Students looking to take an English class or New Degree Seeking students will need to take the English assessment.
Are you getting ready to take the college English placement test but feel like you need to brush up on your reading and writing skills?
Watch the below video for tips on how to prepare for the English placement testor attend one of our English refresher workshops taught by English department faculty to help you feel comfortable in taking the test. New dates are added on a monthly basis, so check back for future in-person or online live refresher workshops. RSVP to attend a workshop.
For more information about ways to potentially waive the English placement test and to see how long these scores are valid, please check out our English placement grid.
All new degree seeking students are required to demonstrate initial placement levels Writing, Reading, Math and Geometry upon entry to the College in order to register for their first semester.
Additionally, any student wishing to register for English and/or Math courses may also need to demonstrate specific placement levels in order to satisfy a particular course prerequisite.
Please see below all of the different ways in which you can demonstrate English placement.
The English placement test can be taken at home by using the remote proctoring program, Honorlock. You access the English placement test through your MyHarper Student Portal under the "Testing Center Actions" card/box. In order to take the test with Honorlock, you must have access to the following technology requirements:
Get step-by-step directions needed for accessing your English placement test with Honorlock.
Yes! Students who provide a high school transcript (it does NOT need not be the final transcript - seventh-semester is permitted) showing a minimum, overall high school GPA of 3.0/4.0 or 4.0/5.0 will place directly into ENG 101. All high school coursework must be completed within the United States. Students who complete the Harper English Test may also use their high school GPA to improve their placement, if needed.
Yes! Students can also use the Preliminary SAT/PSAT test (PSAT 10 & PSAT NMSQT versions that are taken Sophomore year) as a method of placement. A minimum score of 480 on the Evidence-based Reading and Writing sub-section of the PSAT exam is required to place into ENG 101.
Students who do not achieve ENG 101 placement through ACT scores or high school GPA will complete the Harper English Test to determine placement. Students also have an additional option to meet with an English faculty member for a Placement Discussion.
Yes. Persons with disabilities who may require accommodations should contact Access and Disability Services (ADS) in Building I, Room 103, or telephone at 847.925.6266 (voice callers) or 224.836.5048 (videophone for Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing callers).
Yes. Persons with disabilities who may require accommodations should contact Access and Disability Services in Building I, Room 103, or telephone at 847.925.6266 (voice callers) or 224.836.5048 (videophone for Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing callers).
A valid photo ID is required for placement testing. You will not be permitted to test without appropriate identification. Acceptable forms of identification include:
Typically, results are posted within two business days of taking the test. Immediately after testing, a "place-holder" score of IP (In-progress) will be posted until the final result is entered. If your test requires additional review, your score may take up to five business days. Once finalized, the placement results will be posted to the Test Score and Course Eligibility section of the MyHarper Student Portal. It is the student’s responsibility to confirm that the essay has been scored PRIOR to scheduling Orientation/Advising.
Students will be placed into the English classes that will help them develop the skills needed for success in college. We strongly encourage you to discuss your results with a counselor or advisor as an important first step in understanding your placement.
In extreme circumstances, students may appeal to the English (and/or ESL) department co-chairs. However, we strongly encourage you to discuss your results with a counselor or advisor as an important first step in understanding your placement and what it means. Our goal is to help all students be successful in college and it’s not uncommon for students to place into “co-requisite” classes (that are taken along with ENG 101) or a standalone course that will help prepare them for ENG 101.
If you decide to appeal, please discuss with your advisor first. Then, CC your advisor, and email eplacement@harpercollege.eduso that your appeal may be forwarded to the right individuals.
Yes, students will be allowed to choose between two reading passages. Each passage is roughly 500 words in length and will have a Lexile score of 1000-1400L. Passages can be excerpts from essays, news articles, or books. All passages will be persuasive or argument-based. Students will then be provided with a clear and detailed essay (response) prompt. This will be an argument essay with a clear structure (i.e. thesis and supporting body paragraphs with evidence). Raters will assess how students respond to the passage as well as the directions in the prompt.
No. However, the essay prompt will ask for specific components, such as: a) a clear introduction with the summary of the reading and a thesis sentence; and b) one or two body paragraphs with supporting quotes or paraphrased points from the reading passage. It is ideal to follow the writing guidelines exactly. Raters will review the quality of the response over quantity.
We expect most students to use 30-60 minutes for the Harper English Test.
There are several successful ways to answer the prompt! Students who are ready for ENG 101 should follow the guidelines as accurately as they can.
The English Department conducts several “Refresher Workshops” through the year. In these workshops, an English faculty member will provide detailed guidelines on how to best answer the placement essay prompt. Students who would like to enroll for these workshops should eplacement@harpercollege.edu
Students may take the English Placement test once. However, in rare cases, students may appeal the result. If a student believes that they qualify for an appeal, they must consult with their advisor. Please scroll up to the last answer in the previous section on test-taking for more information.