CREDIT BY EXAMINATION - RUSSIAN

Policies Effective for the Academic Year 2008-2009*

*This should be used as a guide only. Policies are subject to change.

UT Austin provides you with the opportunity to earn course credit by examination. Such credit will satisfy degree requirements in the same way as credit earned by passing a course, except that it will not count as credit earned in residence. Although you may take tests before you enroll in UT Austin, you must be a currently or previously enrolled student in order to receive credit. Unsuccessful attempts to earn credit by examination will not become part of your official transcript.

Faculty members in the Department of Slavic and Eurasian Studies select the tests, set the levels of performance required for credit, and specify who is eligible to earn credit by examination. DIIA-Student Testing Services assists the department by communicating policies, giving the tests, and reporting the credit. Questions about credit by examination for upper-division courses should be directed to the Department of Slavic and Eurasian Studies, Calhoun Hall, Room 415.

RUSSIAN CURRICULUM

RUS 506 and 507 introduce the fundamentals of grammar, basic vocabulary, and conversation skills. While grammatical forms are given careful attention, particular emphasis is placed on the proper use of language in context. Russian is used as much as possible in class.

RUS 412K and 412L assume knowledge of the basic case forms and of verbal categories such as tense and aspect plus a foundation in vocabulary. Contexts for usage of the basic forms are greatly expanded and response made more automatic in RUS 412K, which incorporates a systematic review. Final topics in grammar are added in RUS 412L, including participles, gerunds, and conditional sentences. RUS  412K and 412L are four-skills courses where speaking, listening, reading, and writing are all developed. Increasing emphasis is on non-textbook readings, translation, and composition instead of drill. Class is conducted primarily in Russian, with an oral component included in examinations.

RUS 324 and 325 are advanced language courses conducted in Russian. Emphasis is on reading and composition, using a variety of literary and non-literary texts as a basis. Work in grammar is oriented to the structure of complex sentences and to Russian word formation. Proficiency in speaking is developed through class recitation and oral reports.

UT Austin Test for Credit in Russian

Results of the UT Austin Test for Credit in Russian serve as the basis for proper placement in the Russian language program. These results also serve as a basis for receiving credit for and exemption for up to four courses: RUS 506, 507 (first year) and RUS 412K, 412L (second year).

Students for Whom the Test Is Required or Appropriate
Students who have prior knowledge of Russian (regardless of how it was acquired) and who do not have college credit in Russian must take the UT Austin Test for Credit in Russian before they can enroll in their first UT Austin Russian course.

Students transferring college credit in Russian must also take the UT Austin Test for Credit in Russian before enrolling for the first time in a course in Russian at UT Austin.

Students who do not intend to enroll in a Russian course but who wish to attempt to earn credit by examination may also take the test.

Eligibility for Credit by Examination in Russian
You are eligible for credit only in those courses for which you do not have a passing or failing grade.

Description of the UT Austin Test for Credit in Russian
The test is divided into three sections: Grammar and Vocabulary, Reading, and Listening. In the Grammar and Vocabulary section, you are given a variety of situations to complete with items from a multiple-choice selection. You are to choose the item that makes the most sense grammatically and lexically in each case. In the Reading section, you are given a variety of authentic printed texts in Russian, ranging from advertisements and bulletin board notices to course schedules and job announcements. Your comprehension of these and longer texts will be checked with multiple-choice questions. In the Listening section, you will hear, by means of a tape recording, a variety of spoken materials in Russian, including short conversations and informational texts. Both male and female voices will be heard at normal speaking tempo. Comprehension of these passages will be checked with multiple-choice questions.

The test questions in all three parts of the UT Austin Test for Credit in Russian are based on information that is actually given in or readily inferred from the questions themselves or from the listening passages and reading texts. Knowledge of specific subject matter is not tested, and there are no questions that bear on literary knowledge, literary analysis, or linguistic terminology.

TEST ADMINISTRATION

The UT Austin Test for Credit in Russian must be taken on the UT Austin campus.

