About College ESL
College ESL is an academic program that is part of an academic division on each campus.
NOVA’s College ESL program teaches students from all over the world. Many of our students are immigrants to the U.S. who live in Northern Virginia. We also teach students who come to the College on student visas. In addition, we enroll other visitors to the area who have diplomatic or other short-term visa status.
The primary goal of College ESL is to get you ready to succeed in college-level classes. We help you build your academic literacy and critical thinking skills. We also help you develop the English language skills you need for jobs and in your everyday life.
Levels of College ESL
We have four levels of instruction, from Level 2 (low-intermediate) to Level 5 (advanced). At all four levels, students take courses in reading and writing. At Levels 2 and 3, they also take a course in oral communication. Students in Levels 4 and 5 can begin taking introductory general education (credit) courses along with their ESL reading and writing courses.
Placement Testing
Who needs to take the ESL Placement Assessment?
- Students who did not complete high school in the United States, whose primary language is not English, and who do not have TOEFL/IELTS/ACT/SAT test scores.
- International students (F/M/J) whose primary language is not English and who do not have TOEFL iBT, IELTS, or Duolingo-Academic test scores from 2018 or later. International students should work with their International Student Advisor.
- TOEFL iBT score of below 19 in each of the four sections: Writing, Reading, Listening, and Speaking.
- IELTS-Academic score below 6.5 in each of the four sections: Writing, Reading, Listening, and Speaking.
- Students who completed high school in the United States, for whom English is not a primary language should contact the ESL department (ESL@nvcc.edu) to speak with an ESL advisor about placement options.
What is the ESL Placement Assessment?
This assessment has four parts and should take less than two hours to complete:
- Reading Comprehension section with questions about multiple short reading passages.
- Listening Comprehension section with questions about multiple short listening passages.
- Reading Response section with a short reading to which you will write a response.
- Writing Response section with an open question to which you will write a response.
How do I take the ESL Placement Assessment?
- Contact the Testing Center at NOVATesting@nvcc.edu to take the assessment.
- You can take this assessment only once, so be sure you take it at a time you can do your best.
How do I get my results for the ESL Placement Assessment?
- You will receive your assessment result by email.
- Contact the ESL Department for questions about your placement and class registration information or any other follow-up questions.
- Each ESL class will have a diagnostic (pre-test) on the first day of class. Your placement may need to be adjusted based on the results.
How can I prepare for the ESL Placement Assessment?
You may use any online resources to review or check out the links below.
Tuition Information
Tuition for College ESL classes is based on the total number of credit hours you register. If you meet certain Virginia residency requirements, you can pay in-state tuition. Otherwise, you have to pay out-of-state tuition. If you qualify for financial aid, you can use those funds to pay for College ESL classes.
Tuition & Fees Apply for Financial Aid
