Languages

English Placement Test

  • Reason why the placement test is obligatory: English courses are offered at six different levels. The prerequisite for taking English courses at Zessko is therefore, without exception, a valid placement test result.
  • Next online test (EXCEPT for law students, information for law students further below!):  on working days from Oct 07 to Oct 24, 2022, (last opportunity in the summer semester), then again in April 2023
  • Duration of the online test: 40 minutes.
  • Availability of online test results in PULS (so that students can apply for a place in a course): on the following working day, from 10:00.
  • Note: This test is not suitable for students enrolled in "Anglistik/Amerikanistik" and in "Lehramt Englisch" programs.

English Placement Test

 

  1. Before you start, make sure you can work on the placement test for up to 40 minutes without disturbance or interruption. It is not possible to quick-save the test and continue later or to repeat it. This test can only be taken again at the beginning of the next semester, at the earliest. We recommend using a PC or notebook with a stable internet connection.
  2. The result of the placement test is binding and has to match the score listed as a prerequisite for the course you wish to enroll in.
  3. Please work independently and without a dictionary or any other help.
  4. Students who would like to repeat the placement test must present proof before they take the test again that they have in the meantime successfully completed a language course of at least 4 semester hours (60 x 45 minutes) or have studied abroad.
  5. The test result as well as information concerning course registration will be displayed when the test has been completed and submitted.
  6. The English placement test at the University of Potsdam is valid for three years.

Law student placement test registration information

  • Law students who are in their 2nd-semester or higher and have not taken the test yet, please follow this link to sign up on the information list. The next tests for law students will be conducted from Oct 04 to Oct 06, 2022. The link to the placement test, together with a password, will be sent to all students who have signed up via the information list.

 

Important information on the placement test

The placement test is a prerequisite for taking any English course at Zessko. This means that only students and, if applicable, staff, who have already taken a placement test for English / Key Competences at the University of Potsdam and whose results are in the electronic system can register for English courses. BA students who are enrolled at the University of Potsdam and can receive credits for this course will be given priority over other applicants. The maximum number of seats (currently 16 for on-campus and blended courses or 20 for online courses) will not be exceeded.

The result of the placement test is binding and has to match the score listed as a prerequisite for the course you wish to enroll in. Students who would like to repeat the placement test must present proof before they take the test again that they have in the meantime successfully completed a language course of at least 4 semester hours (60 x 45 minutes) or have studied abroad. 

Applicability of the placement test

The placement test for the English department is valid for three years.

The placement test is used exclusively for the placement in the language courses at Zessko at the University of Potsdam. It is therefore not possible to use the placement test results for broader assessments of language fluency or to confirm the attainment of specific language skill levels. For this purpose, it is recommended to take the UNIcert exams offered at the Zessko.

Description of the test

The placement test is a 100-item test conducted via moodle that lasts 40 minutes. It is comprised of various written test units, including vocabulary, grammar, reading comprehension, and cloze tests. Because it is a diagnostic test to ascertain your current language competence, it is neither necessary nor useful to prepare for this test.

In order to familarize themselves with the question format as well as the content and the level of the test, students are advised to take a sample test prior to taking the placement test, which has been designed as a practice test, on the placement test moodle when the link is available.

It is recommended that students take the placement test in their first or second semester so that they can use their results to plan which courses [UNIcert II/1, UNIcert II/2, UNIcert III/1, UNIcert III/2 or, alternatively, with a placement test result of 90+ points, UNIcert IV/1 and IV/2] they would like to take, meaning how many semesters students will need at the least to complete their degree programs.