The Department of Slavic Languages & Literatures offers proficiency exams in Polish and Russian in partnership with Avant Assessment. These tests should be used only to fulfill an admissions deficiency or graduation requirement. Students needing to determine with which level of Polish or Russian to begin their language studies at UW should email slavoffice@uw.edu with their UW NetID for access to the correct placement exam.
The Avant STAMP 4S test is a remotely proctored, web-based test that assesses language proficiency. The test has four sections and test items are based on real-world, everyday situations:
- Reading (30 multiple choice questions)
- Writing (3 prompts)
- Listening (30 multiple choice questions)
- Speaking (3 prompts)
On average the test takes around 2 hours to complete. The maximum amount of time allowed is 3 hours.
Preparation
Students are not required to study for the proficiency exam, however those wishing to prepare may find the following materials useful:
Registration & Fees
Polish: Register for the Polish exam here, using your UW email address and student ID number (if you have one).
Russian: Register for the Russian exam here, using your UW email address and student ID number (if you have one).
The Avant STAMP 4S tests have a fee, which students must pay online via debit or credit card. The current fee is $39.90. After paying, students will receive further instructions via email with information on setting up a profile in the proctoring service, and will then select a date/time to test.
PLEASE NOTE: UW students must use their UW email address in order to ensure the Department of Slavic Languages & Literatures has access to their results.
Scores
The Avant STAMP 4S tests issue a score between 1 and 9 for reading and listening, and 1 and 8 for writing and speaking. To fulfill the UW Seattle foreign language requirement for graduation, students need a minimum score of 4 in each section of the exam: reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Those students looking to fulfill an admissions deficit, or only needing to prove proficiency through the 2nd quarter of a language (typically UW Tacoma students), will need a minimum score of 3 in each section.
PLEASE NOTE: Exam results typically take between 1 and 2 weeks. Plan accordingly if you need the score in order to graduate or be admitted. The Slavic Department will communicate results to students, once they are available.
Support
If you have any issues registering or taking the test, please contact Avant’s Support team by email at support@avantassessment.com or by phone at 1-888-713-7887 for assistance.