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Placement Test 1
General Directions
The Placement Test has three sections: Listening, Reading, and Language 
Use. There are 70 questions. You are allowed 50 minutes to complete the 
test. 
In Section I, the Listening section, you will hear nine conversations and
answer one or more questions about each one. Before you listen to a
conversation, read the question or questions. Then listen to the conversation.
Answer the questions after the conversation ends. Choose the correct answer
for each question and fill in your choice on your answer sheet. You will hear
the conversation only once. The first conversation is an example. You have 15
minutes to complete this section.
Section II, the Reading section, has several short passages. After you read 
each passage, choose the correct answer for each question and fill in your 
choice on your answer sheet. You have 20 minutes to complete this section.
Section III, the Language Use section, has 30 items. Choose the correct 
completion for each item and fill in your choice on your answer sheet. You 
have 15 minutes to complete this section.
Mark your answers clearly on your answer sheet. If you want to change an 
answer, erase your first answer completely. 
Placement Test 1 
1 
Section I: Listening
In this section of the test, you will hear conversations and answer some
questions about them. For each conversation, first read the situation and the
question or questions. Then listen to the conversation. Answer the questions
after you hear the conversation. Respond to the questions by marking the
correct answer (a, b, c, or d) on your answer sheet.
Read the example situation and question.
Example
Situation: Bill Sanchez calls Dr. Stockton’s office to make an appointment.
Bill is going to see the doctor on _______ .
a. Tuesday at 10:00
b. Tuesday at 4:00
c. Wednesday at 10:00
d. Wednesday at 4:00
Now listen to the example conversation.
EXAMPLE CONVERSATION]
Now answer the example question.
The answer for the example is d, Wednesday at 4:00. The letter d is filled in
on your answer sheet.
Now go on to page 3. 
Placement Test 1 
2 
Situation 1: David is talking with Tomomi when Monica comes into the room.
A1. _______ are meeting for the first time.
a. David and Monica
b. David and Tomomi
c. Tomomi and Monica
d. David, Monica, and Tomomi
Situation 2: Ken and Nancy are at a restaurant.
A2. Ken _______.
a. is having steak tonight
b. stopped eating steak
c. eats steak a lot
d. prefers chicken to steak
Situation 3: Karen calls Jason’s home. Jason’s father answers the telephone.
A3. Karen is going to _______.
a. speak with Jason at work
b. call back in an hour
c. wait for Jason to call
d. send a written message
Situation 4: A reporter is giving today’s weather forecast.
A4. It will be clear in _______.
a. the Northeast
b. Seattle
c. Boston
d. Miami
A5. In Seattle, the weather is _______.
a. hot
b. snowy
c. cool
d. rainy
Situation 5: Bill invites Jennifer to go to dinner and a movie.
A6. They’re going to _______.
a. leave work a little early
b. go to the movie before dinner
c. see the movie tomorrow
d. have dinner at 7:00
A7. Jennifer doesn’t accept right away because she can’t _______.
a. eat a late lunch
b. leave work early
c. go to dinner
d. see the movie
Now go on to page 4.
Placement Test 1 
3 
Situation 6: Linda is asking Jim about his plans for the summer.
A8. In the summer, Jim usually _______.
a. stays in the mountains
b. takes trips with his family
c. visits his parents
d. goes to the beach
A9. This summer he’s planning to _______.
a. stay at home
b. go to the beach
c. fish with his dad
d. hike in the mountains
Situation 7: Phil is talking with Susie about money.
A10. Phil is upset because _______.
a. Susie can’t lend him any money
b. his parents won’t give him money
c. Albert hasn’t returned his money
d. his friends never lend him money
A11. Albert _______.
a. didn’t borrow $100
b. isn’t working now
c. doesn’t need the money
d. can’t return the money yet
A12. Susie doesn’t lend money to friends because _______.
a. she has just enough for herself
b. lending money can change a 
friendship
c. people won’t lend her money
d. her friends don’t need it
Situation 8: Natalie and Chuck are talking about their experiences abroad.
