Foreign Language Competency

Under Florida law, students who initially entered a Florida College System institution or state university after Fall 2014 must demonstrate competency in a foreign language. This includes students undertaking coursework for an Associate in Arts degree and former dual enrollment students entering college for the first time following high school graduation in Fall 2014 or later. The requirement stems from Florida Statute s. 1007.262 and SBE Rule 6A‐10.02412.

Competency may be met through any of the following means:

• Completion of two years of high school instruction in the same foreign language (with a grade of D or higher)
• Completion of a college-level course at the Elementary-2 level (or higher) in a foreign language or in American Sign Language (ASL) (e.g., SPN 1121 Spanish 2, FRE 1121 French 2, ASL 1150 American Sign Language 2)
• Achievement of minimum scores on a foreign language proficiency exam such as the BYU/FLATS exams explained below
• Achievement of appropriate scores using nationally standardized examination programs such as CLEP, AP, etc. in accordance with recommendations established by the statewide Articulation Coordinating Committee (ACC)
• Documented completion of a high school diploma from a foreign country where the student studied in a language other than English.

Foreign Language Competency Exams without earning college credit

Students who cannot provide documentation of their competency in a foreign language may satisfy their foreign language requirement for the languages listed on the chart below through a foreign language competency exam offered by the third-party provider Brigham Young University (BYU) Foreign Language Achievement Testing Service (FLATS) as a proctored exam administered at the EFSC Assessment Centers. These exams will evaluate skills including listening comprehension, reading comprehension, vocabulary and grammatical accuracy.

Students are advised to consult with an Academic Advisor to ensure a BYU/FLATS test is needed. These exams are pass/fail, require 60% proficiency to pass, and no college credit is awarded. Passing scores will satisfy the graduation requirement to demonstrate Foreign Language Competency for only the languages listed in the dropdown list below.

Students who want to satisfy foreign language competency in Spanish, German, or French cannot use a BYU/FLATS exam for this purpose. CLEP exams for Spanish, German, or French can be used to satisfy the graduation competency requirement and will earn college credit.

EFSC offers on-campus BYU/FLATS testing by appointment only at the four EFSC Assessment Centers.

BYU/FLATS Test Preparation

EFSC has no preparation materials available. We suggest students review their reading ability in the language. Conversational interaction with a friend with whom you can practice both listening and speaking the language is recommended.

BYU/FLATS Results

Results will be available within two weeks of completing the test. The official results will also be mailed to EFSC as long as the student indicated the College during the online registration process. Official results must be received by EFSC to verify the Foreign Language Competency requirement has been satisfied. If the student checks the "hold" box on the registration form, the scores will not be sent to EFSC. View more about the BYU/FLATS testing guidelines.