Registration
Huma M. Shamsi
hmshamsi@americancouncils.org
NEWL is a proctored online exam designed to evaluate the language proficiency of high school students studying Arabic, Korean, Portuguese, and Russian. NEWL Scores function as an instrument for students to assess their preparedness for college placement and/or their ability to accrue college credits.
REGISTRATION
The registration window for the 2025 NEWL opens on February 1, 2025. All exam fees must be paid in full at the time of the registration and no later than March 31, 2025, to ensure eligibility for the 2025 exam cycle.
For U.S.-based exams, testing will begin at 9:00 AM local time. International testing centers should contact us at hmshamsi@americancouncils.org to confirm start times. Please also review the international exam dates and fees listed below:
DATES & FEES (Domestic)
| 2025 EXAMS | ARABIC | KOREAN | PORTUGUESE | RUSSIAN | FEES |
| Practice | March (TBD) | March (TBD) | March (TBD) | March (TBD) | $45 |
| Main | April 21 | April 22 | April 23 | April 24 | $99 |
| Late Testing | April 25 & 26 | April 25 & 26 | April 25 & 26 | April 25 & 26 | $45 + Main |
DATES & FEES (International)
| 2025 EXAMS | ARABIC | KOREAN | PORTUGUESE | RUSSIAN | FEES |
| Practice | March (TBD) | March (TBD) | March (TBD) | March (TBD) | $55 |
| Main | April 7 | April 8 | April 9 | April 10 | $129 |
LAB SETUP WEEK (March 31 - 4, 2025)
Students can choose to take the examination on either school-provided computers or their own computers. All computers, whether provided by the school or owned by students, must be configured during the lab setup week between March 31 - April 4, 2025.
POLICY ON EXAM ACCOMMODATIONS AND FEES
ACCOMMODATIONS
Eligible examinees are allowed to request accommodation such as time and a half, double time, and extended breaks during the examination. To initiate this request, the exam Registrant must submit the request in the specified registration window. The Registrant is responsible for verifying the request and assessing the need for accommodation.
Registrants can make these requests through their actesting.org account. If none of the provided accommodation options fits the examinee's needs, they have the option to select "Other" and provide additional details about their specific request. Examples of “Other” may include the use of screen readers or any specialized equipment. While the use of specialized equipment is sometimes permitted, it's important to note that NEWL will not supply such equipment. Examinees are allowed to bring and use their equipment but must inform NEWL in advance.
Registrants must adhere to the code of conduct, providing truthful and accurate information to the best of their ability. NEWL retains the right to inquire about requested accommodations for verification and approval.
REDUCED FEE
The main exam fee can be reduced by $36, but this reduction is exclusively applicable to qualified examinees. To be eligible for the $62 reduced fee, requests must be submitted within the specified deadline. The Registrant must verify the examinee's eligibility based on the criteria established by the Federal Guidelines (or school district, county, or state).
It's important to note that international examinees and individuals receiving a scholarships from third-party organizations do not qualify for the reduced fees.
Ensure that your status as a reduced-fee candidate is confirmed with your school before submitting the NEWL application. If you are uncertain about a particular student's status, check with the AP coordinator or the guidance counselor.
American Councils reserves the right to request official documentation confirming reduced fee eligibility.
ADDITIONAL FEES
The practice exam fees are not included in the main exam fees outlined in the table above. If you opt for late testing dates, there will be an additional $45 fee. All practice exam registration must be completed by March 31, 2025.
If you require overseas administration exam fee is $141. An additional $45 fee will be applied for selecting late testing dates bringing your total sum to $186.
2025 ADMINISTRATION
As of Summer 2022, American Councils will not be offering remote proctoring. All exams must be administered with a proctor present to monitor examinees during the exam. The role of the proctor is assigned by the high school who does not have any knowledge of the target language being tested. This individual will verify students’ IDs, allow access to the exam, and make sure that exam guidelines and instructions are followed.
