English Language Placement Exam
The Graduate School requires that international students whose first language is not English demonstrate proficiency in academic English by taking oral and written exams upon their arrival at Duke. (This requirement is over and above the submission of a TOEFL or IELTS score.) The written exam includes summarizing a reading and writing an essay; the oral exam is similar to the SPEAK test and is administered in the language lab at Duke. The exams are typically given in the week prior to the beginning of classes each semester, and you must schedule your arrival at Duke in time to take these tests. Details about the time and location of the tests will be sent to you by your department.
You will be notified of your placement exam results before the beginning of classes. The oral and/or written English graduate level credit-bearing course(s) are offered in both the fall and the spring semesters. All courses that you place into are Graduate School degree requirements and students are required to show satisfactory progress toward their completion in their first year of study.
The following Graduate School students may be exempted from the testing requirement: (1) international students who are native speakers of English; (2) non-degree and exchange students. Exemption requests are handled on an individual basis and should be directed to Maria Parker, EIS Program Director, email address mgparker@duke.edu.