American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) Examination in Lieu of Content Core

For some languages other than English, individuals who are skilled and proficient in the language may demonstrate their knowledge by completing both the oral and written proficiency portions of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) examination. Candidates can earn a maximum of 30 semester hours of credit toward the content core by passing both of the following:

  1. The full Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) or (OPIc)
  2. The full Written Proficiency Test (WPT) or (iWPT), not the Advanced Level Check (AL-C)

The acceptable performance level for credit toward certification in a specific language is indicated in the following ACTFL Standards for LOTE Candidates Chart. Information concerning the administration of the examinations can be found at the ACTFL Web site at www.actfl.orgExternal Link. A list of language examinations offered by ACTFL is available at:
https://www.languagetesting.com/certifications-tests/test-informationExternal Link.

Please note that a College Level Examination Program (CLEP) foreign language examination or a New York University Proficiency examination is considered a duplication of the ACTFL exam. Any tests taken for certification must not duplicate courses completed for college credit.

ACTFL Standards for LOTE Candidates Chart
Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI)
French Advanced Low
German Advanced Low
Hebrew Advanced Low
Italian Advanced Low
Portuguese Advanced Low
Russian Advanced Low
Spanish Advanced Low
Arabic Intermediate High
Mandarin Intermediate High
Japanese Intermediate High
Korean Intermediate High
Written Proficiency Test (WPT)
Languages using the Roman alphabet Advanced Low
Languages using a non-Roman alphabet Intermediate High

Source: American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages Program Standards for the Preparation of Foreign Language Teachers (August 2002).

Last Updated: September 26, 2019