Departmental exam information will continually be updated towards the end of the summer. Please check back periodically for placement exam information that has not yet been posted. 

Chemistry

INTRODUCTORY AND FIRST YEAR CHEMISTRY COURSES

The chemistry department offers a number of introductory or first year courses in chemistry.  The most popular sequence, Chemistry UN1403 and UN1404 (http://bulletin.columbia.edu/columbia-college/departments-instruction/chemistry/#coursestext), is a full year course that provides an introduction to the key concepts and forefront research topics in chemistry and (together with the concurrent recitation (CHEM UN1405 or UN1407 or UN1409 and the associated but nonconcurrent laboratory course CHEM UN1500) satisfies requirements for many programs including our chemistry major, several engineering or biological sciences majors, as well as premedical programs in CC SEAS and GS. This course assumes a standard high school preparation in chemistry physics and mathematics. CHEM UN0001 (Preparation for College Chemistry) helps to prepare students for the UN1403 and UN1404 sequence if needed. In addition, we offer two accelerated courses for freshmen with advanced high school preparation, and/or high motivation in chemistry: UN1604 or the UN2045-2046 sequence. 

CHEM UN1604 PLACEMENT INFORMATION

Chemistry UN1604 “Intensive General Chemistry” is a one-semester introductory general chemistry course that serves as an expedited replacement for the full-year, Chemistry UN1403 and UN1404 sequence.  Students wishing to take UN1604 should have strong high school preparation in chemistry and must take two assessment examinations to help evaluate their preparation for the course. The first exam will be online, taken within the honor code. Students’ scores on this exam may be applied as credit in the course (depending on the instructor’s discretion). Details regarding the exam will be available in Columbia University’s Courseworks site (https://courseworks.columbia.edu/welcome/) for this course in August. To prepare for this placement examination, students are advised to refer to the syllabus in Courseworks site, where we describe the specific topics and textbook chapters that should be studied in advance as well as details on how to contact us for clarifications or help preparing. The second assessment examination will be administered in class during the second week of classes, and covers similar material. Your scores on these assessment examinations will be the primary factor helping you and the instructor to determine whether you will be invited to register for this course. During the term we will assume knowledge of the specific introductory topics covered by the placement examination. Students must concurrently enroll in a recitation section (Chemistry UN1606) and should be aware that the laboratory course (Chemistry UN1500 or UN1507) is a separate class (not necessarily concurrent), required for many programs. In fall 2020 this course will be taught with a mixture of on-line and in person sessions.

CHEM UN2045 PLACEMENT INFORMATION (REVISED)

Chemistry UN2045-2046 “Intensive Organic Chemistry” is a one-year, organic chemistry sequence for students with excellent preparation in general chemistry and a basic introduction to organic chemistry.  Students wishing to take UN2045-2046 should have strong high school preparation in chemistry and must take two assessment examinations to help you evaluate your preparation for the course. The first exam will be on line, taken within the honor code.  Your work on this on line exam should help you determine which course to initially select, and may also be applied as credit in the course (depending on  the instructor’s discretion). Details regarding the exam will be available in the Courseworks site for this course in early August. The second assessment examination will be administered in class during the second week of classes. Your scores on these assessment examinations will be the primary factor in helping you and the instructor to determine whether you will be invited to register for this course. The placement examinations will cover some basic concepts in the structure and bonding of organic compounds, and it is recommended that you review Chapters 1-3 of the text book (Organic Chemistry, 8th Edition, by Paula Yurkanis Bruice) prior to taking the exams, in addition to attending the lectures prior to the second assessment examination. You will not be expected to have mastered/memorized all of this material, but rather to have some basic familiarity with some of the main concepts discussed in those Chapters. 

Please note that the laboratory course (Chemistry UN1507) is a separate class.

Physics

TBA

Math

TBA

Music Humanities

TBA

Foreign Languages

Language placement at Columbia is determined in one of two ways. Students who wish to continue with a language they studied in secondary school MUST either take a Columbia language department placement exam in order to register for a course in that language OR submit results from SAT II Subject Tests or Advanced Placement exams. Those students who have demonstrated proficiency in a language via SAT II or AP should refer to the Academic Planning Guide for New Students, pages 52-53, for specific course placement information. Students who have not taken an SAT II Subject Test or an AP exam must take a Columbia departmental exam in order to determine appropriate placement. Placement exams are scheduled for the languages listed below.

Please note: If you are exempt from the Columbia College foreign-language requirement per your placement exam results, you must contact the department to receive a certificate of exemption and deliver that certificate to your advising dean in the Berick Center for Student Advising. Questions? Contact information for language program coordinators in each department can be found here. 

Arabic

Virtual placement exam to be administered, details TBA. 

Questions? Visit the program homepage here or contact Taoufik Ben-Amor at tb46@columbia.edu.

Chinese

Listening comprehension, composition, vocabulary and grammar will be tested online between August 20-30, 2020 (link forthcoming). Speaking and conversational skills will be evaluated through a one-on-one virtual conversation with an instructor on September 1, 2020 (tentatively).

Questions? Visit the program homepage here or contact Lening Liu at l1172@columbia.edu.

French

German

Hebrew

Hindu-Urdu

A written exam will be proctored via Zoom. Dates and details forthcoming. 

Questions? Visit the program homepage here or contact Rakesh Ranjan at rr2574@columbia.edu.

Hungarian

Italian

To be administered through Canvas; link found on the department website. 

Questions? Visit the program homepage here or contact Lani Muller at lm36@columbia.edu. 

Japanese

Korean

Test to be administered via Canvas in August. Link forthcoming. 

Questions? Visit the program homepage here or contact Dr. Joowon Suh at js604@columbia.edu.

Latin

Exams will be sent via email for students to take and return to the department.

Questions? Visit the program homepage here or contact Gareth Williams at gdw5@columbia.edu.

Persian

Portuguese

A written exam will be proctored via Zoom. Dates and details forthcoming. 

Questions? Visit the program homepage here or contact José Antonio Castellanos-Pazos at jc846@columbia.edu.

Russian

Both the written and follow-up oral portion of the exam will take place via Zoom. Please email Dr. Alla Smyslova at as2157@columbia.edu to sign up. Visit the program homepage here for more information. 

Sanskrit

Online placement exams will be administered via Zoom. Students interested in taking the exam should contact Shiv Subramaniam at sks2184@columbia.edu. More information found here. 

Spanish

Questions? Visit the program homepage here or contact Dr. Lee B. Abraham at lba2133@columbia.edu. 

Tamil

Online placement exams will be administered via Zoom. Students interested in taking the exam should contact Shiv Subramaniam at sks2184@columbia.edu. More information found here.

Tibetan

An online placement exam will be administered via Canvas between August 20th and August 30th. A speaking test will be done one-on-one via Zoom on August 31st or by appointment.  

Questions? Visit the program homepage here or contact Sonam Tsering at st2931@columbia.edu.

Turkish

A written exam will be proctored via Zoom. An oral proficiency exam will be administered in a one on one appointment.  

Questions? Visit the program homepage here or contact Zuleyha Colak at zc2208@columbia.edu. 

Vietnamese

TBA

Questions? Visit the program homepage here or contact Chung Nguyen at cn2496@columbia.edu.

Yiddish

Online exam only. Please email Dr. Agi Legutko at abl2109@columbia.edu to sign up. For more information please visit the program homepage here.