NEWL is administered to high school students on school premises e.g., in a computer lab or a classroom. If your high school is unable to facilitate the examination, you must locate a neighboring high school or institution to fulfill this administrative responsibility.
The exam site must provide 2-3 admin personnel:
Registrant:
- Submit the NEWL application during the open registration window
- Register admin personnel and examinees
- Pay for the exam or invoice the examinee through the system
Proctor:
- Setup the examination room
- Admit examinees
- Read the exam administration script
- Communicate with American Councils technical support through chat
Technical point of contact:
- Assist with basic computer preparation
- Troubleshooting technical issues
- Setup a dedicated, private, and secure testing space for at least 4.5 hours on the day of the exam
Within each school, there are two possible modes of NEWL assessment—classroom-based and computer lab-based. American Councils recommends administering NEWL exams in a traditional computer lab. However, if no lab is available in your school, it is possible to administer the exam in a secure classroom, on student laptops or Chromebooks. Registrants will receive detailed instructions about NEWL administration based upon which type of mode is employed. See the table below for key differences:
CLASSROOM-BASED MODE | LAB-BASED MODE |
Students provide a personal or school-issued computer (laptop or Chromebook) | School provides desktop computers and seating for the administration in a computer lab |
Students provide speaker/ headphones/ microphone set | School provides speaker/headphones/microphone set |
Students run the required diagnostics to ensure that their computers meet the requirements for the exam | School-appointed proctors or lab techs to ensure that their computers meet the requirements |
Students use an access code to log themselves into the exam. | The proctor logs all of the students into the exam before admitting them to the lab. |
All testing sites must be secured and registered before the registration deadline date (March 31, 2025). American Councils will review all applications to ensure exam requirements are met. Failure to adhere to these guidelines and deadlines may result in disqualification.
Any independent examinee whose school is not able to administer the NEWL exam in a secure and proctored environment may seek out a neighboring school that is offering NEWL or look for commercial testing centers in their area. We recommend that examinees contact their school’s AP Coordinator to inquire about conducting an exam administration.
RELEVANT GUIDELINES AND INSTRUCTIONS
NEWL Registrant Instructions.pdf
NEWL Classroom Based Proctor Instructions.pdf
NEWL Classroom Based Examinee Setup.pdf
NEWL Lab Based Proctor Instructions.pdf
NEWL Lab Based Lab Setup Instructions.pdf
PAYMENT
NEWL handles payment through PayPal primarily. Once the examinee is registered online, the registrant can pay the fee or forward the invoice link to the examinee. This option does not require having a PayPal account.
This charge will appear on your credit card statement as a payment to PAYPAL * AC TESTING. When making a payment via PayPal, please notify the finance department in your school of any credit card charges in advance, so they do not dispute the charge. Resolving disputes takes a significant amount of time for both parties, so notifying finance staff in advance will avoid complications. Payment status will show next to each examinee's name. PayPal approves payments in real-time and payment status updates upon successful transaction completion.
Language on NEWL Exams
Appropriate conduct and language are expected of all examinees participating in NEWL. Any use of inappropriate language on any section of the exam will invalidate the entire exam and no score report will be issued. Inappropriate language includes offensive language or topics in either the speaking or writing section of the exam.
Refund Policy
If the examinee pays for a school-based main exam but does not take it, a refund can be requested. Please note that there will be a $15 unused exam fee. To receive a refund for the exam, the registrant must submit a Refund Request Form to American Councils no later than April 28, 2025. No portion of the fee is refundable if the examinee has taken any sections of the exam.
Testing Center Rebate Form
Exam administration rebates are available at $9 per examinee for testing sites hosting external students. The testing site must reach out to American Councils no later than March 31, 2025, to determine eligibility for the rebate, and fill out the required forms.
Posting About NEWL on School Websites
In cases where information about NEWL is shared, e.g. on the school website, proper credit and direct links to both American Councils and the NEWL websites must be referenced. Note that it would violate copyright law to copy the information and make it available on any other website without written authorization from American Councils.
Contact Info
Huma M. Shamsi
hmshamsi@americancouncils.org