Language Placement Tests

Because Westminster seeks to train "specialists in the Bible," it requires that all students demonstrate that they can read and understand the Bible in the languages in which it was written. Students must demonstrate that they can read most portions of the Bible in the original languages without assistance.

Normally, this level of competence is achieved after one year of language study at Westminster. However, students may learn the languages through other methods or programs of study as long as they can demonstrate competence on a language placement test taken at the beginning of enrollment in a degree program. Since most courses at Westminster in New Testament, Old Testament, and Systematic Theology require knowledge of Greek and Hebrew, students must satisfy the language requirement at the beginning of their degree program.

Westminster provides instruction in the biblical languages for students who have not previously studied them. Students who have studied Greek and/or Hebrew prior to enrollment may demonstrate their competence in Greek and/or Hebrew through placement tests administered upon enrollment. Students who demonstrate competency may receive advanced placement or a waiver for the introductory program of language study.

Greek Placement Test

The Greek placement test is given to help the faculty evaluate a matriculant's abilities in Greek and determine what if any additional work is necessary. It is given on the first day of registration in the fall in the auditorium in VanTil Hall. The time is noted in the Seminary catalog's Academic Calendar in the back of the catalog.

Regular Greek Placement Exam

The regular placement test consists of a section on grammar and accidence, and a section requiring translation and verb parsing of excerpts from the New Testament. Students preparing to take this exam should both review paradigms and basic grammar, and practice translating (and parsing verb forms) from various NT authors, especially Paul's epistles, Luke-Acts, Hebrews, and I Peter. Any matriculating student who wishes to place in Greek instruction other than in one of the elementary classes (Greek "a" or "aa"), must take the regular placement test.

MDiv and MAR students who take the regular placement will be placed in one of four categories.
1) If the student's knowledge of NT Greek is found to be adequate, no further Greek instruction will be required.
2) If the student shows a basic grasp of NT Greek grammar, has a basic vocabulary, and is able to translate simple sentences, but needs practice in reading the NT and dealing with complex grammar, he or she will be assigned to Greek "c," a two hour course given in the fall,
3) If the student has a rudimentary but defective grasp of basic grammar and vocabulary, he or she will be assigned to Greek "b," which reviews all of basic grammar, builds vocabulary, practices reading the NT, and learns some advanced grammar concepts. This is a 6 credit, two semester course (3 hours Fall and Spring).
4) Students who show only minimal remembrance of syntax or vocabulary will be placed in Greek aa.

All ThM (NT emphasis) and all PhD (Hermeneutics) students are required to take the regular placement test. If the student needs some remediation, he or she may choose either to audit one of the Greek courses and take the final exam (at no charge), or may make special arrangements with Dr. McCartney to achieve competency. Such remedial work must be completed within one year of matriculation.

In general, any matriculant with previous Greek is encouraged to take this test. There is no penalty for doing poorly, and it can work only to the student's advantage.

Special Placement for Greek "a"

MDiv and MAR students who wish to place out of the first semester of elementary Greek and join the Greek "a" class (which began in August) for the fall semester, may take a special test which will strictly focus on the grammar, paradigms and vocabulary of those chapters of Machen's New Testament Greek for Beginners that have been covered in Summer Greek (usually the first 18-19 chapters).

Hebrew Placement Examination

Students beginning study at Westminster who have already attained some knowledge of Biblical Hebrew should plan to take the Hebrew Placement Examination at the time announced in the Seminary catalog for the beginning of the academic year or by special arrangement if enrolling at other than the first semester.

The results of the examination will determine the number of semester hours of study needed to complete the Seminary Hebrew requirement.

The following will be covered on the examination:

1. Paradigms: the alphabet, the independent personal and demonstrative pronouns, nouns with pronominal suffixes, the flexion of the noun (i.e., the noun in absolute and construct; masculine and feminine; singular, dual, and plural), the complete strong verb (i.e., the perfect, imperfect, imperatives, participles, and infinitives of all stems)

2. General Knowledge: questions will be asked regarding basic syntax, the names and functions of the major accents, the inflectional patterns of the various types of "weak" verbs, vowel changes in stress movement, etc.

3. Translation and parsing: the student will be asked to translate several verses and to parse fully the verb forms contained therein. One passage will be a sight translation without any lexical helps allowed; the other will allow the use of any non-analytical lexicon.*

*M.A.R./M.Div. students may use a non-analytical lexicon for use on the portion allowed. Th.M. and Ph.D. students may NOT use a lexicon on the exam.

Students preparing for the examination are encouraged to review an introductory grammar to the language and to have a knowledge of the high frequency vocabulary, i.e., any noun, verb or other particle occurring over 25 times.