English Language Placement Assessment

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For students who are not native speakers of English.

What is the English Language Placement Assessment?

The English Language Placement Assessment (ELPA) is a set of tests designed to measure the listening, grammar, and reading skills of people who are not native speakers of English. The Listening test has two parts. Part one is a multiple-choice test in response to audio-taped questions. Part two is an 18-minute lecture followed by a series of questions. The grammar and reading tests are multiple-choice.

In addition, entering students must take the Writing Placement Assessment. Detailed information about that examination is posted on the Web at hilo.hawaii.edu/academics/wpe/.

Who Takes the English Language Placement Assessment?

You should take the placement assessment if you are a non-native speaker of English entering UH Hilo for the first time.

What is the Purpose of the Placement Assessment?

The placement assessment is the University's way of placing you into the ESL courses that will best prepare you to succeed in university studies. On the basis of placement assessment results, you will be assigned to one or more courses taught by the UH Hilo English Language Institute (ELI).

  • ESL 061 Listening & Speaking in English
  • ESL 062 Essentials of English Grammar
  • ESL 063 Basics of Reading in English
  • ESL 071 Basic Communication Skills
  • ESL 072 Basics of English Grammar
  • ESL 073 English Reading Skills
  • ESL 081 Academic Communication
  • ESL 082 Intermediate English Grammar
  • ESL 083 Introduction to Academic Reading

Students are placed in the writing courses ESL 064, ESL 074, ESL 084, or ESL 100 on the basis of their performance in the Writing Placement Assessment.

Who Does Not Take the English Language Placement Assessment?

Waivers will be granted to students who:

  • have received a score of 600 or better on the paper-based TOEFL,a score of 100 on the internet-based TOEFL,or a score of 250 or better on the computer-based TOEFL.
  • have received a score of 460 or better on the verbal section of the GRE
  • have received a score of 540 or better on the verbal section of the SAT
  • have an Associate of Arts degree from a community college within the University of Hawaiʻi system
  • have obtained the equivalent of 60 transferable semester credits with a GPA of 2.0 or better from a regionally accredited college or university in the United States
  • have completed 6 years of full-time schooling with English as the medium of instruction at a middle school, high school, college, or university in Australia, Canada (except Quebec), Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, or the United States. Documentation of all six years is required.

Placement Assessment Date, Time and Place:

Semester English Language Placement Assessment (Required) Date/Time/Location

Fall

2013

Listening, Grammar, Vocabulary & Reading

 

 

 

Wednesday, August 21

1:00-4:00 pm / TBA
Fall 2013

ELI Orientation

Mandatory information session for all new ELI students

Time To Be Announced

PB 16 Building,

Room 2

On the Day of the English Language Placement Assessment:

  1. Make sure you arrive at the assessment location on time.
  2. Bring two pencils, an eraser, a photo ID, and UH ID number.
  3. Do not bring any reference materials such as paper or electronic dictionaries.

Getting Your Results

Results of the English Language Placement Assessment will be available at the ELI office on Thursday, August 4th beginning at 2:00pm. Students may come by the office to pick up their results, talk to faculty and register for classes for most of the day. We look forward to meeting you!

Questions?

If you have any questions about the English Language Placement Assessment, please contact:
Julie Mowrer, English Language Institute Director.
Telephone: 808-933-8855
E-mail:jmowrer@hawaii.edu

Note: If you will need disability accommodations to take the test, please contact the ELI Director two weeks in advance of the test.

Register for the Assessment Now

You may register online or via a mail-in registration form. If you choose to use the mail-in form, please complete it and mail to:

Julie Mowrer, ELI Director
University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo,
College of Continuing Education and Community Services
200 West Kāwili St.,
Hilo, HI 96720-4091, USA