Placement Exams or Proof of English Proficiency
All F1 visa applicants need to complete placement exams or submit proof of English proficiency before receiving a Form I-20 and registering for courses. Applicants from non-English speaking countries who cannot complete placement exams or submit proof of English proficiency at this stage will receive a Form I-20 with English as a Second Language as their program of study. Applicants from countries where English is a native or primary language do not need to submit proof of English proficiency but will need to complete placement testing.
All non-native speakers of English are required to pass an English proficiency exam in order to enroll in English 101 and other academic classes.
Students who are not able to pass the required proficiency exams may be required to enroll in English as a Second Language (ESL) courses or other courses to support their language development and writing skills. Please review NCC's Placement Policy for details.
Students who successfully complete Level 4 of the ESL program can enroll in English 101 and other academic classes.
Proof of English Proficiency:
Students can be exempt from English placement exams and ESL courses if they submit proof of proficiency through other standardized exams:
A minimum score of 79 on the TOEFL iBT and a minimum score of 100 on the Duolingo English exam
or
A minimum score of 6.5 on the IELTS and a minimum score of 100 on the Duolingo English exam.