English Placement Exam
All students who are not native speakers of English are usually required to take the English Placement Exam (EPE). This is in addition to the TOEFL and is taken once you arrive on campus. The exam is given each term except summer. If you are admitted for the summer term, you will be required to take the EPE in the fall semester. All new international students must take the EPE before they can register for any English classes at UT.
Who DOES NOT have to take the EPE?
Students who have a Bachelors degree from a US institution or have successfully transferred 6 semester hours of credit in English Composition (UTK equivalent of English 101 and 102) from a U.S. university are exempt from taking the EPE. All other students are required to take the exam.
What is the purpose of EPE?
The purpose of this exam is to allow the university to place students into the appropriate English course at UT.
What is on the test?
There are three parts to the EPE: Reading Comprehension; Grammar, which consists of supplying and correcting features of English grammar; and Writing, which is based on the selections used in the Reading Comprehension section.
How can I study for the EPE?
Because the EPE requires you to produce samples of your English to show your proficiency, it is difficult to pinpoint anything specific for you to study. However, we do have two pieces of general advice we think will help you:
- Arrive in Knoxville early enough so that you get a good night’s sleep on the night before the exam and wake up refreshed.
- Spend time speaking and reading in English as much as you can on the days preceding the exam. Immerse yourself into the language!
How long does it take to finish the EPE?
The exam nearly always runs from 8:30am to 11:30am, about 3 hours.
How is the exam graded?
The reading and grammar sections of the exam are graded by members of the English department. Each composition is read by two experienced English teachers; if they disagree on the appropriate score, the entire exam staff will read the exam and come to a consensus.
What happens if I do not pass the EPE?
This is a placement exam, not an exam you can really pass or fail.
- If you score too low to be able to benefit from English 121, you will be required to increase your English proficiency by studying at the English Language Institute* at UTK or another language-intensive institution before you can take the exam again.
- If you score higher, you will be placed into 121; if you score even higher and are an undergraduate, you will be placed into 131.
- If you score higher than 121 and are a graduate student, you will usually be exempted from further study of English.
For undergraduates, English 121 is followed by English 131 and English 132. These courses are designed for non-native English speakers and will complete your freshman English requirements for English 101 and English 102.
*ELI is located at 907 Mountcastle Ave, Knoxville, TN 37996. Tel: 865-974-3404. Students should note that ELI is a non-credit program. Tuition waivers for Graduate Assistants may not be used at ELI.
What is English 121?
English 121 provides students with extensive practice in writing basic and advanced language structures in English.
Please note: The temperature in the building where the EPE takes place can sometimes be unpredictable. We recommend that if you are dressed for warm weather (for the Fall term exam in August), you should still bring along a sweater or jacket in case the rooms are too cold. If you are dressed for cold weather (for the Spring term exam in January), dress in layers in case the rooms are too hot.