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Placement Testing

The placement exam is designed to assess readiness for studying English.  Your results will determine what level of core courses you will start in with Terra Dotta University's ESL program.  The focus of the exam is on reading, writing, listening, and speaking.  Once  you are placed into a specific level, it is your choice if you want to stay in the program until you finish the highest level, or discontinue classes after you complete the level in which you were originally placed.  Students are welcome to continue ESL classes until they reach a desired level of comfort with the English language.  Furthermore, the ESL Office offers practice TOEFL exams for students after the completion of an ESL program session.

English Proficiency exams are designed to challenge students in three key areas of language development.  Here is a breakdown of the three exam sections:
  • Written Composition:  This is a 20-minute portion of the test where you will read short passages and write a sentence summary.  You may not use a dictionary or other aids.  The topic will be suitable for students from any country.
  • Listening Comprehension:  This a 30-minute portion of the test in which you will listen to a brief statement, look at three drawings, and decide which drawing fits the statement.  This part tests your ability to comprehend an utterance of rapidly spoken English and make a quick judgment based on that understanding.
  • Oral Interview:  This is a 10-minute interview with an ESL professor, typically scheduled a day or two after the other exams.  It is used to assess your conversational English proficiency and to give you the results of the other parts of the exam.
There are no preparation guidelines for this examination.  We advise that you practice listening and writing as much as you can in the weeks before the exam.  If you have native English speaking friends, we recommend that you practice your speech with them.  They can help you with any grammar errors and pronunciation problems prior to your exam.  Many students and faculty on campus are available to help you prepare for the exam, if needed.

At the end of the exam, you will be given a form listing any required or recommended courses based on the program level in which you are placed.  Required courses must be completed before graduation.  Click here to schedule your English Proficiency exam (placement test).  You will be able to pick an available time slot and enter any preliminary information into the form that appears on this page.  Once you have submitted your preferred time slot, the ESL Office will immediately receive an email notifying ESL Assessment Specialists of the date and time of your placement test.  For more information on the exam, contact the International Student and Scholar Services Office at 555-555-5555.

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