Placement

English Standardized Test Scores and Placement

Standardized test scores determine student placement in English 1110, 1110X/1110Y, and 1120 courses.  
Test scores may also determine exemption from these courses, and may earn academic credit.
First year writing students attending Branch Campuses should refer to Gallup, Los Alamos, Taos,
and Valencia for their placement scores (links are posted as they are made available to us).

 

 

ACT English

SAT (after 3/1/2016)

Next Generation Accuplacer

Next Generation Writeplacer

Lobo Course Placement English Placement Tool

Prerequisite Courses

Placement

 

15 and lower

449 and lower

278 and lower

N/A

10

N/A

Into English

1110X-1110Y*

(Fall through Spring sequential class)

 

16-25

450-659

279 and higher

6-8

20

N/A

Into English 1110

 

26-28

660-699

N/A

N/A

30

English 1110,
or 1110X-1110Y sequence

Into English 1120

 

29 and higher

700 and higher

N/A

N/A

40

N/A

Out of All First-Year Composition Courses

*ENGL 1110, 1110X/1110Y, and 1120 may require special permission for registration.

Please contact Susan McAllister at (505) 277-5576 or by email at corewriting@unm.edu. 
Placement chart updated April 2021

ACT, SAT Verbal, SAT Evidence-Based Reading/Writing Exams & Lobo Course Placement English Placement Tool

  • Student scores on the ACT English, the SAT Verbal, SAT Evidence-Based Reading/Writing exam, or LCP English Placement tool determine placement in English 1110, 1110X/1110Y, and 1120, and can determine exemption from these courses. 

Advanced Placement Exam (AP)

  • An AP score of 3 or 4 on the English Language & Composition exam earns credit for English 1110 and qualifies you for placement in English 1120. 
  • An AP score of 5 on the English Language & Composition exam earns credit for English 1110 and 1120, satisfying the University Writing Proficiency Requirement and qualifying you for placement in English 2210 and 2120.
  • An AP score of 3 or 4 on the English Literature and Composition exam earns credit for English 1410 (Spring 2022 and forward)
  • An AP score of 3 or 4 on the English Literature and Composition exam earns credit for English 1110 (Fall 2019-Fall 2021 only)
  • An AP score of 5 on the English Literature & Composition exam earns credit for English 1120 and 1410.
  • AP scores of 5 on both the English Literature & Composition exam and the English Language & Composition exam earns credit for English 1110, 1120 and 1410.

To see which UNM General Education requirements these courses fulfill, please visit UNM's General Education page.  

College-Level Examination Program Exam (CLEP)

  • The College Composition Modular Exam with a score of 50 or above earns 6 English general elective credits.
  • The College Composition Exam with a score of 50 or above earns credit for English 1110 as well as 3 English general elective credits and qualifies you for placement in English 1120.

International Baccalaureate Exam (IB)

  • Applies only to Higher Level IB
  • All Higher Level IB Scores (4-7) earn credit for English 1410 and English 1110 and qualify the student for placement in English 1120.

International Admission Testing

If English is not the student's official language of their home country, the student must demonstrate English language proficiency.  Most students will need to submit official English proficiency test scores (TOEFL, IELTS, Pearson, or Cambridge) that are LESS than 2 years old.

TOEFL Exam - Test of English as a Foreign Language

Undergraduate:

  • A minimum score of 520 on the PBT (paper-based test), or 190 on the CBT (computer-based test), or 68 on the IBT (internet-based test), earns placement in ENGL1110.  A high TOEFL score does not exempt a student from taking ENGL1110. 
  • A student has the option of requesting placement in English 1110 ESL (English as a Second Language) course, if seats are available, or any of the other available English 1110 classes. 
  • Override permissions are required and are given by the English Department in order for a student to register.
  • CELAC (Center for English Language and American Culture) offers a TOELF PBT Preparation course that is available to all students or residents, and CELAC or non-CELAC students can apply for the exam.
  • CELAC is a university pre-academic, non-credit, intensive English language program at UNM.  It is part of the Global Education Office (GEO). 
  • CELAC serves students who want to develop college-level skills in reading, writing, listening, and speaking English.   

Graduate:

  • A minimum score of 550 on PBT, 213 on CBT, or 79 on IBT is required to demonstrate graduate level proficiency. 
  • A graduate level student can take ENGL2120 or ENGL2310 without having taken ENGL1110 (but an undergraduate student cannot). 

IELTS Exam - International English Language Testing System

Undergraduate:

  • A minimum score of 6.0 is required on the PBT, CBT, or IBT exams for ENGL1110 placement.

Graduate:

  • A minimum score of 6.5 on the PBT, CBT, or IBT exams is required for placement in ENGL1120, however ENGL1120 is not generally required of graduate students.

Pearson Test of English

Undergraduate:

  • A minimum score of 47 on the PBT, CBT, or IBT exams is required for placement in ENGL1110.

Cambridge Test

  • A satisfactory score of "C" is required for placement in ENGL1110.

Department of English Language and Literature
Humanities Building, Second Floor
MSC03 2170
1 University of New Mexico
Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001

Phone: (505) 277-6347
Fax: (505) 277-0021

english@unm.edu