Challenge Exam and FLATS

FLATS Exam

Policy for credit and/or grades based on Foreign Language Achievement Testing Services (FLATS) and the Language Challenge Exam* 

For languages only offered through the Center for Language Studies:

1. BYU students may take a test offered by the BYU Foreign Language Achievement Testing Services (FLATS) for 12 pass/fail credits (or the equivalent of 101, 102, 201).

2. A BYU student who has taken a test offered by the FLATS for a given language may later replace those 12 pass/fail credits with graded credits and potentially earn graded credit for 202 by:

• Enrolling in and passing the advanced 330 course for the target language, and
• Successfully completing the Challenge Exam as described in the 330 course for that language.

Students who successfully challenge the 16 credits will still have the option to accept or reject their graded credits. If they accept the graded credits, they will need to pay the administration fees associated with accepting the graded credits. Students may NOT accept graded credit from a challenge exam for lower-division courses they have already completed.

How this differs from the previous policy:

Traditionally, tests offered through FLATS were primarily available to students at other institutions. While BYU students were able to take the FLATS, those who did so were prohibited from receiving graded credit if they later enrolled in the advanced 330 language course.

*For languages offered through another department, please contact the language department directly to find out their policy on FLATS or language Challenge Exams:

For more information, visit flats.byu.edu

BYU offers two language credit exams—the Challenge Exam and the FLATS (Foreign Language Achievement Testing Service). 

Which test is right for me?

1. Challenge Exam

Eligibility

• BYU students who are enrolled in a corresponding upper-division language class that offers a challenge exam.

If you take the Challenge Exam, you will receive four individual grades – one for 101, 102, 201, and 202 – which you can then accept or discard individually. If you achieve an A, A, A, and B, for example, you can discard the B grade, which will then not be included on your transcript. You will receive 16 graded BYU credits that go directly on your transcript and do affect you GPA.

You can only request a challenge exam once. You must take it while enrolled in the designated course. After you finish the course, you are ineligible to take the challenge exam. If you are not enrolled in the class, please do not sign up for the challenge exam. 

Languages With a Challenge Exam Available:

Scandinavian Language Challenge Exams (Danish, Finnish, Icelandic, Norwegian, Swedish)

More information on the Challenge Exam

Request a Challenge Exam

2. FLATS Exam

Policy for credit and/or grades based on Foreign Language Achievement Testing Services (FLATS) and the Language Challenge Exam* 

For languages only offered through the Center for Language Studies:

1. BYU students may take a test offered by the BYU Foreign Language Achievement Testing Services (FLATS) for 12 pass/fail credits (or the equivalent of 101, 102, 201).

2. A BYU student who has taken a test offered by the FLATS for a given language may later replace those 12 pass/fail credits with graded credits and potentially earn graded credit for 202 by:

• Enrolling in and passing the advanced 330 course for the target language, and
• Successfully completing the Challenge Exam as described in the 330 course for that language.

Students who successfully challenge the 16 credits will still have the option to accept or reject their graded credits. If they accept the graded credits, they will need to pay the administration fees associated with accepting the graded credits. Students may NOT accept graded credit from a challenge exam for lower-division courses they have already completed.

How this differs from the previous policy:

Traditionally, tests offered through FLATS were primarily available to students at other institutions. While BYU students were able to take the FLATS, those who did so were prohibited from receiving graded credit if they later enrolled in the advanced 330 language course.

*For languages offered through another department, please contact the language department directly to find out their policy on FLATS or language Challenge Exams:

For more information, visit flats.byu.edu