Register for a CSUN Test

Hours of Operation

Monday - Friday
8am - 5pm
(except State and CSU holidays)

Locations

Bayramian Hall, Rm 225
View Campus Map

Contact Information

(818) 677-2369
Testing.center@csun.edu

Questions/Comments

Have any questions or comments? Please Contact Us.

English Placement Test (EPT)

General EPT Information

The English Placement Test (EPT) is designed to assess the level of reading and writing skills of students entering the California State University. The CSU EPT must be completed by all non-exempt entering undergraduates prior to enrollment in any course, including remedial courses. At CSUN, students who score 151 or above on the EPT will be placed in a one-semester college-level writing class. Students who score 150 & below will be placed in a two-semester college-level writing class. Effective for matriculated students entering Summer/Fall 2011.

The English Placement Test (EPT) requires approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes to administer and contains the following three sections:

Essay 45 minutes on an assigned topic
Reading Skills 30 minutes to answer 45 multiple-choice questions
Composing Skills 30 minutes to answer 45 multiple-choice questions

The test is divided into three sections. The first section asks you to write an essay. The next two sections assess your ability to comprehend and interpret reading material and your understanding of sentence construction and paragraph development.

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EPT Exemptions

To be exempt from the EPT, students must present proof of the one of the following:

  • A score of 500 or above on the critical reading section of the College Board SAT Reasoning Test
  • A score of 22 or above on the American College Testing (ACT) English Test
  • A score of 3 or above on either the Language and Composition or Composition and Literature examination of the College Board Scholastic Advanced Placement Program
  • Completion and transfer to CSU of the credits for a college course that satisfies the CSU General Education requirement in English Composition, provided such a course was completed with a grade of C or better
  • A score of "Exempt" or "Ready for college-level English courses" on the CSU Early Assessment Program (EAP) taken along with the English Language Arts California Standard Test in grade 11

*NOTE: The College Board SAT I and SAT II were renamed SAT Reasoning and SAT Subject Tests, respectively, beginning March 2005.

Effective for matriculated students entering Summer/Fall 2011.

Students who qualify for an exemption that is not reflected in University records should check to see if the qualifying score was sent to CSUN when the test was taken. Contact ETS at 925-808-2142 to double check where your scores were sent. If your scores have not been reported to CSUN, send a copy of your qualifying test scores to CSUN Admissions & Records Office, 18111 Nordhoff Street, Northridge, CA 91330-8207 so the exemption can be documented on your permanent academic record at CSUN.

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EPT Test Dates

All 23 CSU campuses administer the EPT (and the ELM) on a variety of variable dates. For a complete listing, check the CSU EPT/ELM Information bulletin. Pay close attention to the registration deadline listed by each test date since your registration must reach the testing office by the registration deadline.

Students may take the test at the most convenient CSU campus. Online registration is available for all campuses.

If you wish to take the EPT at CSUN, online registration is available. It is highly recommended that you test by one the test dates listed below.

CSUN EPT/ELM TESTING CALENDAR

Test Date Registration Deadline (at 5 pm)
05/05/2012* 04/27/2012
6/16/2012 6/8/2012
9/22/2012 9/7/2012
11/10/2012 10/26/2012
2/9/2013* 1/25/2013
2/23/2013 2/8/2013
3/16/2013* 3/1/2013
4/6/2013 3/22/2013
5/4/2013*+ 4/19/2013
6/15/2013 5/31/2013

*System-wide EPT/ELM test dates.

+Last day to take EPT/ELM for Fall 2013 enrollment.

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EPT Registration Information

The English Placement Test (EPT) is given in conjunction with the Entry Level Mathematics (ELM) exam. Online registration is available for all campuses. Go to the CSU EPT/ELM Information bulletin for a complete list of EPT and/or ELM test dates and registration procedures.

If you wish to take the EPT at CSUN, online registration is available.

There is an $18 charge for the EPT, payable when you register for the examination. Students who are unable to pay online via credit card, Paypal or echeck, must contact ETS at 925-808-2142 for an alternate payment method. No student will be tested without proper payment and picture identification.

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Test Day

  • Students should report to the location listed on their admission ticket. Rooms are assigned on site.
  • Plan to arrive at least 15 minutes prior to your test time to allow for parking.
  • Current photo ID (driver's license, student ID, passport, etc)
  • Several #2 pencils
  • Know your Social security number
  • Your printed ADMISSION TICKET

Where should I report on test day?

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Testing Accommodations


Accommodations for Students with Disabilities

Alternative testing accommodations such as extended time, electronic text, readers or scribes are available through the Disability Resources and Educational Services (DRES) department to students that have a documented disability and require accommodations to take the exam. If you are not a registered student with DRES and have a disability, please visit the DRES website at http://www.csun.edu/dres/studentservices/registering.php for registration procedures.

Registered DRES students must sign up for the EPT directly with the DRES department in BH 110 to receive accommodations. The University EPT registration deadlines apply for all students and accommodation requests must be submitted by the registration deadline.

Accommodations for Religious Convictions

Non-Saturday testing is available for religious reasons. If your religious convictions prevent you from taking the test on the scheduled test date, students must sign up for the EPT directly with the Testing Center to receive alternate testing arrangements. Contact the Testing Center at (818) 677-2369 for more information. Be prepared to provide documentation. The University EPT registration deadlines apply for all students and accommodation requests must be submitted by the registration deadline.

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Out of State Testing

Students, who are non-California residents and are unable to test at one of the California State Universities and need to test in their home state, must register online at the ETS website and Select the Test Campus as "Out of State". Please note that there is an Out of State Testing Fee of $50 in addition to the Testing fees.

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EPT Test Scores

Total Test Score - Your Total score is the combined scores of all three sections. It will indicate whether you have the skills in reading and writing that will permit you to perform according to the standards expected of you in regular college Writing courses. A low Total score indicates that you should enroll in a class and/or laboratory designed to improve your skills.

Reading Skills Score - Your score on the Reading Skills section of the test will indicate whether you are reading on a college-entry level or whether you should receive special instruction in reading.

Composing Skills Score - Your score on the Composing Skills section of the test will indicate your ability to select sentences that establish clear meaning, your knowledge of sentence structure according to the conventions of standard written English at the college-entry level, and your ability to recognize statements that support or help develop a given idea.

Essay Score - Your score on the essay will indicate whether you have the skills necessary to write in-class papers or examinations in college.

Because the EPT is a placement test, scores determine what courses students must attend. The chart below will help you and your advisor select the appropriate course:

EPT Score Course placement
140 and below 113A+B - Approaches to University Writing and mandatory SI each semester
141 - 150 114A+B - Approaches to University Writing
151 or higher 115 or 155 - Approaches to University

Effective for matriculated students entering Summer/Fall 2012.

Failure to complete the required developmental courses in two semesters will result in disenrollment from CSUN. For information about compliance policy, visit the CSU Executive Order 665.

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Helpful Sample Materials

To find out more about what's on the test, see FOCUS ON ENGLISH (PDF format) (http://www.calstate.edu/ar/EPT.PDF) provides information about the entry level English requirement of the CSU EPT test. The document explains scores on other tests that will exempt students from EPT and it includes answers to a number of frequently asked questions. The Focus on English pamphlet includes samples of the types of questions appearing on the new EPT test, as well as examples of essays and how they were scored.

See the CSU English Success website (www.csuenglishsuccess.org) for test review questions.

Additional details may be found at the official CSU EPT/ELM Website (www.ets.org/csu)

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