Testing & Placement
Placement Testing
One of the roles of the English Language Program (ELP) is to evaluate the proficiency levels of incoming graduate students who are non-native speakers of English. To do this, the ELP is required to test the following students:
- Students who score below a 27 on the Speaking sub-section of the TOEFL iBT
- Students who score below an 8 on the Speaking section of the IELTS
The placement test is a face-to-face conversation between a student and an ELP instructor. It is designed to determine the student’s ability to use English effectively and appropriately in real-life situations. During the interview, the student is asked to respond to questions about his/her interests and experiences and to offer opinions about topics of personal or general interest. The interview may also include a role-play in which the student is asked to engage in a conversation about a possible, but not an actual situation. The interview takes between 20-30 minutes and is recorded.
The proficiency levels on the placement test are as follows:
| ELP Rating | Opportunities or Requirements |
Follow-up Testing |
|---|---|---|
| Advanced | No ELP courses required | No further testing |
|
ELP support available at any time during the graduate student's academic career: • ELP discussion groups |
||
| High Intermediate | ELP course required - starting with Fall semester | Princeton Oral Proficiency Test (POPT) |
|
Course includes: • 3 hours of class work |
POPT in January (during reading period) upon successful completion of the Fall semester. If students don't pass the POPT continued ELP course work required. |
|
| Intermediate | ELP course required - starting with Fall semester | Princeton Oral Proficiency Test (POPT) |
|
Course includes: • 3 hours of class work |
POPT in January (during reading period) upon successful completion of the Fall semester. If students don't pass the POPT continued ELP course work required. |
|
| Low Intermediate | ELP course required - Fall and Spring semesters | Princeton Oral Proficiency Test (POPT) |
|
Course includes: • 3 hours of class work |
POPT in May (during reading period) upon successful completion of 2 semesters of ELP courses If students don't pass the POPT continued ELP course work required. |