Selection Exams

Please Note: 

• Applications for the 2025-2026 cycle are now open. Deadline: Friday, January 31^st at 11:59 PM MT
   

• New: Only Reading and Speaking (OPI) exams will be required for the application this year. 

   

Overview

The selection exam provides the CASA selection committee with a comprehensive measure of the applicant's current level of proficiency in Arabic, and helps to place her/him in the appropriate class if she/he is accepted into the program. 

CASA requires ACTFL scores for: Reading Comprehension and Oral proficiency. The Reading section is administered online and applicants will need access to the Internet in order to complete the exam. All sections of the exam are intended to gauge different levels of proficiency, and may include material that is beyond an applicant's present level of competency in Arabic. Examinees should answer as much as possible and attempt to answer all questions. By following the exam registration instructions below, your scores will automatically be shared with CASA.

All CASA applicants are required to take the Reading and OPI exams, unless they are able to submit official ACTFL certificates from a recent test. (Please note, only exams taken after August 1, 2024 will be considered. Exams administered by LTI, Flagship or Boren or undertaken while completing a program such as CLS will be accepted.) These scores must be uploaded to your application (Selection Exam section) if you do not plan on retaking these exams. 

Accommodations

To request exam accommodations, please see the Test Accommodations page of the LTI website.  A minimum of 10 business days prior to the exam is required.

Exam Outline

The CASA Selection Exam includes the following (sections 1-2 will require a remote proctor):

I. Reading (Online, 40 points) - Time: up to 125 minutes 
A variety of written texts are presented for reading and the applicant is asked to select an appropriate response (in a multiple choice format) to a question about the content of each passage provided. The applicant will receive a mix of questions in Level I - Intermediate, Level II - Advanced, and Level III - Superior. The fee for this exam $51, must be paid when you register with the exam company using instructions on Exams page.

II. OPI (Oral Proficiency Interview, 30 points) - Time: 20-30 minutes
The Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) will be taken by scheduling an appointment with certified ACTFL test administrators between December 1st - January 31st. Instructions for scheduling an appointment for this exam are in the application on the Exams page. The fee for this exam, $50, will be paid directly to the test administrator once you have signed up for a time.  

This year, the Listening and Writing exam will not be taken as a part of the Selection process. Those selected will take these exams during the first week of the program. 

Exam Deadlines

The dates for taking the 2025-2026 Selection Exams for CASA I, II and III (registration info below):

• Reading:  may be taken between December 1, 2024 - January 31, 2025
  
  Please register for the Reading exam using the instructions below using a remote proctor. 
   
• OPI (oral proficiency interview): may be taken between December 1, 2024 - January 31, 2025
  • Instructions for scheduling an appointment for this exam are posted on the Exams page of the application.

It is advised that you schedule the exam with enough lead time (at least 4-7 days before the deadline) for retakes or rescheduling in case of technical issues or illness.  By using the exam registration instructions below, your scores will automatically be shared with CASA.

NOTE: Exams must be proctored at all times, even at universities where the honor system is used, and the presence of a designated proctor is required during all sections of the exam.

Registering for Exams

1. Reading Exam Registration:
   Exam fees, including the remote proctor fee, will be covered by applicants. The fee of $51 will be paid by credit card directly to ACTFL at the time of exam registration. By following the instructions for registration below your exams scores will be shared with CASA automatically. 
   
   Please use the instructions in the link below and register for the Reading exam at least a week in advance:
   *IMPORTANT NOTE BEFORE Registering!  In the text box under "What school or institution are you looking for?," enter "Center for Arabic Study Abroad."

   
   *Exam Registration Instructions - Language Testing International (LTI)
   Questions about the Exam Registration process:  LTI 1-800-486-8444
    

2. Oral Proficiency Interview Exam Registration: Instructions for registering for an OPI exam are in the application on the Exams page. The fee for the OPI is $50 and must be paid before scheduling an appointment with one of our testers. 

Exam Policies

• Technical requirements and systems check for your computer before taking tests
• Exams must be proctored at all times, even at universities where the honor system is used, and the presence of a designated proctor is required during all sections of the exam.
• Dictionaries, textbooks, notebooks, or note-taking are not permitted during the exam.
• Exams may not be copied.
• Proctors should not be a teacher/professor of Arabic, and if at all possible, not a speaker of Arabic. Proctors agree to monitor the applicant for the duration of the exam.
• Upon completion of the exam, the proctor must immediately submit the writing sections of the exam to ACTFL (if booklet form used), where they will be reviewed and scored.