English Proficiency
All applicants are required to demonstrate their English level to be admitted to Seattle Colleges, including the Institute of English (SCIE).
Students will be placed in Intensive English, College Bridge, or their chosen college-level program based on the following cutoff scores:
- TOEFL iBT*: below 52, Writing 14 - IELTS: below 5.0, Writing 4.5 - Duolingo (DET) - Pearson Test of English (PTE): below 41 - Canadian Academic English Language (CAEL): below 40 - Eiken: Grade 1: pass or fail; Grade Pre-1: pass or fail; Grade 2: fail - Eltis: below 638 - Global Test of English Communication (GTEC): below 1040 - International Test of English Proficiency (iTEP) Academic Plus: below 4.5 - Michigan English Language Assessment Battery (MELAB): below 75 - TOEFL Institutional*: below 470, no writing - Approved ESL programs: Any level below those required for College Bridge Level 3 |
INTENSIVE ENGLISH LEVELS 1 & 2 |
- TOEFL iBT*: 52, Writing 14 - IELTS: 5.0, Writing 4.5 - Duolingo (DET) - Pearson Test of English (PTE): 41 - One year at a U.S. high school** - One year of post-secondary study*** - Canadian Academic English Language (CAEL): 40 - Eiken: 2 - Eltis: 638 - Global Test of English Communication (GTEC): 1040 - International Test of English Proficiency (iTEP) Academic Plus: 4.5 - Michigan English Language Assessment Battery (MELAB): 75 - TOEFL Institutional*: 470, no writing - Approved ESL programs |
COLLEGE BRIDGE LEVEL 3 |
- TOEFL iBT*: 56, Writing 15 - IELTS: 5.5, Writing 4.5 - Duolingo (DET) - Pearson Test of English (PTE): 43 - Cambridge First Certificate (FCE) Grade B or C - Swedish Upper Secondary School Leaving Certificate (Avgangsbetyg / Slutbetyg fran Gymnasieskola): 15 or higher in English - Eiken: 2A - Eltis: 687 - Global Test of English Communication (GTEC): 1055 - TOEFL Institutional*: 483, no writing - Approved ESL programs |
COLLEGE BRIDGE LEVEL 4 |
- TOEFL iBT*: 60, Writing 16 - IELTS: 5.5, Writing 5.0 - Duolingo (DET) - Pearson Test of English (PTE): 44 - Cambridge First Certificate (FCE) Grade A - Cambridge Advanced Certificate (CAE): Grade C or higher (passing) - Eiken: Pre-1 - Eltis: 730 - Global Test of English Communication (GTEC): 1075 - TOEFL Institutional*: 498, no writing - Approved ESL programs |
COLLEGE BRIDGE LEVEL 5 |
- TOEFL iBT*: 64, Writing 17 - IELTS: 6.0, Writing 5.0 - Duolingo (DET): 90 and above in all four sub-scores (literacy, conversation, comprehension, and production) - SAT 510 in Reading and Writing - ACT 19 for both English and Reading - U.S. high school graduation with GPA of at least 2.0 - AP: English Language & Composition with a score of 3 or higher - AP: English Literature & Composition with a score of 3 or higher - IB: English Literature A with a score of 4 or higher (HL) - IB: English A Language & Literature with a score of 4 or higher (HL) - Accuplacer: Reading 86, Sentence Skills 86 - New Generation Accuplacer: Reading 257 - GED: Language Arts 145 or higher - Completion of English Composition at an accredited post-secondary institution in Australia, Bahamas, Belize, Canada (English-speaking provinces), Ireland, Kenya, Malawi, New Zealand, Nigeria, South Africa, United Kingdom, United States, Zambia, or Zimbabwe - Completion of both primary and secondary education in Australia, Bahamas, Belize, Canada (English-speaking provinces), Ireland, Kenya, Malawi, New Zealand, Nigeria, South Africa, United Kingdom, United States, Zambia, or Zimbabwe**** |
UNIVERSITY TRANSFER HIGH SCHOOL COMPLETION PLUS CAREER TRAINING IP SHORT-TERM CERTIFICATE (North Seattle & South Seattle) |
- TOEFL iBT*: 56 - IELTS: 5.5 - Duolingo (DET): 90 and above in all four sub-scores (literacy, conversation, comprehension, and production) - SAT 510 in Reading and Writing - ACT 19 for both English and Reading - U.S. high school graduation with GPA of at least 2.0 - AP: English Language & Composition with a score of 3 or higher - AP: English Literature & Composition with a score of 3 or higher - IB: English Literature A with a score of 4 or higher (HL) - IB: English A Language & Literature with a score of 4 or higher (HL) - Accuplacer: Reading 86, Sentence Skills 86 - New Generation Accuplacer: Reading 257 - GED: Language Arts 145 or higher - Eiken: 2A - Eltis: 687 - Pearson Test of English (PTE): 43 - Cambridge First Certificate (FCE) Grade B or C - Swedish Upper Secondary School Leaving Certificate (Avgangsbetyg / Slutbetyg fran Gymnasieskola): 15 or higher in English - Global Test of English Communication (GTEC): 1055 - ALPS Language School: Level 4 Intensive Reading & Writing - Completion of English Composition at an accredited post-secondary institution in Australia, Bahamas, Belize, Canada (English-speaking provinces), Ireland, Kenya, Malawi, New Zealand, Nigeria, South Africa, United Kingdom, United States, Zambia, or Zimbabwe - Completion of both primary and secondary education in Australia, Bahamas, Belize, Canada (English-speaking provinces), Ireland, Kenya, Malawi, New Zealand, Nigeria, South Africa, United Kingdom, United States, Zambia, or Zimbabwe**** |
IP SHORT-TERM CERTIFICATE (Seattle Central) |
*TOEFL iBT MyBest Scores are accepted. Institutional TOEFL scores are accepted by special agreement only. To become an approved testing center, contact IntlPartners@seattlecolleges.edu.
**Completion of one year of study at a U.S. high school, or at a high school where English is the medium of instruction, taking no ESL classes. Transcripts must show a B or 3.0 GPA, or placement in the top 20% of the class. If study occurred in countries where English is not the official language, proof that English was the medium of instruction may be required.
***Completion of one year of study at an accredited post-secondary institution in Australia, Canada (English-speaking provinces), Ireland, Kenya, New Zealand, United Kingdom, United States, or Zimbabwe. Completion of English Composition is not required.
****Transcripts must be provided at the time of application. Admitted students will be asked to take a Directed Self Placement (DSP) test to confirm placement.