Harper College

English Placement

To prepare you to reach your educational goals, before you register for an English class or if you're a New Degree Seeking student, you may need to take a placement test.

Waiver Options (Yes! No test)

If you meet any of the following criteria, you can enroll directly into ENG101 or ENG130. There is no placement test needed.

  • ACT - English score of 19-36 and Reading score of 20-36. Must have been taken within the last three years.
  • SAT - Evidence-Based Reading and Writing score of 480-800.  Must have been taken within the last three years.
  • High School GPA - 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale or 4.0 or higher on a 5.0 scale. Based on seventh semester or later cumulative unweighted High School GPA.
  • GED - Score of 165 or higher on Reasoning Through Language Arts sub-section, completed in English.
  • Aligned High School English Course - Passing ("C-" or better) grade on an aligned high school English course administered at a participating Illinois high schools.  Must have been taken within the last three years.
  • Transfer English Course - Transfer college-level English course with a grade of C- or higher.
  • Harper's English Essay - Placement exam score of 4.0 or 5.0. Must have been taken within the last three years.

Have you satisfied one more of the above test waiver options? If so, the next step is to submit the appropriate score report, high school transcript or college transcript to the Harper College One Stop office. For more information about submitting these materials, contact One Stop at onestop@harpercollege.edu or 847.925.6710.

Placement Test Matches You to Right Fit Course 

Your score will match you with the right course so you succeed on your college journey. For more information, or to schedule this exam, please see the English Placement Testing FAQ.

Placement Test Score / Take English Course Shown

Score Pathway Course(s) Placement
4.0 or 5.0  College English ENG101
3.5 College English with Support^*
ENG101 + ENG095^
ENG101 + ESP095 (based on ESL Placement)
3.0 Prep for College English*
ENG096*or possible ESL Placement*
2.0 English Reboot* ENG094*or possible ESL Placement*
1.0
 Further Screening Required* 
Further Screening Required*

Notes

^The ENG101 + ENG095 is a co-requisite course that provides students one additional credit hour of instructional support as they complete ENG101 coursework. Students that are eligible for this course will register for a “500 section” of the course and must sign up for the corresponding ENG095 “500 section” at the same time.

*Students who score at the developmental level may need further screening to determine if the ESL or the developmental pathway to English 101 is most appropriate. High school graduates who pass the ACCESS test, administered in Illinois high schools, will be referred to developmental course work rather than to ESL if they do not place into ENG 101/College English.

Choosing the Right English Course

To better understand your course placement, or to figure out which English course is best for you based on your academic goals, contact an Academic Advisor. Feel free to contact New Student Advising (located in Building C, room C104) at cnso@harpercollege.edu or 847.925.6208.

Last Updated: 2/22/24