The Office of the Provost and the English Language Institute (ELI) will continue year two of the pilot of using standardized testing English proficiency scores submitted with applications as the basis for recommendations for English language support for international students who use English as a second language (ESL).
Continuing Summer 2025, international students who are enrolling for the first time for Fall 2025 and future semesters will not be required to take the ELI’s English Placement Test (EPT) over the summer to determine recommended ESL course placements.
Instead, the recommended placements in ESL courses will be based on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)/Duolingo/International English Language Testing System (IELTS) scores that students submit with their applications and that can be accessed via students’ PeopleSoft records. A chart of recommended ESL course placements based on TOEFL/Duolingo/IELTS scores is below.
No other part of the Assessment of English Language Proficiency process or decision-making will change. Per policy and procedure AC-07 Assessment of English Language Proficiency for Admission, international students should meet with their academic advisor to discuss the English proficiency test results and any ESL course recommendation or requirements determined by their academic department or school.
Advisors can view student test scores (e.g., TOEFL, Duolingo, IELTS) in PeopleSoft/HighPoint Campus Experience (CX) > Academics > Test Scores by visiting CX through my.pitt.edu and selecting the PeopleSoft/HighPoint CX task. Then:
- From the left side menu, View Advisees or Lookup Student (search by student ID or name).
- Click Act as User and confirm you are accessing the student’s record by clicking Continue.
- From the left-side menu, select Academics > Test Scores.
- Click on individual test(s) to view detailed information (e.g., component, score, date, academic level, data source).
For any questions, please contact Dr. Gregory Mizera.
Suggested Cut-off Scores for ESL Support Courses
Writing
| CEFR Level | TOEFL Writing |
IELTS Writing |
Duolingo Writing |
Recommendations for Undergraduate Students |
Recommendations for Graduate Students |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C2 | 29-30 | 8-9 | 160 | ENGCMP 0200 (Seminar in Composition) | none |
| C1 | 24-28 | 7-7.5 | 145-155 | ENGCMP 0152 (Workshop in Composition: ESL) |
none |
| B2 | 23 or below | 6.5 or below | 140 or below | LING 0007 (ESL Writing Intermediate) |
LING 0009* (ESL Writing Advanced) |
* For graduate students in SSOE and SCI, check with your school for their recommendation regarding a graduate writing support course.
Speaking
| CEFR Level | TOEFL Speaking |
IELTS Speaking |
Duolingo Speaking |
Recommendations for Undergraduate Students |
Recommendations for Graduate Students |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C2 | 28-30 | 8-9 | 155-160 | none | none |
| C1 | 25-27 | 7.5-8 | 140-150 | none | none |
| B2 | 24 or below | 7 or below | 135 or below | LING 0008 (ESL Speaking and Listening) |
LING 0008 (ESL Speaking and Listening) |
Listening
| CEFR Level | TOEFL Listening |
IELTS Listening |
Duolingo Listening |
Recommendations for Undergraduate Students |
Recommendations for Graduate Students |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C2 | 28-30 | 8.5-9 | 150-160 | none | none |
| C1 | 22-27 | 7-8 | 125-145 | none | none |
| B2 | 21 or below | 6.5 or below | 120 or below | LING 0008 (ESL Speaking and Listening) |
LING 0008 (ESL Speaking and Listening) |
Reading
| CEFR Level | TOEFL Reading |
IELTS Reading |
Duolingo Reading |
Recommendations for Undergraduate Students |
Recommendations for Graduate Students |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C2 | 29-30 | 9 | 155-160 | none | none |
| C1 | 24-28 | 7.5-8.5 | 135-150 | none | none |
| B2 | 23 or below | 7 or below | 130 or below | LING 0010 (ESL Reading and Vocabulary) |
LING 0010 (ESL Reading and Vocabulary) |
Related Information
Descriptions of the LING English support courses can be found at Department of Linguistics Courses in English as a Second Language.
A description of ENGCMP 0152 can be found at Composition Program Workshop in Composition: ESL.
Policy and Procedure AC 07: Assessment of English Language Proficiency for Admission