Classical Chinese Placement Exam (Fall 2021)

The Classical Chinese placement exam is intended for students who have already studied some Classical Chinese (文言) and would like to skip Chinese 101A and enroll directly in Chinese 101B instead. It is offered once per year, administered by Professor Thomas Mazanec. Please email Prof. Mazanec (mazanec@ucsb.edu) if you are interested in taking this exam.

The test will take place on Tuesday, September 28, 3:30–4:30pm (location to be determined). Prof. Mazanec will provide a short passage in Classical Chinese from a Master’s text (like Mencius 孟子, Zhuangzi 莊子, or Hanfeizi 韓非子) and ask students to translate it into English, focusing on the literal meaning of the words and their grammatical relationship to one another. Students may consult a paper dictionary. Prof. Mazanec will provide several copies of Paul Kroll’s A Student’s Dictionary of Classical and Medieval Chinese for reference.

If this time is impossible for you due to scheduling conflicts, please email Prof. Mazanec by Monday, September 27, to make alternative arrangements.