Information for Prospective Students

These tests are available to incoming 9th graders for courses with prerequisites or approval needed.

• Math Placement Exam students looking to place into the Compressed Math "3-years-in-two-years" Course Sequence in 9th grade.
  • Please visit our Math FAQs and Math Course Sequence Pages as well. 
    • Our placement exam will take place in the spring (specifics TBA).
    • Additional information and sign-ups will be available in the spring.
    • For questions after the placement exam, please reach out to assessment@smuhsd.org
    • If you did not take the placement exam and have recently been transferred to Aragon, please email our Math Department Chair cdartnell@smuhsd.org with regard to options for placement.

• World Language Placement Exams for students who already possesses advanced language skills in Spanish, Chinese or Japanese, they can take a placement test to move into advanced level language courses. 
  • The test will take place on Wednesday, March 13th, 2024. 
  • Additional information and sign-ups will be available in the spring.
    • Spanish Placement Information:
      • Please look over the following information in order to choose the appropriate Spanish class.   If you have any questions, please contact Alejandra Cheever at mcheever@smuhsd.org. 
      • Students that are signing up for Spanish 1, you do not need to take a placement test.  
      • Incoming 9th graders that want to sign up for a level OTHER than Spanish 1, please review the enrollment options below to see if you would like to take the placement test. 

• If you:	You should enroll in:	You are eligible to take a placement test for:
  have never taken a Spanish class & do not have any experience with Spanish	Spanish 1	(not placement test eligible)
  have taken basic Spanish inconsistently across several years	Spanish 1	Spanish 2
  took 1 year of middle school Spanish	Spanish 1	Spanish 2
  completed elementary school at a Spanish immersion school, but did not continue with the middle school program	Spanish 2	(not placement test eligible)
  took 2 years of middle school Spanish	Spanish 2	Spanish 3
  completed elementary school at a Spanish immersion school and continued with the middle school program	Spanish for Native Speakers 3	(not placement test eligible)
  communicate with your family in Spanish at home (speaking and listening)	Spanish for Native Speakers 3	the most appropriate level (if you are unsure)

   
  • Chinese Placement Information:

    • Please review the numbered guidelines below to choose your Chinese class.

    • For students who will enroll in Chinese 1,2,  the placement test is optional. 

    • Those wishing to enroll in Chinese 3 must follow the guidelines below to determine if a placement test is required.

    • For students who will enroll in Chinese 4H, the placement test is required. Students have not attended either College Park or Bayside, and would like to take a placement test for Chinese 4H.

1. Mandarin native speakers who cannot read or write are required to start with Chinese 1.
2. Students with two to three years of prior Chinese learning experience will be placed in Chinese 2.
3. Students with over four years of Chinese learning experience will be placed in Chinese 3 and follow the guidelines below to determine if a placement test is required.
4. Students from the College Park School immersion program and/or Bayside Chinese program will be placed in Chinese 3 without testing.
5. SMUHSD and Aragon teach only Simplified Characters; however, accommodations will be made for students who have previously learned Traditional Characters during tests.
6. The highest level that 9th-grade freshmen may enter is Chinese 4H, but they must take a placement test.
7. 9th graders are not eligible to enroll in the AP Chinese class.

Placement Test Guidelines: 

1. No Placement Test Needed:
   • Students have attended the College Park Immersion Mandarin Program for 5 years or the Bayside Mandarin Program for 3 years, and would like to be placed in Chinese 2 without testing.
   • Students have attended the College Park Immersion Mandarin Program for 5 years or the Bayside Mandarin Program for 3 years, and would like to be placed in Chinese 3 without testing.
   • Students have learned Chinese for 2 years, but have not attended either of the above schools and would like to be placed in Chinese 2 without testing.
   • Students have no prior Mandarin learning experience and want to be placed in Chinese 1 without testing.
2. Placement Test Required:
   • Students have attended the College Park Immersion Mandarin Program for 5 years or the Bayside Mandarin Program for 3 years, and would like to be placed in Chinese 4H and will take a placement test.
   • Students have not attended either College Park or Bayside, and would like to take a placement test for Chinese 3.
   • Students have not attended either College Park or Bayside, and would like to take a placement test for Chinese 4H.

• • Japanese Placement Information:  please email Hosoi Sensei (jhosoi@smuhsd.org)