ENGLISH PLACEMENT TEST
All international graduate and undergraduate students whose TOEFL score is below 600 are required to take the English Proficiency Exam when they get to Pratt. According to the results, students will either be placed in an IEP class or will be considered “exempt.” (see Who can be waived from taking the Pratt English Language Proficiency Exam for more information).
The exam tests students’ reading, writing, listening and speaking abilities, and is about 2.5 hours in duration.
At the end of each academic semester, all IEP students are retested, evaluated, and placed with regard to their English language proficiency.
END-TERM ENGLISH LANGUAGE ASSESSMENT FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
The end-term assessment consists of three parts: a portfolio that includes samples of the student’s best work from the semester in reading, writing, speaking and listening; a presentation of the portfolio; and a writing exam. Based on the evaluation of these—as well as on attendance and classroom participation throughout the semester—students will be assigned one of the following grades:
• P: Students who are assessed exempt at term end are assigned a grade of P. Exempted students drop the pre-registered IEP course in lieu of adding another Institute course to their schedules.
• IP: Students who are assessed as continuing at term end are assigned a grade of IP. These students either remain at their former IEP level or change to a higher level, as determined by the course instructor. Registration changes can be requested in 420 DeKalb Hall once a Level of Proficiency Sheet has been submitted to the Intensive English Program’s offices by the instructor.
• Fail: Students who (1) disappear from the attendance rolls of a section, (2) fail to take the final writing examination, and/or (3) fail to complete and present an acceptable portfolio receive an F grade for the course. Without acceptable medical or other documentation, there are no exceptions to this policy.
In addition, the Intensive English Program follows these procedures in regard to assessment of students in the program:
Any undergraduate international student who has been enrolled in three Intensive English courses without having exempted from (passed) the program will be moved to probationary status during their fourth semester.
Any graduate international student who has been enrolled in two Intensive English courses without having exempted from (passed) the program will be moved to probationary status after their second semester.
If the undergraduate student fails to exempt from the IEP at the end of the fourth semester of study, or if the graduate student fails to exempt from the IEP at the end of the second semester, they will be advised of the reasons for being placed on IEP probation, then offered the option of: 1) voluntary withdrawal from the Institute or, 2) full-time enrollment in the Summer Certificate Program (SCP), and/or Certificate of English Proficiency (CEP) Program in order to meet the Institute English requirement of exemption. After meeting the language requirement, affected students are eligible to return to full-time degree study.