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

Cutoff Scores and Placement Messages for 2020-2021

The Office of Undergraduate Admissions will inform you whether you must take the English Placement Test. The EPT consists of two parts:

  • The Written EPT places a student into an academic research-and-writing course that will fulfill the 'Composition I' requirement.
  • The Oral EPT places a student into an oral communication course if the student does not already have a TOEFL Speaking score or IELTS Speaking score.

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 2020, Fall 2020, or Spring 2021. Learn more about the EPT.

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




Written Test Score

Placement Message

1Must enroll in ESL 111 for Fall 2020; Supplemental tutoring is strongly recommended. Successful completion of the ESL 111-112 sequence fulfills the Composition I requirement.
2Must enroll in ESL 111 for Fall 2020. Successful completion of the ESL 111-112 sequence fulfills the Composition I requirement.
3Placed into ESL 115. Must enroll in Fall 2020 if UIN ends in an even number; Must enroll in Spring 2021 if UIN ends in an odd number. Successful completion fulfills the Composition I requirement.
4Placed into ESL 115 or RHET 105. Must enroll in Fall 2020 if your UIN ends in an even number; Must enroll in Spring 2021 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

Highest TOEFL Speaking Score

Highest 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.