The English Placement Test (EPT) is 2 hours long.

EPT - Rules

• Students MUST bring the following to be eligible to take the English Placement Test:
  • Valid Academic IELTS 6.0 Certificate - i.e. 6.0 Overall, with no part less than 5.5.
    • Certificates must be valid, i.e. dated no more than 2 years between the IELTS Test Date and the EPT Test Date.
    • Other types of IELTS Certificates, e.g. General Training IELTS, even with the same 6.0 score/band, are not allowed.
    • To show their valid Academic IELTS Certificate, students must either:
      • 1) Bring in a paper copy of the valid Academic IELTS 6.0 Certificate on their scheduled test date and show it to the Placement Test Administrator.
      • 2) Send in a digital copy of their certificate to [email protected], with the subject "Academic IELTS Certificate" at least 24 hours before their scheduled test date.
  • Valid Government ID - e.g. Passport, BC ID Card
    • Students must show the original Valid Government ID to the Placement Test Administrator; No copies or digital image are allowed.
    • The Legal Name that appears on the Government ID must match the full name used to book their EPT appointment on Setmore.
  • Current EPT Test Fee Receipt - i.e. $50 by Cash, Debit, or Credit
    • Students must complete the payment at the Reception Office and get the payment receipt before 12:50 PM on their scheduled test date.
    • Students must show that receipt along with their Valid Academic IELTS 6.0 Certificate and Valid Government ID to the Placement Test Administrator to be eligible to take the English Placement Test.
• Students who have not shown their Valid Academic IELTS 6.0 Certificate, Valid Government ID, and Current EPT Test Fee Receipt, will not be allowed to enter the Test Room, and they will be asked to reschedule their next test.
  • A full refund will be given via the Reception Office to students who paid for the test but does not have their Valid Academic IELTS 6.0 Certificate and/or their Valid Government ID.
• All Placement Tests start exactly at the scheduled time. No exceptions, and the door to the test room will be closed at the start of the test, for the duration of the test.
  • Students who arrive after the test starts will not be allowed to take the test, and they will be asked to reschedule their next test.
  • The English Placement Test is conducted using the SRC Canvas Course and UBC's CWL (Campus Wide Login).
  • All students must have already created their CWL and enrolled in the SRC Canvas Course at least 24 hours before their scheduled test.
  • Any student who has not logged in to the SRC Canvas Course at least 24 hours before their scheduled test, and are not able to access Canvas at the start of the test, will be asked to leave the test room and reschedule their next test.
  • A full refund will be given via the Reception Office for students who are not able to access Canvas at the start of the test.
• The time limit for this test is 120 minutes (2 hours).
• Each student may bring their own headphones to complete the listening part of the computerized English Placement Test.
  • No headphones will be provided on campus.
  • For any students who did not bring their headphones, they must complete the listening part during the first 20 minutes of the test where each recording will be played only once via speakers.
• Pens and papers are not needed to answer the questions.
• Dictionaries and electronic devices are not allowed for this test.

EPT - Marking Rubric (78 Points Total)

• Part 1: Listening = 18 Questions (1 Point Each)
• Part 2: Vocabulary = 18 Questions (1 Point Each)
• Part 3: Reading = 18 Questions (1 Point Each)
• Part 4: Writing = 1 Essay Question (24 Points Total)

EPT - Essay Question - Writing Rubric (24 Points Total)

• Element 1: Structure = up to 6 Points
• Element 2: Grammar = up to 6 Points
• Element 3: Language Use = up to 6 Points
• Element 4: Content = up to 6 Points

EPT - Scoring Table + Course Placements - For BC High School Students ONLY

• 0 (0.00%) to 62.99 (80.76%) = ENGL 099
• 63 (80.77%) to 78 (100%) = ENGL 110
• Note 1: BC High School Students who score below the ENGL 099 benchmark are strongly recommended to schedule tutoring appointments at the SRC (Room 203) for writing help.
• Note 2: Scores below the ENGL 099 benchmark are 0 (0.00%) to 54.99 (70.51%).

EPT - Scoring Table + Course Placements - For EAL and International Students

• 0 (0.00%) to 38.99 (49.99%) = ESL Pathway
• 39 (50.00%) to 54.99 (70.51%) = Bridge Program
• 55 (70.51%) to 62.99 (80.76%) = ENGL 099
• 63 (80.77%) to 78 (100%) = ENGL 110
• Note: All EAL and International Students who score in the Bridge Program benchmark and above are welcome to use the Writing Help section in SRC on Canvas for online tutorials.

Course Placement - Course Descriptions

• Bridge Program - An intensive series of four 7-week courses (66–70 hours) that equip students with the necessary language and academic skills they need for university level courses.
• ENGL 099 - NOT an ESL course, but teaches English for Academic Preparation at the advanced level.
• ENGL 110 - NOT a preparatory course, but a first-year college Academic Reading, Writing, and Thinking Course.

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