The English Language Program's Tests

Most schools and departments at Washington University require the international TOEFL for graduate student admission. The TOEFL composite score is used as the beginning threshold for being eligible for graduate study. See "About the Program and English Proficiency Certification." Each department has its own specific requirements and expectations about student language use; as a result, the English Language Program offers three additional assessment tools to provide further English language proficiency information. The exams are the graduate composition exam, the standard oral exam, and the ESL TA exam. The ESL TA exam is described on another page; the composition and oral exams are described below.

The Graduate Composition Exam

The graduate composition exam consists of two essay questions. One question usually asks students to write their opinions about a short reading and the other question asks students to propose a solution to a problem.

Placement criteria are grammatical accuracy, organization, coherence, development of ideas, and fluency of expression. This exam indicates which writing course, if any, a graduate student should take in Washington University's English Language Program. It is usually taken in addition to the Standard Oral Exam listed below. Results from both exams are faxed to departments shortly after the exams are taken and should be given to advisors of students so that schedules can be arranged to include language study. Class placements resulting from this exam do not exempt a prospective TA from taking the ESL TA exam.

Note: Composition testing and placement for undergraduates is coordinated by the English Department for Business and Arts & Sciences students and by the Engineering Department for Engineering students. See the Writing 1 web site for further information.

The Standard Oral Exam

The standard oral exam consists of three sections and measures ability to manage informal conversation, to speak extemporaneously, and to discuss general academic topics. Placement criteria are pronunciation accuracy, fluency of expression, conversation management skills, grammatical accuracy, listening comprehension ability, and notetaking skills. This exam indicates which speaking or listening course, if any, a student should take in the English Language Program. Departments with courses in which students are required to participate orally use this exam to assess student readiness. Class placements resulting from this exam do not exempt a prospective TA from taking the ESL TA Exam.

Additional exams administered by the WU ELP include:

Institutional TOEFL Please note that the Institutional TOEFL will not be offered. If a student does not have a TOEFL score, he/she should take the composition placement exam or take the International TOEFL offered locally at the Sylvan Learning Center on Lindbergh Boulevard.

ELP TA Exams (for prospective teaching assistants) Time and place are arranged by each department; see the complete ELP TA Exam information.

If you have any questions about which test(s) your school/department wants you to take or about the testing process in general, please contact a member of the English Language Program faculty at the Office for International Students and Scholars in Stix International House (935-5910). You may also find the information that you need on this site's pages about the English Language Program's Tests or Understanding Placement Recommendations for ELP Classes.

Please bring a photo identification (e.g. passport or driver's license) to the exam(s) and be prepared to present it to the exam proctor(s).

Exam Results: Results of the exams are faxed to your department and should be given to your advisor so that if you need to take an English Language Program course, you can decide with him or her which one fits into your schedule.