CaMLA English Placement Test
The CaMLA English Placement Test (EPT) helps English schools place students in the right course and helps organizations screen applicants for English ability. It’s made by CaMLA, a non-profit collaboration between the University of Michigan and the University of Cambridge, and has been used for more than four decades. A major revision in 2013 introduced Forms D, E and F, and three more forms—G, H and I—followed in 2015. The test works for learners at all levels, from beginner to advanced, and it covers listening, reading, grammar, and vocabulary. It can be taken on a computer or on paper, and different forms are designed to be equally difficult. Each form has unique content, with no questions shared between forms.
The EPT has three main parts: listening to a short conversation and choosing the best reply from three options; reading a short passage (about 150 words) and answering 4–5 questions; and reading a longer passage (about 300 words) and answering 5–6 questions. The computer version uses the same items in the same order as the paper version, and both delivery modes give statistically equivalent results. Computer results are available immediately after finishing; paper results are scored by the institution, usually within one day.
Scores range from 0 to 80 and place test-takers into six levels of language ability. Institutions set their own cut-off points, and scores link to the CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages). Older forms A–C used a 100-item version, and equivalence tables help compare old and new scores.
The CaMLA EPT is mainly used to place incoming learners in the right class and to check progress after instruction. Some schools re-test learners to see if they’re ready to move up. It is widely used as proof of English proficiency. CaMLA also provides free sample test questions on the official website.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 08:43 (CET).