumulative performance, however, is the ultimate criterion for passing. One may accrue from 5-15 points on each section, but the cumulative average must be equal to 10 or higher. A student may fail sections of the test and still pass the proficiency test. In order to be declared proficient, a student must obtain a total score of 40 points. Here are some examples:

	Example 1	Example 2	Example 3	Example 4
Oral Interview	IM = 10	IL = 5	IM = 10	IL = 5
Listening Comprehension	IM = 10	IL = 5	IL = 5	IL = 5
Reading Comprehension	IM = 10	IH = 15	IH = 15	IH = 15
Writing	IM = 10	IM = 10	IL = 5	IH = 15
	Pass 40	Pass 35	Pass 40	Pass 40

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Students who fail one or more sections of the proficiency test are given advice on an individual basis. They are required to improve their performance on the portion(s) of the test that they have failed or else raise their score on successfully passed portions to equal a total of 40 on all sections.