English placement test

All students who enrol at the University of Eastern Piedmont must take the English Language Placement Test in the first semester (November/December) of the year of enrolment, to determine the level of competence in English according to the published Guidelines for the administration of the English Placement Test, which will be available soon.

 Depending on the level of English identified in the Placement test, the student will be in one of the following situations:

• Level A1 and A2 constitute an additional educational requirement calling for the online English language remedial course in the II semester (that the students will find on their Macmillan English Campus platform page). At the end of the remedial course, there is a compulsory final test to check the new level of English language.

N.B. If this test is not successfully passed, the student cannot attend his/her English language course as part of the programme but must take the placement test again at the beginning of the next academic year and, if necessary (level A1 or A2) again take the online remedial course

• levels B1 and B2 allow direct access to the English course included in your degree programme, which is compulsory
• levels C1 and C2 allow direct access to the English course included in your degree programme. In this case, the student may take the final test without attending the 50-hour course.

In no case does the Placement test substitute the English language exam included in the degree programme.

The test

The English Placement Test is a compulsory computerised online test by Macmillan English Campus, which is compulsory for freshmen on three-year and single-cycle degree courses at Università del Piemonte Orientale. 

The test must be taken independently by the student during the first semester of the academic year of enrolment.

The student will have a time window of 7 days and may take the test at any time (available 24 hours a day) independently and online. The time window within which the student must take the placement test will be in November/December.

The test lasts 60 minutes.

The purpose of the test is to determine the level of proficiency in the English language of incoming students and does not replace the English language exam, which each student must take according to his or her study plan and the guidelines provided by his or her degree course.

Students with sensory disabilities or DSA must follow the guidelines University website.

Exemption from the Placement Test

Students in possession of a certificate certifying at least B2 level of knowledge of the English language can apply for recognition of this at the time of enrolment. In the event that the certification is one of those accepted by CLUPO, the Department's student secretariat, applying the guidelines and conversion table defined by the Languages Committee with the support of the CLUPO English teachers, registers the mark/credits automatically in the student’s record.

•  List of certifications.

Certificates obtained no more than two school years ago (or obtained in the fourth/fifth year of high school where the transition from high school to university is not interrupted) are recognised, with the exception of degree programmes with more advanced study of foreign languages  (courses L-11 Modern languages and Cultures and L-15 Tourism Studies) which can set more stringent rules.

How to take the Placement Test

At some time during November/December, there will be a week dedicated to the Placement Test.

Newly-enrolled students will be automatically registered on the course “English Language Placement test for bachelor’s and single cycle degrees” on the online learning DIR platform (Didattica in Rete) where they can find the English Language Placement Test by Macmillan English Campus along with useful information on taking the test (guidelines in Italian and English, technical requisites and an email address for assistance).

How the test works is explained on the Moodle DIR page and it is up to each student to read this before the test.

To access the Macmillan English Campus Placement Test, the student must key in his/her login details (username: enrolment ID number, password: received from Macmillan via email at your university email address @studenti.uniupo.it).

Esiti del Placement test

At the end of the test, each student will receive a score indicating their level of knowledge of English language, according to the table below:

Students with a score of nil or a score lower than B1 (specifically A1, A2 or A2+) must remedy this lack with a compulsory online remedial course of English in the II semester, available on the Macmillan English Campus platform.

Students who score a mark equivalent or higher to the accepted level of knowledge (at least B1) may directly access the English language course included in their own degree programme.

Online remedial course for English language

The course includes exercises in listening and reading comprehension, vocabulary and grammar tailored to the level of individual students and useful for the gradual acquisition of skills necessary to reach the required threshold level (level B1).

The platform can be accessed online, both from the University and from home or wherever there is an Internet connection.

The preparatory course includes a compulsory online final test in June and July 2024, which must be passed in order to be admitted to the English course in one's syllabus.

In the event of failure, the student is required to repeat the English Placement Test the following academic year.