A13. Chuck went backpacking _______.
a. in Brazil
b. by himself
c. after high school
d. with his father
A14. Chuck says he “would have liked to have seen Portugal.” He means that he 
_______.
a. went there, and he liked it b. didn’t go there, but he wanted to
c. went there, but he didn’t like it d. didn’t go there, and he didn’t want 
to
A15. While Natalie was in Japan, she _______.
a. traveled all over the country
b. lived with a Japanese family
c. learned Japanese quickly
d. got very homesick
A16. Chuck doesn’t want to _______.
a. travel anymore
b. learn a foreign language
c. stay at home
d. live abroad
Now go on to page 5.
Placement Test 1 
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Situation 9: Diane and Conrad are talking about their careers.
A17. Conrad got into advertising because he _______.
a. studied advertising in college
b. heard about a job opening
c. liked to help people
d. was tired of his old job
A18. When he was young, Conrad wanted to _______.
a. work in advertising
b. become a doctor
c. stay in school
d. go into business
A19. Diane’s parents didn’t want her to _______.
a. start her own business
b. finish college
c. be too successful
d. change her career
A20. Conrad _______.
a. owns his own company
b. enjoys working in advertising
c. thinks his job is boring
d. wants to leave his job
Now go on to page 6 and begin the Reading section.
Placement Test 1 
5
Section II: Reading
In this section of the Placement Test, you will read some short passages and answer
questions about them. Choose the word or words that best complete the sentence. 
For each item, fill in your answer on the answer sheet. 
You will have 20 minutes to complete this section.
Passage 1: What are you doing today?
PEDRO: I usually go out with friends on Saturday night. But today’s Friday, and we’re 
going out to a football game tonight. So tomorrow night I’m staying home.
B21. This Saturday night, Pedro is _______.
a. playing football
b. visiting friends
c. staying home
d. going out
Passage 2: What do you do?
EILEEN SWEET: I’m a hostess at a big restaurant. I greet people at the door and take 
them to their tables. Day after day, I always do the same thing. Someday I hope to 
have a more interesting job, but it’s OK for now.
C22. Eileen thinks that her job is _______.
a. difficult
b. interesting
c. important
d. boring
Now go on to page 7.
Placement Test 1 
6
Passage 3: A vacation postcard
Dear Sal,
Greetings from France – it’s so good to be back here again! We left the kids with 
their grandparents in Chicago, and we’re biking across the French countryside by 
ourselves. We brought a tent and sleeping bags, so we can camp out if we want to, 
but we’re really enjoying the small hotels we find along the way.
Love,
Michael and Paula
A23. Michael and Paula _______.a. have been to France before
b. took their children with them
c. are visiting their grandparents
d. prefer to sleep outside
Passage 4: Meditation
You observe a person in meditation. On the surface, he appears to be asleep, but 
he’s simply in a trance – a kind of half-sleep in which the person is conscious but 
able to ignore the situation around him. For the meditator, the ability to concentrate 
is so strong that everything around him – sounds, smells, movement – seems to fade
in importance. At the same time, decision making and deep thinking are often 
greatly improved.
B24. In this reading, meditation refers to a person’s _______.
a. state of mind
b. intelligence
c. physical condition
d. ability to sleep
B25. Meditation doesn’t help a person _______.
a. hear better b. think deeply
c. make decisions d. ignore smells
Passage 5: The Scot and the tea kettle
According to one story, a Scottish boy watched the steam lift the top off his mother’s
tea kettle and realized the power of steam to make machines work. That boy, James
Watt, would then go on to invent the modern steam engine in 1769. Actually, the
history of steam technology records the successful work of several scientists and
engineers before Watt. For example, in 1698, Thomas Savery had introduced a
simple steam pump to remove water from mines, and 14 years later Thomas
Newcomen invented a better pump. But these pumps weren’t efficient because they
used so much fuel. In 1769, the Scottish boy, James Watt, figured out a way to save
three-quarters of the fuel. To honor him, his last name became the name of a unit of
energy.
C26. The example of the boiling tea kettle shows that steam is _______.
a. useful
b. efficient
c. powerful
d. necessary
C27. The first steam engines _______.
a. didn’t pump water
b. cost too much to build
c. were difficult to make
d. used too much fuel
Now go on to page 8.
