To request a Spanish or Portuguese Reading Exam, students must complete the following webform:

SPPO Reading Exam Request

Considerations:

• This request must be for the exam date listed below. If there is a conflict with the date, please provide documentation along with your request and another date may be considered.
• You will be asked to provide a 2-hour window on the exam date that you are available to take the exam.
  • Note: the exam has a 2 hour time-limit, the extra half an hour is to provide exam takers some flexibility for accessing the exam, tech issues, etc.
• You will be asked to confirm that you will have access to a laptop/computer and an internet connection strong enough to access Carmen.

Once the student has submitted the request webform, students must have their advisor submit a 500 word passage using the same webform as above at least one week prior to the exam date date (see deadline below). The passage to translate needs to be in Microsoft Word format and it is the advisor’s responsibility to submit the passage in the correct format.

Autumn 2026

Deadline to request an exam

• November 5th, 2026

Deadline for advisor to submit passage    

• November 12th, 2026

Exam date

• November 19th, 2026

Spring 2027

Deadline to request an exam

• March 25th, 2027

Deadline for advisor to submit passage    

• April 1st, 2027

Exam date

• April 8th, 2027

The Spanish or Portuguese Reading Exam will be administered in person in Hagerty Hall 298D on November 19th from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. SPPO testing coordinators will provide students with the materials needed for the exam. Students will have two hours to translate both the 500-word document from the student's advisor and the 250-word document from SPPO. After students finish the translation, all materials should be returned to the SPPO testing coordinators.

Why is the exam limited to secondary sources?

Traditionally, the exams have been limited to secondary sources, primarily articles from scholarly journals. Primary sources, including works of fiction, diaries, journals, and field notes, may pose interpretive challenges in the original language that are beyond the scope of a translation exam. These challenges may include extra-textual references, slang or non-standard vocabulary, sentence fragments, puns, and various forms of poetic language.

What is the best dictionary?

Several strong bilingual college dictionaries are available, and an unabridged version is preferable when possible. Collins, Larousse, and Harrap's are among the most commonly used options. Students should avoid using pocket dictionaries, as they are not designed for translating complex scholarly texts.

Do I translate literally or should I put my translation in fluent English?

Your English translation should read fluently while preserving the meaning of the Spanish or Portuguese original. A too-literal translation can distort the meaning, while a too-free translation can miss essential nuances in the original. For a lengthier discussion of this question, see the American Translators Association.

The Department of Spanish and Portuguese does not offer a Spanish or Portuguese Language in Translation course. If you have had previous courses in Spanish or Portuguese you may choose to take a Language Placement exam to obtain a quick evaluation of your reading skills. If you place beyond Spanish or Portuguese 1103 it is possible that your language reading requirement may be met. Please check with your department's language requirements as each department's policies vary. You may also use our free tutoring services offered in our Teaching and Learning Centers (TLC) or take our elementary/intermediate courses for an audit or credit to prepare for the exam.

Students will receive an email with the final exam outcome before the end of the semester. The exam is evaluated on a pass/no-pass basis. If a student does not pass the reading exam, they may retake it the following semester.