Graduate Reading Proficiency Testing

All of the exams below will take place on Canvas.  Note that these exams are only offered on the singular dates below for AY23-24; there will be no make-ups and no spring term examinations.

For the German exam, please also scroll down to the second table, to see the possible topic areas to choose from.

Language Date Time Duration Format Policies How to Register Registration Deadline
French 01 Nov 8:00am-11:59pm 90 min Translation of a 35-line passage into English, plus 2 questions in English on this same passage. Use of a Bilingual dictionary is permitted (paper version only). No use of grammar books or course books permitted. Send name, department, and email address to [email protected]. 27 Oct
German 08 Nov 12:00pm-12:00am 180 min Translation of a 40-line passage into English. Use of a printed dictionary and one online dictionary (https://dict.leo.org/german-english/) is permitted; no other help from any source, including online translation sites, is allowed. Send name, email address, departmental affiliation, and requested exam topic area* to [email protected]. 01 Nov
Italian 01 Nov 8:00am-11:59pm 90 min Translation of a 35-line passage into English, plus 2 questions in English on this same passage. Use of a Bilingual dictionary is permitted (paper version only). No use of grammar books or course books permitted. Send name, department, and email address to [email protected]. 27 Oct
Spanish 08 Nov 9:00am-6:00pm 90 min Translation of a 35-line passage into English, plus 2 questions in English on a different passage. The use of a bilingual dictionary is permitted (paper version only). The use of online dictionaries and automatic translators is strictly forbidden under the University’s Honor Code. Send name, department, and email address to [email protected]. 01 Nov

*Exam Topic Areas for German:

Discipline Topic
Art & Archaeology

Max Beckmann, Andrea Mantegna, Gerhard Richter, Robert Campin, Merzkunst, Delos lions, Holbein

Architecture Gropius
Classics Sophocles: Oedipus, Augustine, Bucolic tradition
Comparative literature theory: comedy
EAS Hirohito / WWII, “No” theater
English

Shakespeare, 19th c. American literature

German Parzival, Kleist. Freud, Hegel/Marx, Frisch/Dürrenmatt
Music pre-modal notation systems, canons in Old Dutch music, Schubert
NES Islamic law, Ottoman empire
Politics

Weimar, USA/Iraq

Religion

Augustine, Christian education, Job, Liberation theology, Mark, Missions, Rabbinic Judaism, Tillich

Sociology sports studies, time/work, social history of mathematics

Spanish & Portuguese

Golden Age