Placement Test 1 
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Passage 6: It’s a big country!
When it comes to body weight, Americans stand out. Most visitors to the United 
States, no matter where they go across this vast country, comment on the size of 
many Americans. In fact, these impressions are backed by numerous statistics. For 
example, the average 5'4" American weighs 162 pounds, or 15 pounds more than 
the average person of the same height from Western or Central Europe. Another 
comparison: At 150 pounds, the average 5'4" American woman is 24 pounds heavier
than her Japanese counterpart.
Why are Americans so heavy? Some blame the American diet. Certainly it’s true that
Americans eat more high-fat foods – meat, dairy products, and processed food – and
fewer grains and vegetables than people in other countries. But fat isn’t the whole 
story. Lifestyle factors – including the tendency for Americans to drive rather than 
walk or ride a bicycle to work, to snack throughout the day, and to have so many 
labor-saving devices in the home – appear to contribute to the problem.
A28. According to the article, visitors to the United States often comment on the size
of the _______.
a. population
b. cities
c. country
d. people
A29. According to the article, the average Western European weighs _______.
a. more than an American
b. more than a Central European
c. less than an American
d. less than a Japanese person
A30. In comparison with Americans, people in other countries eat more _______.
a. meat
b. dairy products
c. processed food
d. grains
A31. The article implies that Americans would lose weight if they _______.
a. snacked more often
b. rode bicycles to work
c. stayed at home more
d. ate fewer vegetables
Now go on to page 9.
Placement Test 1 
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Passage 7: Personality types
What makes people the way they are? Why do some people get angry easily, others
always seem to be cheerful, while still others are often depressed? The early Greek
doctor Hippocrates thought that personality was linked to the fluids that were known
to exist in the human body: the blood, the bile, the black bile, and the phlegm.
These fluids were called the four humors. He believed that inside each person, one
kind of body fluid was dominant and that this fluid – or humor – caused a tendency
toward a particular kind of behavior.
If the blood (sanguinis) was dominant, the person was sanguine, or cheerful and
willing to help others. If the yellow bile of the liver (called choler) was the most
important, the person would be irritable and quick to anger. If the person was often
sad and depressed, the black liquid of the spleen and kidneys (melan-choler or black
bile) was blamed. And the person who had too much phlegm (the thick mucus of the
nose and throat) was likely to be lazy, calm, and dull (not very intelligent).
Today we know that personality results from a combination of lifestyle and natural
factors, and has little or nothing to do with the balance of body fluids. However,
even today the words remain: humorous, sanguine, choleric, melancholy,
phlegmatic. Although psychologists no longer use them, they have become part of
the common vocabulary – with some changes, of course. For example, today to say
that a person is humorous means that the person laughs and makes others laugh,
from the idea of having “good” humor.
B32. According to the article, the early Greeks knew that _______.
a. there are different fluids in the 
human body
b. everyone shows the same basic 
behavior
c. people who laugh a lot are 
humorous
d. personality is the result of lifestyle 
factors
B33. For the early Greeks, humor was the name for a type of _______.
a. personality type
b. body part
c. natural fluid
d. internal organ
B34. Hippocrates believed that _______ was dominant in a happy person.
a. blood
b. bile
c. black bile
d. phlegm
B35. Today the word humorous is used to describe a person’s _______.
a. blood type
b. lifestyle
c. personality
d. body fluids
Now go on to page 10.
Placement Test 1 
9
Passage 8: Biofeedback
When biofeedback was first developed a number of years ago, it caused a lot of
excitement. People hoped that biofeedback could be used to cure all kinds of
physical and mental problems. 
Biofeedback is the name for a medical technique that helps people treat certain
problems by becoming more aware of their own bodies. In biofeedback, instruments
that measure bodily functions such as muscle tension, temperature, and blood flow
are attached to the body. The instruments produce signals – for example, a series of
sounds (beeps) or a flashing light – that the person can hear or see. The patient then
uses the information to help gain control over the function.
The most widely used biofeedback instrument is the electromyograph, or EMG. The
EMG is used to measure muscle tension. It is made up of several electrodes, which
are placed on the skin near a particular area, depending on the symptom. For
example, for headaches, a symptom often caused by excessive tension in the neck
muscles, the electrodes are placed on the forehead or near the back of the neck.
