The scoring rubrics and score interpretations can be found below. Click on your level of enrollment (undergraduate or graduate) to see the full detailed explanation of scores.
For Undergraduate Students
Writing Scores
The ESL Writing placement information provides a list of courses that you should take to fulfill your Composition I requirement. Completion of ESL 111 (formerly 114)-ESL 112 (formerly 115) sequence or ESL 115 fulfill the campus Composition I requirement for English language learners. Please consult your academic advisor for more information on your requirements.
|
Level |
Description |
ESL Placement |
|
1 |
Essay may not provide an argument that supports a single central claim. Evidences poorly support the argument and ideas are not interconnected and/or underdeveloped. Essay may attempt complex lexico-grammar but with frequent, noticeable errors that are often inaccurate and cause comprehension difficulty. |
ESL 111 & ESL 112 |
|
2 |
Essay provides an argument that supports a single central claim but it sometimes relies on list-like organization of evidences and/or evidences are not clearly connected. Essay may attempt complex lexico-grammar but sometimes with noticeable errors causing comprehension difficulty for the reader. |
ESL 111 & ESL 112 |
|
3 |
Essay provides a sufficiently-developed argument composed of (often) interconnected, sufficiently-explained evidences supporting a single central claim. Essay displays complex lexico-grammar with academic discourse but sometimes with noticeable errors. |
ESL 115 |
|
4 |
Essay provides a developed argument based on a controlling idea, with well-connected ideas that advance the central claim using relevant evidence from the sources. Generous readers will have little issue following the organization of the essay. Essay consistently displays academic lexico-grammar with few noticeable errors. |
ESL 115 or RHET 105 |
| 5 | Essay provides a well-developed argument composed of logically interconnected ideas that collectively/effectively advance the central claim using relevant evidence from the sources. Essay consistently displays evidence of complex and sophisticated lexico-grammar needed for academic discourse, with few, very minor errors. | ESL 115 or RHET 105 (although RHET 105 is strongly recommended) |
Oral Scores
For those who take the oral EPT, the result of the Oral EPT can have the following results:
|
Level |
Description |
ESL Placement |
|
1 |
Speech patterns, including frequent word stress errors, lack of focus stress, choppy rhythm, non-target-like intonation patterns, and noticeable segmental errors, have a greater than moderate impact on intelligibility. Speech is very slow and contains a great deal of pauses and other disfluencies. Speaker answers with short phrases (1-3 words) or gives up on harder questions. Speaker is hard to understand and/or requires a great deal of effort to understand the speaker’s intended message (even by someone accustomed to the speaker’s variety). |
ESL 110 is required |
|
2 |
Speech patterns are target-like 50-70% of the time. May use stress and unstress patterns, but also stress all words at times. Word stress, focus stress, and intonation are hard to distinguish. Missing grammatical endings and segmental errors have some impact on intelligibility. Speech is slow and characterized by more than a few long pauses. Speaker has trouble conveying ideas accurately due to a small range of vocabulary and responses are short or lack development. Speech requires a moderate amount of effort. A naïve listener may abandon attempts to communicate. |
ESL 110 highly recommended
|
|
3 or 3d |
Speech patterns are target-like > 70% of the time. Infrequent word stress, focus stress, and segmental errors have little impact on intelligibility. Speaks slightly slower or faster than expected with a few too many pauses. Responses are sufficient to answer questions/express ideas fully; however, there are some awkward phrases or vocabulary limitations (overuse of phrases or simple language). Speech does not require a great deal of listener effort to be comprehended by a naïve listener (someone not accustomed to the speaker’s variety of English). |
ESL 110 recommended CMN 101 may also be recommended based on your specific strengths and weaknesses. |
|
4 |
Speech patterns, including rhythm, linking, word stress, focus stress, intonation, and segmentals are target-like >80% of the time. Speaks with few hesitations, though some slow or choppy speech may be present occasionally. Speaker gives coherent responses using an appropriate amount of detail and range of vocabulary. Speaker is overall understandable, though sometimes requires more effort for comprehension. |
No oral ESL required, but you may enroll in ESL 110 if desired and seating is available. |
| 5 |
Speech patterns, including rhythm, linking, word stress, focus stress, intonation, and segmentals are target-like most of the time. Speaks at a rate comfortable for both the speaker and listener, using pauses at appropriate times. Speech is relatively free of disfluencies (false starts, fillers, long silent pauses). Speaker gives lengthy, coherent responses using an appropriate range of vocabulary. Speaker is easy to understand > 95% of the time. |
No oral ESL required |
For more information about interpreting the EPT cutoff score for Oral Communication courses (undergraduate students), please visit the following website: https://citl.illinois.edu/citl-101/measurement-evaluation/placement-proficiency/cutoffs-2024-2025/2024-cutoff-scores-esl
If you have any other questions regarding your EPT score, send an email to the EPT Research Assistant.
