Individuals who were born outside the United States and whose native language is not English or those who have educational credentials from other countries or American protectorates must satisfy an English language proficiency requirement as a condition of enrollment.
For enrollment into course work, students must document that they satisfy the English language proficiency requirement by one of the following accepted testing methods:
- TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language), IELTS (International Language Testing System), or Exemptions (listed below).
- A student may be admitted to the ESOL Program with a minimum score of:
- TOEFL 450 (Paper-Based Test), 45 (Internet-Based Test)
- IELTS Band 4 range
Note: Students who score below the ESOL levels can improve their English through the non-credit ESL program, which is taught through our Continuing and Professional Development (CPD) division. This option is not available to F1 students.
A student may be admitted to an academic program with a minimum score of:
- TOEFL 525 (Paper-based test), 70 (Internet-based test)
- IELTS Band 6 range
If outside of the US, students may submit an official TOEFL score. If inside the US, students may take the Accuplacer ESL exam at San Jacinto College. Once English language proficiency is met, students will need to take the TSIA for academic course placement.
The TOEFL ID for South campus is 6730; North campus is 6729; Central campus is 6694.
Exemption from the English Language Proficiency Requirement may be granted due to:
- Two years attendance and graduation from US high school and/or successful completion of college-level English from a regionally accredited or committee-approved US college or university.
Note: A waiver of this requirement is extended, but not limited to, native students of the following countries: Australia, The Bahamas, Belize, Bermuda, Botswana, Cameroon, Cayman Islands, English-speaking Canadian provinces, The Fiji Islands, Gambia, Ghana, Guyana, Ireland, Jamaica, Kenya, Liberia, Malta, Nauru, Nigeria, New Zealand, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Tobago Trinidad, Uganda, United Kingdom, The Virgin Islands, the West Indies, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
F1 Students
F1 students required to enroll in the ESOL Program cannot fulfill the English Language Proficiency requirement by enrolling in Continuing and Professional Development (CPD) ESL/ESOL courses.
English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Program
The ESOL program is a credit program of developmental study designed to prepare non-English speakers for admission to college-level course work.
The ESOL Program does not fall under the provisions of the Texas Success Initiative (TSI). To move from the ESOL developmental program and to enroll in college-credit courses, students must have the recommendation of the ESOL Program Director and/or must document that they have met the English language proficiency requirement and complete the state-approved TSI assessment exam. (See the section titled English Language Proficiency Requirement for Students Who are Speakers of Other Languages.) F1 students cannot enroll in CPD ESL/ESOL courses to fulfill English language proficiency.
Accuplacer ESL Testing Requirement
To be admitted to the ESOL program, all students must obtain the required minimum score of Accuplacer ESL 60 (Reading); 53 (Listening); 53 (Sentence Meaning); 2 (WritePlacer) and meet the requirements for one of the following types of admission. Students who cannot submit the minimum passing scores on one or two sections of the Accuplacer-ESL test may be admitted into the non-credit ESL courses sponsored through the CPD office. Upon recommendation of the ESL Program Director, students may retest on the Accuplacer ESL and reapply for admission to the ESOL program.
ESOL Program Admission Types
The College accepts two types of admission into the credit ESOL program.
High School Graduation or the Equivalent
Students whose native language is not English and who have graduated from high schools outside the United States or who have taken and passed all parts of any foreign language version of the High School Equivalency Test (HiSET) are eligible for unconditional admission only into the ESOL program if they provide documentation of high school graduation or the equivalent and if they meet the Accuplacer ESL testing requirements.
College or University Transfer Students
Students whose native language is not English transferring to San Jacinto College from other colleges and universities must document that they have met the English language proficiency requirements. Students who do not meet the English language proficiency requirements are eligible for admission only to the ESOL program if they meet the Accuplacer ESL testing requirements.
AccuPlacer ESL Placement Chart
Reading & Writing 1
| Reading Score | WritePlacer Score | Course Placement | Course Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 70 or below | 0-2 | CPD ESL | Continuing & Professional Development ESL |
| 71-89 | 3 or 4 | ESOL 0372 | Intermediate Reading & Writing for Non-Native Speakers |
| 90-109 | 5 | ESOL 0373 | Advanced Reading & Writing for Non-Native Speakers |
| 110 or above | 6 | TSIA Ready |
- 1
The placement of Reading & Writing and Grammar is based on two sets of scores each. If a discrepancy occurs, the lower score will be the determinant. For example, if a student scores 75 in Reading and 5 in WritePlacer, they will be placed in ESOL 0372 Intermediate Reading and Writing for Non-Native Speakers instead of the higher level ESOL 0373 Advanced Reading and Writing for Non-Native Speakers.
Grammar 1
| Sentence Meaning Score | Language Use Score | Course Placement | Course Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 52 or below | 52 or below | CPD ESL | Continuing & Professional Development ESL |
| 53-85 | 53-85 | ESOL 0382 | Intermediate Grammar for Non-Native Speakers |
| 86-108 | 86-108 | ESOL 0383 | Advanced Grammar for Non-Native Speakers |
| 109 or above | 109 or above | TSIA Ready |
- 1
The placement of Reading & Writing and Grammar is based on two sets of scores each. If a discrepancy occurs, the lower score will be the determinant. For example, if a student scores 75 in Reading and 5 in WritePlacer, they will be placed in ESOL 0372 Intermediate Reading and Writing for Non-Native Speakers instead of the higher level ESOL 0373 Advanced Reading and Writing for Non-Native Speakers.
Oral Communication (Listening & Speaking)
| Listening Scores | Course Placement | Course Title |
|---|---|---|
| 52 or below | CPD ESL | Continuing & Professional Development ESL |
| 53-72 | ESOL 0362 | Intermediate Oral Communication for Non-Native Speakers |
| 73-92 | ESOL 0363 | Advanced Oral Communication for Non-Native Speakers |
| 93 or above | TSIA Ready |