When the tension is present, the EMG produces a signal and the patient is taught to
respond by relaxing the appropriate muscles. In many cases, the relaxation of these
muscles causes the headache to go away.
While biofeedback has not turned out to be a cure-all, it has been used successfully
to treat a limited number of problems – especially those caused by chronic tension.
C36. At first, people were very _______ biofeedback.
a. nervous about
b. interested in
c. familiar with
d. opposed to
C37. Biofeedback instruments ______.
a. act like a kind of medicine
b.cause people to get excited
c. are put on a patient’s body
d. teach people to exercise
C38. Blood flow is an example of a _______.
a. technique
b. signal
c. function
d. problem
C39. The EMG _______.
a. relaxes the muscles
b. measures tension
c. causes movement
d. produces symptoms
C40. According to the article, biofeedback _______.
a. is more popular than ever
b. causes chronic tension
c. cures all types of headaches
d. has had limited success
Now go on to page 11 and begin the Language Use section.
Placement Test 1 
10 
Section III: Language Use
In this section, you will answer questions about the use of English. Choose the word 
or words that best complete the sentence. For each item, fill in your answer on the 
answer sheet. 
You will have 15 minutes to complete this section.
A41. _______ several good restaurants in our neighborhood.
a. There
b. They’re
c. There are
d. Their
B42. My office is _______ downtown.
a. on
b. near
c. close
d. at
C43. “I like to cook.”
 “_______ do I.”
a. And
b. So
c. Also
d. Too
A44. I enjoy _______ out two or three times a week.
a. to eat
b. eating
c. eat
d. I eat
B45. I don’t have a computer, but _______ my friends do.
a. the most
b. almost
c. most of
d. most
C46. Yesterday’s game caused a lot of _______.
a. excited
b. exciting
c. excite
d. excitement
47. After finishing college, I hope _________ married.
a. get
b. that get
c. getting
d. to get
B48. Cairo is _______ any other city in Egypt.
a. the large
b. larger than
c. the largest
d. large as
Now go on to page 12.
Placement Test 1 
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C49. Tom’s bought a new car, _______ he?
a. doesn’t
b. isn’t
c. wasn’t
d. hasn’t
A50. I’ve run out of money. I wish I _______ more.
a. am saving
b. have saved
c. had saved
d. will save
B51. Excuse me. Could you tell me where _______?
a. the bus station is
b. is the bus station
c. it is the bus station
d. is it the bus station
C52. My suitcase would have been much lighter if I _______ all my books.
a. don’t pack
b. not packing
c. hadn’t packed
d. not pack
A53. Yolanda _______ part time for several years now.
a. has been working
b. is working
c. works
d. was working
B54. The movie’s great! It’s really worth _______.
a. seeing
b. to see
c. you see
d. see
C55. If fewer people drove cars to work, _______ less pollution.
a. we’ve had
b. we’d have
c. we’re having
d. we’ll have
A56. Would you mind _______ the window?
a. open
b. opening
c. to open
d. I open
B57. My sister is interested _______ about Japanese literature.
a. learn
b. learning
c. to learn
d. in learning
C58. The washing machine needs _______.
a. being fixed
b. to be fixed
c. to fix
d. you fix it
 Now go on to page 13.
Placement Test 1 
12 
 59. By 2020, scientists _______ a cure for cancer.
a. had found
b. will have found
c. are finding
d. have been finding
B60. The ground’s wet. It must _______.
a. raining
b. have rained
c. to rain
d. rained
C61. I am used _______ the bus to work.
a. to take
b. to taking
c. took
d. taking
A62. Chicago, _______ is nicknamed the Windy City, is the largest city in Illinois.
a. it
b. which
c. what
d. that
B63. I won’t go _______ you come with me.
a. instead
b. except
c. unless
d. although
C64. Before _______ to bed, I usually brush my teeth.
a. going
b. go
c. to go
d. that go
A65. I’m taking a class _______ learn more about my computer.
a. so that
b. in order
c. in order to
d. that
B66. Helen is _______ serious student I have ever seen.