Test Periods: This test is offered on the UT Austin campus during scheduled testing periods several days before each class registration period.

Test Registration: You must register for a test online.

Test Registration for Students with Disabilities: If you require academic accommodations or assistance due to a documented disability, you should contact these two offices at least five business days before the day of the test:

• Services for Students with Disabilities, in the Office of the Dean of Students at ssd@uts.cc.utexas.edu,  http://deanofstudents.utexas.edu/ssd, or (512) 471-6259 to seek approval for authorized accommodations;
• DIIA-Student Testing Services at (512) 232-2662 to register and make arrangements to take the test.

Registration Fee and Test Fee Payment: The total test fee is $65 (subject to change). When you confirm your registration for a test you will be immediately billed a non-refundable test registration fee of $15. The remainder of the test fee will be billed after you take the test. Payment is due within 14 days after the test administration.

Repeating the Test: You may take the UT Austin Test for Credit in Russian only once.

Admission to the Test Room: When you register online you will be given the location of your test room. You must present, at the test room, a generally accepted form of identification that includes both your signature and photograph. Without such identification, you will be admitted only if you bring and relinquish a photograph of yourself. You should take several sharpened No. 2 pencils to the test room; all other test materials will be provided.

Test Results: Results are available within a few days after the test date, at a time and place announced at the test administration. Once they are available, results may also be found online.

UT AUSTIN TEST FOR CREDIT IN UPPER-DIVISION RUSSIAN

On the basis of the UT Austin Test for Credit in Upper-Division Russian and a personal interview, credit can be earned in one or both of the following courses: RUS 324 and 325. You must obtain permission from the instructor of the course for which you are seeking credit in order to take the test, which is offered by individual appointment.

Test Registration: The total test fee for the UT Austin Test for Credit in Upper-Division Russian is $70 (subject to change). Once you register for the exam at the Division of Instructional Innovation and Assessment office, 2616 Wichita you will receive a Department Administered Examination form which should be taken to the Department of Slavic and Eurasian Studies.

Description of the UT Austin Test for Credit in Upper-Division Russian
The test, which is prepared by faculty members in the Department of Slavic and Eurasian Studies, consists of the following:

• In the case of conversation courses, an interview with the instructor;
• In the case of advanced Russian courses, RUS 324 and RUS 325, an interview with the instructor and a written examination to be set by the instructor, which shall ordinarily include translation into Russian and Russian composition.

INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE HIGHER-LEVEL EXAMINATIONS

Level of Performance Required for Credit
The IB Examinations have a score range of 1-7. All IB Higher-Level Examination scores in Russian must to be officially sent to UT Austin. Results of the IB Higher-Level Examination in Russian and a personal interview (in Russian) with the Language Coordinator in the Department of Slavic and Eurasian Studies serve as the basis for awarding credit by examination for up to six courses: Russian 506, 507, 412K, 412L, 324, and 325.

FREQUENT QUESTIONS

Q. May the same placement tests in Russian be taken more than once for credit?

A. No.

Q. If I earn credit by examination in Russian, must I then enroll in a UT Austin Russian course in order to receive credit earned by examination?

A. No. The credit earned by examination is yours--regardless of whether or not you enroll in subsequent Russian courses. Many degree programs require a specific level of proficiency in at least one foreign language, so your decision about enrolling in additional courses may be influenced by your degree requirements.

Q. If I earn credit by examination in courses that I think are too advanced for me, what should I do to assure myself proper placement in the UT Austin Russian language program?

A. Ask the instructor of the course at the next level below for permission to sit in on the class two or three times. Consult with the undergraduate adviser or other designated faculty member again about your initial placement. You may wish (1) to accept credit by examination but audit the course below prior to taking a more advanced course, (2) to decline credit by examination and take the course below for regular credit at UT, or (3) to accept credit by examination and plunge into the challenge of a more advanced course. The final choice is yours.

PETITIONING/CLAIMING CREDIT

UT Austin students must petition (or claim) their credit to have it appear on their official transcript.

*POLICIES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE