Placement & Proficiency
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please contact:

Placement and Proficiency
Room 247 Armory
(217) 244-4437
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ESL Placement

Cutoff Scores and Placement Messages for 2019-2020

The English Placement Test (EPT) consists of two parts: Written and Oral.

  • Placement into a composition course is based on the student's score on the EPT Written test.
  • Placement into an oral communication course is based on the student's highest TOEFL Speaking score, highest IELTS Speaking score, or the EPT Oral Interview score. If you do not have any TOEFL or IELTS scores, you will need to do the oral interview.

The Office of Undergraduate Admissions will inform you whether you must take the EPT. Learn more about the EPT.

Cutoff scores and placement messages are derived in collaboration with the Linguistics Department and are reviewed annually. The policies below apply to all students entering the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in Summer 2019, Fall 2019, or Spring 2020.

Questions? Contact "Placement & Proficiency" staff by emailing pnp@illinois.edu or by calling 217-244-4437 during business hours.

 


Written Test Score

Placement Message
1 Must enroll in ESL 111 for Fall 2019; Supplemental tutoring is strongly recommended. Successful completion of the ESL 111-112 sequence fulfills the Composition I requirement.
2 Must enroll in ESL 111 for Fall 2019. Successful completion of the ESL 111-112 sequence fulfills the Composition I requirement.
3 Placed into ESL 115. Must enroll in Fall 2019 if UIN ends in an even number; Must enroll in Spring 2020 if UIN ends in an odd number. Successful completion fulfills the Composition I requirement.
4 Placed into ESL 115 or RHET 105. Must enroll in Fall 2019 if your UIN ends in an even number; Must enroll in Spring 2020 if your UIN ends in an odd number. Other options are ESL 111-112 or CMN 111-112. Successful completion of any of these fulfills the Composition 1 requirement.

Oral Interview Test Score

TOEFL Speaking Score

IELTS Speaking Score

Placement Message
1 1 - 14 0 - 4.5 ESL 110 is required.
2 15 - 18 5 - 6 ESL 110 is strongly recommended.
3 19 - 24 6.5 - 7 ESL 110 is recommended.
4 25 - 28 7.5 - 8 You are exempt from ESL 110. You may enroll in ESL 110 only if all students scoring 1, 2, and 3 have been accommodated.
5 29 - 30 8.5 - 9 You are exempt from ESL 110.