Placement and Testing

The RIT English Language Exam (RIT ELE) is an online exam that is used for admission and course placement purposes at RIT only. The exam is not valid for other universities. The exam may only be taken one time.

Full-time English language study non-degree applicants:  The RIT ELE is required as part of your application process. Please be sure to schedule the exam by the deadline. In some cases, the English Language Center may revoke admission if an applicant does not complete this important step in the application process.

RIT Undergraduate and Graduate degree applicants:  International applicants to RIT degree programs must complete an approved English language exam. Approved exams include   IELTS, TOEFL, PTE Academic, or the RIT ELE.

• The low-cost RIT ELE may be used to complete your degree application instead of other accepted exams.   
• You may also take the RIT ELE if you would like to try to change the English requirements that were part of your RIT admission package.

There is a $50 fee for the RIT English Language Exam. Due to banking restrictions on the registration credit card transaction, the fee is non-refundable.

Register for the RIT English Language Exam

The RIT ELE can be taken at any time, but it must be completed by the deadline for your application term. Please anticipate a minimum of 10 days for the entire process, from the time of registration to the time you receive your test results. Deadlines vary depending on whether you are a graduate applicant, an undergraduate applicant, or a full-time English non-degree application. Please plan ahead to ensure that you have scores by the deadline for your application term.

Exam registration and exam evaluations are processed Monday – Friday during RIT business hours. Please expect 1-2 business days to complete the test registration. You are given a period of several days to complete the exam sections, and you can take the exam sections at your convenience, any time before the deadline.   

After you complete all the sections that you were assigned, the exam will be evaluated. Two or more professional human raters evaluate writing and speaking samples. Please expect one week (7 days) for the results to be emailed to you.   
 

Our exam has three parts. You will take them in the order listed below, however they can be scheduled on separate days.

Most students must take all three parts, but you may only be required to take some parts of the exam.

1. Two-Part Reading/Writing Exam
   • Part 1: 2-hour reading/writing exam
     • Read several articles about a topic and answer an essay question
     • The writing includes summary, citation, and response
   • Part 2: 30-minute, 30 multiple choice grammar questions
2. Spoken Communication Exam
   • 60-minute exam
   • Questions cover three areas: General information, class schedules, and data commentary
   • You will hear the question and record your answer
3. CEFR Exam
   • 60-minute exam
   • Tests speaking, listening, reading and writing
   • Similar to TOEFL type questions

After you register and pay, you will receive an email that will explain how to access the exam. You will get a ticket or “license” for each part of the exam.

What you will need:

• Government-issued ID like a passport
• Computer with good, uninterrupted internet connection and access
• A webcam
• Microphone with recording capabilities

NOTE: You must log in and take the exams on a computer, so you must arrange for uninterrupted access to a computer for the exam. You may NOT take the tests on a cell phone due to security reasons.

The use of outside resources, outside help from another person, or any “AI” to assist you during the exam is strictly prohibited. To monitor this, your actions will be recorded during the exam.  Additionally, your speaking and writing samples will be evaluated by expert analysts to identify assisted or plagiarized language. If there is evidence of external assistance during the exam, the exam and results will be invalidated. For those applying to RIT degree programs: The admissions counselor and the head of the academic program that you are applying to will be informed regarding any invalidated results.