English as a Second Language (ESL) Placement Guide
Welcome to the ESL Placement Guide
Revised 9/25/2020 – Effective Fall 2020
Placement is determined by the student using the ESL self-placement guide. Students progress through the levels below, from Beginning through Advanced, then into transfer-level English.
At each level, students take courses in two parallel tracks: Reading & Writing and Listening & Speaking. Each course is available in a credit-bearing version (5 units) or a non-credit version (0 units).
To view a PDF file with a graphic chart of the placement guide, click the following button:
Graphic Chart of the ESL Placement Guide
Scroll down to view an accessibile-friendly HTML version of the ESL placement guide.
| Level | Reading & Writing | Listening & Speaking |
|---|---|---|
| Beginning | EL2 P081A: Beginning Grammar & Writing (5 units) or EL2 P091A: Beginning Grammar & Writing (0 units) |
EL2 P082A: Beginning Listening & Speaking (5 units) or EL2 P092A: Beginning Listening & Speaking (0 units) |
| High Beginning | EL2 P081B: High Beginning Grammar & Writing (5 units) or EL2 P091B: High Beginning Grammar & Writing (0 units) |
EL2 P082B: High Beginning Listening & Speaking (5 units) or EL2 P092B: High Beginning Listening & Speaking (0 units) |
| Intermediate | EL2 P071A: Intermediate Reading & Writing (5 units) or EL2 P093A: Intermediate Reading & Writing (0 units) |
EL2 P072A: Intermediate Listening & Speaking (5 units) or EL2 P094A: Intermediate Listening & Speaking (0 units) |
| High Intermediate | EL2 P071B: High Intermediate Reading & Writing (5 units) or EL2 P093B: High Intermediate Reading & Writing (0 units) |
EL2 P072B: High Intermediate Listening & Speaking (5 units) or EL2 P094B: High Intermediate Listening & Speaking (0 units) |
| Advanced | EL2 P060: Advanced Reading & Writing (5 units) or EL2 P095: Advanced Reading & Writing (0 units) |
EL2 P061: Advanced Listening & Speaking (5 units) or EL2 P096: Advanced Listening & Speaking (0 units) |
After Completing the Advanced Level
Upon completion of Advanced-level ESL courses, students are eligible for transfer-level English:
- ENGL P101A: Expository Composition (4 units)
- ENGL P101A with ENGL 01AX: Expanded Expository Composition (4 units & 2 units)
* Placement is determined by the student using the ESL self-placement guide.