a. more
b. most
c. the more
d. the most
C67. You’d better tell Joe _______ in here.
a. not to smoke
b. not smoking
c. no smoke
d. don’t smoking
A68. I feel sick. I shouldn’t _______ so much.
a. to eat
b. eaten
c. have eaten
d. eating
B69. Betty’s husband suggested that she _______ a few days off from work.
a. has took
b. taking
c. take
d. will take
C70. The more you practice speaking English, _______ it gets.
a. easy
b. the easiest
c. easier
d. the easier
END OF TEST
Placement Test 1 
13
Placement Essay
Name ____________________________________ Date ________________ Rating 
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Directions: Please write about ONE of the following topics. Do not write on
all three. 
Write a well-organized essay about the topic you choose. When you finish
your essay, read it over and correct any mistakes you find. Give your essay to
the instructor.
Topic 1: Describe a person you know well. Why is that person special to you?
Topic 2: What sports have you learned to play? Based on your experience,
what advice would you give to someone who wants to learn to play one of
these sports?
Topic 3: Describe your favorite free- time activity. Why is it fun?
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Placement Conversation Rating Form
Student’s Name _______________________________________Date ____________
Placement Conversation Rating: ________
RUBRICS FOR PLACEMENT CONVERSATION QUESTIONS
1 The participant provides a short answer and/or an inadequate response to the question.
2 The participant is hesitant in their responses, pronunciation is not clear , and/or asks assistance 
about native language equivalents
3 The participant shows confidence, expands their answers, uses clear pronunciation and applies 
language focus.
T A S K S Language Focus 1 2 3
American Headway Starter
1
Providing Personal Information
Hello, how are you?
Nice meeting you. I’m ___________________
Can you introduce yourself? /What’s your name?
Where are you from?
Where do you study/work?
Greetings
Simple Present
Personal Pronouns
Cities
2
Talking about Family and Friends
Do you have a small family?
How many brothers/sisters/ do you have?
What are their names?
Do you have a favorite friend?
Simple Present
Family members
How many?
Possessive Pronouns
3
Likes and Dislikes
Who’s your favorite /artist/ singer/soccer player?
Where is he/she from?
How old is she/he?
Why do you like him/her?
Simple Present
Nationalities/Countries
Telling Age
American Headway 1
Describing Routines
What do you do in the morning?
Simple present
Simple Present
4 What time do you go to school?
What do you do on weekends?
Prepositions of time
Adverbs of Frequency
5
Talking about Past Events
Did you have a good day yesterday?
What did you do in the morning?
Did you go out? Where?
Simple Past
Time Expressions
Past Verbs Forms
T A S K S Language Focus 1 2 3
American Headway 1
6
Describing Plans in the Future
What are you going to do after the test?
Are you going to have a Christmas Party?
Where are you going to celebrate Christmas? 
Future with Be going 
To
Time Expressions
American Headway 2
7
Describing Abilities
What sports can you play? 
Can you play any musical instrument?
Please describe one of your abilities.
Use of Can
Abilities
8
Talking about Life Experiences
Have you been to another country/city?
When did you go there?
Have you practiced any extreme sports?
How long have you lived in El Salvador / studied 
English /practiced a sport/ ?
Present Perfect vs.
Simple Past
For/Since
9
Giving Advice/Suggestions
What’s your advice for someone who wants to lose 
weight?
Should he/she visit a nutritionist?
Should he/she join a gym?
Modals: Should
Have to
Must 
Suggest + Gerund
American Headway 3
10
Making Offers and Requests
What typical dish would you offer a foreign tourist?
What place would you recommend for him to visit?
What question would you ask if you’re lost in another 
country?
Modals: Could
Would
Excuse me, would 
you/could you
11
Talking about Changes - Comparing
How is this city different now from 5 years ago?
What is something that has gotten more expensive in 
the last 5 years?
Describe something three ways in which life is 
different from ten years in the past.
Present Perfect
Simple Past
Adjectives 
Comparatives
12
Talking about Hopes and Dreams
What would you do if you won the lottery?
What famous artist/politician would you like to meet?
What will you be doing in 5 years from now?
Conditionals
Would
Future Continuous