Hindi-Urdu placement

The Hindi-Urdu placement test is required if you have any prior knowledge of Hindi or Urdu and wish to take Hindi-Urdu classes at Carolina. If you do not intend to take Hindi-Urdu classes, but just wish to satisfy the Global Language requirement, please refer to the Language Placement website to review the possible options for meeting the requirement.

The Hindi-Urdu placement test is online and may be taken at any time. However, it is not automatically scored; the test is human-graded, so you won’t receive your result immediately (see the FAQ below for more on this). Also, a minority of students may be asked to follow up the online test with an oral interview.

The test is Sakai-based; you will need to log in with your Onyen credentials.

Follow these steps to take the test:

Click here to join the Sakai site. You must join the site before you’ll be able to take the test.
Click here to take the test. You’ll have up to an hour to complete it.

If you experience any technical difficulties, please seek help at help.unc.edu.

HIndi-Urdu placement FAQ

Absolutely! We offer two one-credit script classes that address exactly this situation. Follow this link for a detailed explanation. You still must take the placement test, but you may be placed into a script class.

All you need is something to write with.

Equipment you will need to take the test:
— Paper and pen/pencil;
— Cell phone, scanner, or digital camera (you’ll need to upload a writing sample in JPG or PDF format);
— Computer with working microphone so you can make a voice recording.

If you’re an incoming new Carolina student, please wait to take this test until you have created your Onyen and have it working. If you are not a UNC student, please email the Hindi-Urdu placement coordinator, Dr. John Caldwell, for help to access the test (and note that if it’s summer, it may take him a while to get back to you).

The online placement test consists of four sections:

A questionnaire about your previous language study and experience;
A listening comprehension section based on a film clip;
A writing sample (you can use either the Hindi script, or the Urdu script, or Roman transliteration);
A speaking sample.

For most people that will be it, but some people may also be asked to do an oral interview via zoom.

If you take the online placement test by	You should receive the result
Friday before FDOC in August	By FDOC
Friday of the first week of class	By the following Monday
October 1	Before registration for spring begins
Friday before FDOC in January	By FDOC
Friday of the first week of class	By the following Monday
March 1	Before registration for fall begins
April 30	By May 15

The above times are minimum guidelines. It’s always possible you’ll receive your result much sooner, so we recommend taking the placement test as soon as you’re ready to do so.

Your first step should be to discuss it either with your teacher (if you’re attending the class you were placed into) or with the Hindi-Urdu placement coordinator, Dr. John Caldwell.

Placement is not a perfect science by any means, and every year we do usually make a few adjustments. If you don’t think the class you were placed in is the best level for you, we are always happy to discuss it and re-evaluate. Ultimately, however, the department’s decision will be final.

Did you review the general placement FAQ? Many questions are answered there. If you still don’t find the answer, or otherwise need help with a placement issue, please contact Lori Harris.

What if I have a good speaking knowledge of Hindi-Urdu, but don’t know how to read/write it? Is there any alternative for me to starting at the 101 level?

What should I bring to an in-person test?

What equipment do I need for the online test?

What if I don't have an Onyen?

What's the format of the test, and what will be covered? How should I prepare?

When will I receive the result of my test?

What if I don’t agree with my placement result, or I think the class I placed into is too hard/too easy for me?

I have some other question.