English Placement Assessment

Students are automatically placed into English courses using a formula that contains a combination of SAT/ACT scores as well as high school grade point average (GPA). Students without this information are automatically placed into English courses using other student data gathered from their admissions application. Students that do not have enough information to automatically place them are required to complete an English Placement Assessment to determine their course placement.

Students may be placed into English 0701/0711, 0701/0802, 0711/0812, 0802/0812, or Exempt.

Students scoring a 4 or 5 on the AP English Language and Composition exam are exempt from English 0802/0812.

Transfer Students and Credits

Students who previously studied at another institution may be eligible to transfer credits to Temple University. All transfer credits are evaluated by the University’s Office of Undergraduate Admissions.

Students who transfer a course that has been evaluated as a direct equivalent to Temple’s English 0802 are exempt from taking the English Placement Assessment.

Students who completed an English Placement Assessment at their previous institution and tested out of their previous institution’s English Composition (or comparable requirement) must still complete Temple’s English Placement Assessment if they were not automatically placed. They may subsequently be waived from the English 0802 requirement if they provide documentation of their placement and have successfully completed a higher level English/Writing course. Acceptable documentation includes an official letter from the university’s Registrar, advising unit, a faculty member, or other appropriate university official. This waiver will be considered when the student meets with an advisor during Orientation if the required documentation has been submitted.

English Placement Assessment (90 Minutes, Timed)

The English Placement Assessment consists of one written essay. At assessment time, students choose one of two presented topics on which to write. Each topic presents a writer’s position on an issue. Students are asked to summarize the writer’s argument in their own words and then take and develop a position on the topic the writer is arguing for or against. Students are not evaluated based on having the "correct" position on an issue, but on how accurately they can explain the writer's argument and present their own argument in an organized and grammatically correct essay. In order to prepare for their assessment, students may view essays that meet and do not meet Temple's writing requirements.

The use of generative AI tools (such as ChatGPT, Bard, etc.) are not permitted during placement assessments; therefore, any use of AI tools for placement assessments may be considered a violation of Temple University’s Academic Honesty policy and Student Code of Conduct, since the work is not your own. The use of unauthorized AI tools may result in invalidation of your results and sanctions under the academic disciplinary process.

Students without an autoplacement are required to take the English Placement Assessment. Students may also choose to take an assessment after receiving an autoplacement. Students that are required to complete the English Placement Assessment can retake the English Assessment after they receive their initial English placement results.

Review English Placement Assessment information and sample essays »

Results

English Assessment results will be available starting mid-April, also posted to the Placement Results channel.

Institutional Research and Assessment

English Placement Assessment

English Placement Assessment (90 Minutes, Timed)

Results

Go back to Placement Assessments More in Placement Assessments

Institutional Research and Assessment

English Placement Assessment (90 Minutes, Timed)

Results

Go back to Placement AssessmentsMore in Placement Assessments

Go back to Placement Assessments More in Placement Assessments