For information on ESL courses, go to http://www.linguistics.illinois.edu/students/esl/
For Graduate Students, Visiting Scholars, Faculty, and Staff
Written scores
|
Level |
Description |
ESL Placement |
|
1 |
Essay may not provide an argument that supports a single central claim. Evidences poorly support the argument and ideas are not interconnected and/or underdeveloped. Essay may attempt complex lexico-grammar but with frequent, noticeable errors that are often inaccurate and cause comprehension difficulty. |
ESL 511 & ESL 512 |
|
2 |
Essay provides an argument that supports a single central claim but it sometimes relies on list-like organization of evidences and/or evidences are not clearly connected. Essay may attempt complex lexico-grammar but sometimes with noticeable errors causing comprehension difficulty for the reader. |
ESL 511 & ESL 512 OR ESL 521 & ESL 522 OR ESL 531 & ESL 532 |
|
3 |
Essay provides a sufficiently-developed argument composed of (often) interconnected, sufficiently-explained evidences supporting a single central claim. Essay displays complex lexico-grammar with academic discourse but sometimes with noticeable errors. |
ESL 515 OR ESL 525 OR ESL 535 |
|
4 |
Essay provides a developed argument based on a controlling idea, with well-connected ideas that advance the central claim using relevant evidence from the sources. Generous readers will have little issue following the organization of the essay. Essay consistently displays academic lexico-grammar with few noticeable errors. |
ESL 592c (optional) |
| 5 | Essay provides a well-developed argument composed of logically interconnected ideas that collectively/effectively advance the central claim using relevant evidence from the sources. Essay consistently displays evidence of complex and sophisticated lexico-grammar needed for academic discourse, with few, very minor errors. | ESL 592c (optional) |
Oral Scores
|
Level |
Description |
ESL Placement |
|
1 |
Speech patterns, including frequent word stress errors, lack of focus stress, choppy rhythm, non-target-like intonation patterns, and noticeable segmental errors, have a greater than moderate impact on intelligibility. Speech is very slow and contains a great deal of pauses and other disfluencies. Speaker answers with short phrases (1-3 words) or gives up on harder questions. Speaker is hard to understand and/or requires a great deal of effort to understand the speaker’s intended message (even by someone accustomed to the speaker’s variety). |
ESL 510 required |
|
2 |
Speech patterns are target-like 50-70% of the time. May use stress and unstress patterns, but also stress all words at times. Word stress, focus stress, and intonation are hard to distinguish. Missing grammatical endings and segmental errors have some impact on intelligibility. Speech is slow and characterized by more than a few long pauses. Speaker has trouble conveying ideas accurately due to a small range of vocabulary and responses are short or lack development. Speech requires a moderate amount of effort. A naïve listener may abandon attempts to communicate. |
ESL 510 required
|
|
3 |
Speech patterns are target-like > 70% of the time. Infrequent word stress, focus stress, and segmental errors have little impact on intelligibility. Speaks slightly slower or faster than expected with a few too many pauses. Responses are sufficient to answer questions/express ideas fully; however, there are some awkward phrases or vocabulary limitations (overuse of phrases or simple language). Speech does not require a great deal of listener effort to be comprehended by a naïve listener (someone not accustomed to the speaker’s variety of English). |
ESL 510 recommended |
|
4 |
Speech patterns, including rhythm, linking, word stress, focus stress, intonation, and segmentals are target-like >80% of the time. Speaks with few hesitations, though some slow or choppy speech may be present occasionally. Speaker gives coherent responses using an appropriate amount of detail and range of vocabulary. Speaker is overall understandable, though sometimes requires more effort for comprehension. |
No oral ESL required |
| 5 |
Speech patterns, including rhythm, linking, word stress, focus stress, intonation, and segmentals are target-like most of the time. Speaks at a rate comfortable for both the speaker and listener, using pauses at appropriate times. Speech is relatively free of disfluencies (false starts, fillers, long silent pauses). Speaker gives lengthy, coherent responses using an appropriate range of vocabulary. Speaker is easy to understand > 95% of the time. |
No oral ESL required |
In order to better accommodate students and to offer additional courses, graduate level courses have been renumbered and new courses have been created. All ESL graduate level courses will have a new number in the system.
1. If you choose an academic track:
- If you are placed in ESL 511, you will take ESL 511 and 512 in sequence.
- If you are placed in ESL 515, you will be required to take only ESL 515.
2. If you choose a business track:
- If you are placed in ESL 521, you will take ESL 521 and 522 in sequence.
- If you are placed in ESL 525, you will be required to take only ESL 525.
3. If you choose a technical track (when classes are available):
- If you are placed in ESL 531, you will take ESL 531 and 532 in sequence.
- If you are placed in ESL 535, you will be required to take only ESL 535.
4. If you are placed into ESL 592c, you may take ESL 592, but are not required to.
Oral EPT Score and Placement
Students with TOEFL Speaking subscore of 18 or lower (or IELTS Speaking subscore of 6 or lower) must take the Oral EPT for possibility of exemption.
For those who choose to take the oral EPT, the result of the Oral EPT can have 3 different results:
- Exempt: exempted from ESL 510 based on EPT.
- ESL 510c: recommended to take ESL 510.
- ESL 510q: required to take ESL 510 based on the EPT.
If you have any other questions regarding your EPT score, send an email to the EPT Research Assistant.
For information on ESL courses, go to http://www.linguistics.illinois.edu/students/esl/