ESL Placement Exam INFORMATION
The ESL Program placement exam is a two hour diagnostic used to determine whether or not you could benefit from any ESL Program classes in your first years of study in the United States. You are tested in listening, reading, and writing. The test is not something you can prepare for and the results do not affect scholarships or TA positions. Don’t think of the exam as something you “pass” or “fail”. The exam is intended to highlight strengths and weaknesses in the categories mentioned above.
All courses are voluntary unless you are a conditionally admitted student. If you are a conditionally admitted student, you are required to take one course if the results of the exam show you need one. If the results show that you do not need an ESL class, your ESL conditional status will be removed. If the results show that you are required to take a class and you successfully complete it, you will have satisfied the conditional requirement and will not need to take any additional ESL classes, unless you want to.
ESL Program courses can be taken alongside your other classes and do not cost extra. They are included in regular full time tuition.
Below, please find more information to guide you.
The ESL Program placement exam is offered each fall and spring semester. Specific dates and times for the exam will be given during new international student orientation each semester.
You must take the exam if:
- You have a TOEFL score under 106 IBT (263 CBT, 625 PBT)
- TOEFL score under 95 IBT (250 CBT, 600 PBT) and you were educated in an English- medium institution.
- IELTS score under 8.0
- You are ESL conditionally admitted
You may take only the writing part of the exam if:
You have transferred from a U.S. college or university and you feel confident in your listening and speaking skills.
You do not need to take the exam if you are one of the following:
- Students who scored 625 or higher on the paper based test of the TOEFL (263 on the computer based test or 106 -108 on the internet based test)
- Students schooled in an English-medium institution who scored 600 or higher on the paper based test of the TOEFL (250 on the computer based test or 95 on the internet based test)
- Students with a minimum IELTS score of 8.0
- Students whose native language is English
- If you are a School of Management graduate student, you are exempt from the ESL Placement Exam unless you have been admitted conditionally.
- Dual Diploma students unless they are conditionally admitted
If you have any further questions about the placement exam, please contact Jennifer Brondell, ESL Interim Program Director at brondell@binghamton.edu
