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Japanese Challenge Exam

Student Information & Instructions

Important

You are responsible for reading and following all instructions in this document. Deadlines and testing windows will be announced by your instructor. If you have an accommodations letter, you must notify the department before taking the Challenge Exam.

What is the Challenge Exam

The Language Challenge Exam allows eligible BYU students to demonstrate proficiency in a language they acquired outside of BYU coursework and to receive graded academic credit for beginning and intermediate language courses without taking them.

Courses Eligible for Challenge Exam Credit

If you pass the Japanese Challenge Exam, you may receive graded academic credit for the following courses without taking them:

• JAPAN 101
• JAPAN 102
• JAPAN 201

Credit is awarded only for courses you have not previously taken and only for courses sequenced below the course in which you are currently enrolled.

Who Is Eligible?

You may be eligible if you:

  • Learned the language through a language-speaking mission 
  • Have home exposure (non-dominant language) 
  • Had a significant immersion experience (e.g., living abroad) for which you did not receive academic credit 
  • Are taking the Challenge Exam within one year of returning from your mission or qualifying immersion experience 

You are not eligible if:

  • The Japanese language is your native or dominant language 
  • You completed three or more years of education conducted in the Japanese language 
  • You are seeking credit for a class you have already taken 
  • You are currently enrolled in the course you are attempting to challenge 

Special cases (e.g., DLI participation or extended residence abroad) are reviewed by the department.

Enrollment Requirement

You must be enrolled in the first BYU language course you take after returning from a mission or qualifying immersion experience.

  • Eligible language-focused classes are JAPAN 202 or JAPAN 301. 

How to Register

  1. Register for the Challenge Exam through BYU Enrollment Services: 
    https://enrollment.byu.edu/registrar/challenge-exams 
    (A $20 non-refundable fee applies) 
  2. During registration, you will be asked to confirm that: 
    1. You are not seeking duplicate credit 
    2. You are within one year of returning from a mission or immersion experience  
    3. You are not a native or dominant speaker of the language 

Scheduling the Exam

After registering, you may receive an automated email letting you know you have been approved. Japanese Challenge Exams are scheduled through the Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) Request Form:

  • https://mylanguage.byu.edu/ 
    Select “Challenge Exam” as your reason for testing.

    Your department will announce the approved testing window, typically about one month after the semester begins.

Credit & Grading

  • Credit is awarded only for courses you have not previously taken 
  • You will receive graded credit for eligible courses based on your OPI score 
  • You will receive the grade earned for the course in which you are currently enrolled at the end of the semester 
  • Credits must be accepted within one year of passing the Challenge Exam 
  • Watch your BYU email for instructions and credit acceptance notices. 

If you have questions, contact your professor or department office.