Undergraduate English Requirement

Overview

Undergraduate students can meet the English Requirement with (1) previous education, (2) ACT or SAT English section scores, (3) standardized English proficiency test scores, or (4) ESL Writing courses and/or ESL Oral Communication courses.

1. Undergraduates with one or more of the following educational backgrounds:
   1. Four years of high school English
   2. Graduation from high school in a country where English is an official language*
2. Undergraduates with one or more of the following test scores:
   1. ACT English scores of 24 or higher
   2. SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (SAT-EWR) scores of 600 or higher)
3. As of Fall 2026, undergraduate students are placed into English courses automatically based on the standardized English proficiency test scores they submitted for admission to ISU.

NOTE: All standardized test scores, transcripts, and diplomas must be official. Official documents are those sent by the test provider or school directly to the ISU admissions office. Documents emailed by the student are unofficial. Please do not email test scores or educational documents to the EPT office.

Placement

If you have submitted TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo English Test (DET), or PTE Academic scores, your scores will be used to determine your placement in the appropriate English course. No additional testing is required.

Cut scores for writing course placement

The following table shows the minimum scores required for placement into each English course. Students will be placed into the highest course for which they qualify.

Cut scores for oral communication course placement

Undergraduate students may also be required to complete ENGL 0990S unless both their speaking AND listening sub-scores meet the exemption thresholds below. Students with both sub-scores at or above the threshold are automatically exempt.

ENGL 0990S is not required if you have Speaking AND Listening subscores as follows:

• Old TOEFL: 23 or higher
• New TOEFL: 4.5 or higher
• IELTS: 7.0 or higher
• Duolingo (DET): 130 or higher
  PTE Academic: 65 or higher

*English-speaking countries (i.e., those that recognize English as an official language) include the following:

Contact us

• Email: ept@iastate.edu (fastest way)
  • Please do not send any sensitive information, such as transcripts or exam scores.
• Office: 239 Ross Hall (appointment required)
• Phone: The EPT office extension is not monitored. Please send all inquiries via email.