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Proof of Proficiency Policy

The proof-of-proficiency examination option can be pursued to satisfy college, school, department or program requirements for language study at Saint Louis University.

Credit hours will not be awarded for the successful completion of a proficiency examination and therefore will not apply toward the total credit hour requirements for graduation. Foreign language proof of proficiency by examination must occur not later than the achievement of 60 credit hours (90 credit hours for transfer students).

Proof-of-proficiency examinations are scheduled through Language Testing International (LTI). Students schedule an oral proficiency interview (OPI) through LTI and are evaluated against standards established by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL).

For a successful examination, the ACTFL OPI results must minimally be rated at:

  • Intermediate-low level for languages in Foreign Service Institute categories 1-3, which include French, German, Italian and Spanish.
  • Novice-high level for languages in Foreign Service Institute categories 4-5,
    which include Chinese and Russian.

For languages not categorized by the FSI, an intermediate-low level is required for all Romance and Germanic languages. Non-Romance, non-Germanic languages require a proficiency level at the novice-high level.

ACTFL OPI Examination Steps for Students

All ACTFL OPI exams for SLU program requirements are scheduled directly with Language Testing International (LTI). 

  1. From the LTI website, first select your testing language.
  2. Select "I am a student or teacher and need to take an ACTFL assessment as a requirement for my academic program." 
  3. In the field for institution, type in or select "Saint Louis University" 
  4. Next Select "Live Speaking Test (OPI)" 
  5. Choose the "Web-based proctoring (Prometric)" option
  6. Complete the remaining steps as prompted for testing dates and times

Note that in lieu of an LTI-delivered ACTFL OPI, students may submit certified exam results from member institutions of the Association of Language Testers in Europe. These results are rated according to The Common European Framework of Reference. Students must achieve a B1 rating for FSI categories 1-3 or an A2 rating for categories 4-5.

OPI examinations are not available for all languages. To demonstrate language proficiency in Latin or ancient Greek, contact Joan Hart-Hasler, Ph.D., in the Department of Theological Studies. For other questions on the proof-of-proficiency policy, contact the Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures at languages@slu.edu