Proficiency Exam

The Italian reading proficiency exam is offered for graduate students as part of their requirements. The next Proficiency Exams will be held on Friday, April 4th, 2025 at 10:00 am, Friday, September 12th, 2025 at 12:00pm and Friday, December, 5th, 2025 at 2:00pm, in 501 Hamilton Hall. 

Students have two hours to complete the translation.

We ask that students register for the exam in advance by sending an email to [email protected] with your name, the name of your program and/or school, and the name and email of your departmental contact to whom we should send the results.

Only the use of a paper dictionary is allowed. Please bring your own paper copy of a dictionary. Electronic devices (smartphones, laptops, tablets etc.) cannot be used during the exam.

Your English translation is considered accurate if you remain close to the original but translate into idiomatic English. The use of alternate translation (two different versions of the interpretation of certain words) is not acceptable.

As an alternative way to satisfy the language proficiency requirement the Department of Italian offers a Rapid Reading and Translation course this Spring 2025.  The majority of Columbia graduate programs consider the successful completion of the Rapid Reading and Translation course as a way to fulfill the foreign language proficiency requirement.

For placement or proficiency exams in Hungarian, please contact Carol Rounds.