Placement
If you're required to take AEP courses to meet UW English language proficiency requirements for undergraduate or graduate students, you'll be placed according to test scores submitted to UW Admissions or the Graduate School.
We accept the following tests to determine placement:
- DET (Duolingo English Test)
- IELTS
- TOEFL iBT
- TOEFL iBT Home Edition
- SAT (undergraduate only)*
- ACT (undergraduate only)*
*SAT/ACT scores can only be used by undergraduate students for placement into AEP reading & writing courses. These tests can't be used for placement into, or exemption from, the AEP communication course (ENGL 104).
We no longer offer a separate AEP placement test. You must submit results from one of the approved tests listed above for placement.
If you don't submit a test score, you'll automatically be placed in the lowest level English language course, ENGL 102.
Qualifying Scores
For most of these exams, we'll use the the average of the reading and writing subscores to determine placement into the academic reading/writing courses (ENGL 102–103). We'll use the average of the listening and speaking subscores to determine if you need to take the communication strategies course (ENGL 104).
If you submit multiple test scores, we'll use the highest individual subscores.
DET (Duolingo English Test)
| Literacy Subscore | Reading/Writing Placement |
|---|---|
| ≤ 105 | ENGL 102 |
| 110–115 | ENGL 103 |
| ≥ 120 | Exempt from ENGL 102 & ENGL 103 |
| Conversation Subscore | Communication Placement |
| ≤ 115 | ENGL 104 |
| ≥ 120 | Exempt from ENGL 104 |
TOEFL iBT
| Average of Reading & Writing Subscores | Reading/Writing Placement |
|---|---|
| ≤ 20.5 | ENGL 102 |
| 21–22.5 | ENGL 103 |
| ≥ 23 | Exempt from ENGL 102 & ENGL 103 |
| Average of Listening & Speaking Subscores | Communication Placement |
| ≤ 22.5 | ENGL 104 |
| ≥ 23 | Exempt from ENGL 104 |
IELTS
| Average of Reading & Writing Subscores | Reading/Writing Placement |
|---|---|
| ≤ 6.0 | ENGL 102 |
| ≤ 6.25 | ENGL 103 |
| ≥ 6.75 | Exempt from ENGL 102 & ENGL 103 |
| Average of Listening & Speaking Subscores | Communication Placement |
| ≤ 6.5 | ENGL 104 |
| ≥ 6.75 | Exempt from ENGL 104 |
SAT
| Evidence-Based Reading & Writing Section (SATRW) | Reading Test (SATR) | Writing & Language Test (SATWL) | Writing Placement |
|---|---|---|---|
| ≤ 480 | ≤ 24 | ≤ 25 | ENGL 102 |
| 490–540 | 25–26 | 26–27 | ENGL 103 |
| ≥ 550 | ≥ 27 | ≥ 28 | Exempt from ENGL 102 & ENGL 103 |
SAT scores can't be used for placement into the AEP Communication course (ENGL 104).
ACT
| Average of Reading & English (R & EW) | Writing Placement |
|---|---|
| ≤ 18 | ENGL 102 |
| 19–21 | ENGL 103 |
| ≥ 22 | Exempt from ENGL 102 & ENGL 103 |
ACT scores can't be used for placement into the AEP Communication course (ENGL 104).