As a “less commonly taught language”, Arabic has arrived relatively late to the proficiency approach earlier adopted by Spanish, French, and other commonly taught languages. But, in some contexts, it has “run” with this approach. In this talk, I will describe the adoption of this proficiency approach by the Arabic program at (University X) in the last 20 years, laying out its impact on students. I will look closely at how the program has applied the ACTFL proficiency guidelines with their concomitant set of principles (backward design, eclectic assessments, cultural integration, "can-do" statements, etc.) especially for the elementary and intermediate levels. I will also suggest some cautionary points, some ways that the proficiency approach should be modified for Arabic, for different student groups, and for upper-level classes.