English Placement Test (EPT)

General EPT Information

The EPT (English Placement Test) is designed to assess the level of reading and writing skills of entering undergraduates so that they can be placed in appropriate English courses. Those undergraduates who do not demonstrate college-level skills will be directed to courses or programs to help them attain these skills.

The CSU requires you to take the EPT after admission and prior to enrollment in the CSU unless you are exempt by means of scores earned on other appropriate tests such as the SAT, ACT and EAP. The EPT is not an admissions test; instead, it determines eligibility to enroll in specific courses. If you are required to take the EPT but fail to do so, you will not be allowed to register.

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 "College Ready" on the Early Assessment Program (EAP) English taken in conjunction with the 11th grade California Standards Test in English Language Arts
  • a score of 550 or above on the verbal section of the College Board SAT I: Reasoning Test taken between April 1995 or later
  • a score of 24 or above on the enhanced ACT® English Test taken October 1989 or later
  • a score of 680 or above on the re-centered and adjusted College Board SAT II: Writing Test taken May 1998 or later
  • a score of 3 or above on either the Language and Composition or Literature and Composition examination of the College Board Advanced Placement Program
  • completion and transfer to the CSU of a college course that satisfies the CSU General Education-Breadth or Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) written communication requirement, provided such a course was completed with a grade of C or better.

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

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 at most 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 For 2009-2010

Test Date Registration Deadline (at 5 pm)
02/13/10 01/29/10
02/27/10 02/12/10
03/20/10* 03/05/10
04/17/10 04/02/10
05/01/10* 04/16/10
06/19/10* 06/04/10

*All CSU campuses give the EPT/ELM tests on these dates.

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EPT Registration Information

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

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

There is an $18 charge for the EPT, payable on the day of the examination. Payment must be made by check or money order, made payable to ETS. Cash will not be accepted. No student will be tested without proper payment and picture identification with a signature. All fees are non-refundable and subject to change.

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Special Accommodations

If special circumstances make it impossible for you to take the test at the first available administration, you must plan to meet the requirement at the next scheduled opportunity. Each test administration requires a separate registration form. If your religious convictions prevent you from taking the EPT on the scheduled test dates, you must request special arrangements by contacting the Testing Center. If you have a disability that requires special accommodations, you should contact the Center on Disabilities (818) 677-2684.

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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 your state, may contact the Educational Testing Service office at (925) 808-2142 or email csuout-of-state@ets.org to set up out-of-state testing. There is a fee of $50 for testing outside of California.

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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 English that will permit you to perform according to the standards expected of you in regular college English courses. A low Total score indicates that you should enroll in a class or laboratory designed to improve your English 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
141 and below Developmental Reading
142 - 150 Developmental Writing
151 or higher See advisor for course placement

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.

Visit the Learning Resource Center located in Bayramian Hall room 408 for sample questions.

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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Hours of Operation

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

Locations

Bayramian Hall, Rm 190
View Campus Map

Contact Information

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

Questions/Comments

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