Placement Test: Michael Mccarthy Jeanne Mccarten Helen Sandiford

Placement Test

Michael McCarthy
Jeanne McCarten
Helen Sandiford
32 Avenue of the Americas, New York NY 10013-2473, USA

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Placement Test Contents
[3]
Placement Test Administration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Description of the Placement Testing Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Placement Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Objective Placement Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Description of the Objective Placement Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Administration of the Objective Placement Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Scoring of the Objective Placement Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Placement Speaking Assessment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Description of the Placement Speaking Assessment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Administration of the Placement Speaking Assessment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Evaluation of the Placement Speaking Assessment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Placement Speaking Assessment Tasks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Placement Essay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Description of the Placement Essay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Administration of the Placement Essay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Evaluation of the Placement Essay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Placement Essay Rating Guide with Samples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Teachers’ Test Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Placement Speaking Assessment Rating Form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Final Placement Form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Answer Key for Objective Placement Test A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Answer Key for Objective Placement Test B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Answer Key for Objective Placement Test C . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Audio Script for Objective Placement Test A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Audio Script for Objective Placement Test B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Audio Script for Objective Placement Test C . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Students’ Test Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Placement Essay Form A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Placement Essay Form B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Placement Essay Form C . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Objective Placement Test A with Answer Sheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Objective Placement Test B with Answer Sheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Objective Placement Test C with Answer Sheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Placement Test Administration
[5]
Description of the Placement Testing Program

The Touchstone/Viewpoint Placement Testing Program is designed to identify the
optimal level for students entering programs where Touchstone and Viewpoint are used.
Placement can be made into the first or second half of each level of Touchstone and
Viewpoint. The test consists of three parts: an Objective Placement Test, including a
recorded listening section; a Placement Speaking Assessment; and a Placement Essay.
For users’ convenience, there are three versions of the Objective Placement Test: Tests A,
B, and C. There are also three versions of the Placement Essay. Each version of the
Objective Placement Test and Placement Essay covers exactly the same areas.
The Objective Placement Test is a 70-item multiple-choice test; the Placement Speaking
Assessment is a plan for eliciting and rating a brief sample of spoken language; and the
Placement Essay outlines the process of giving and evaluating a writing sample. The
Objective Placement Test measures primarily receptive skills (listening, reading, grammar
recognition), whereas the Placement Speaking Assessment and the Placement Essay
measure students’ productive skills (speaking and writing). The three parts of the test are
designed to complement one another and together provide a comprehensive picture of
students’ language ability. All parts of the test are based on the objectives, content, and
language of different levels of Touchstone and Viewpoint.
The different components of the test may be administered to individuals or to groups, and
in any order. For example, if there are a large number of students to be tested, the students
may be divided into three groups – with each group taking a different part of the test. As
the groups complete one part of the test, they may be given the next part in rotation until
all groups have completed the entire test. Placement depends on an individual student’s
performance on all three measures (see Placement Procedure, page 6).
It is possible – and in fact highly desirable – for multiple raters to be involved in the
Placement Speaking Assessment and the Placement Essay, as additional raters can add
valuable input to the process. If two or more raters are present during the Placement
Speaking Assessment, it is expected that one of the raters will be primarily responsible
for leading the discussion. When multiple raters are used for either the speaking
assessment or the essay, all raters must confer and agree on the final ratings.
In non-intensive English programs or in language programs with limited language
objectives, it may be appropriate to use only one or two components of the Touchstone/
Viewpoint Placement Testing Program. For example, a conversational program with a near-
exclusive emphasis on developing listening and speaking skills may obtain satisfactory
results by using only the Placement Speaking Assessment.
Before administering the Touchstone/Viewpoint Placement Testing Program, the teacher
will need to photocopy the following materials for each student being tested:
• the Placement Speaking Assessment Rating Form, pages 24–26
• the Final Placement Form, page 27
• a Placement Essay Form (A, B, or C), pages 44–45, 46–47, 48–49
• an Objective Placement Test (A, B, or C) with Answer Sheet, pages 50–67, 68–85, 86–103
[6]
Placement Procedure
To determine a final recommendation for placement in either the Touchstone or Viewpoint
series, add together a student’s ratings on the Objective Placement Test, the Placement
Speaking Assessment, and the Placement Essay, and then divide by three. Use the Final
Placement Form on page 27. The resulting number corresponds to a particular placement
recommendation (see Placement Guidelines, below). Some examples follow.
Placement Guidelines
Rating Placement*
1 Touchstone Level 1, first half

2 Touchstone Level 1, second half
9 Viewpoint Level 1, first half
10 Viewpoint Level 1, second half
(first half = units 1–6; second half = units 7–12)
Example Student A
TEST Rating level
Objective Placement Test 3 Touchstone Level 2, first half

Placement Speaking Assessment 2 Touchstone Level 1, second half
Placement Essay 2 Touchstone Level 1, second half
Total Rating 7
Total divided by 3 2.3
Placement recommendation Touchstone Level 1, second half

[7]
Example Student B
TEST Rating level
Objective Placement Test 5 Touchstone Level 3, first half

Placement Speaking Assessment 3 Touchstone Level 2, first half
Placement Essay 3 Touchstone Level 2, first half
Total Rating 11
Example Student C
TEST Rating level
Objective Placement Test 8 Touchstone Level 4, second half

Placement Speaking Assessment 9 Viewpoint Level 1, first half
Placement Essay 6 Touchstone Level 3, second half
Total Rating 23

Objective Placement Test
[8]
Description of the Objective Placement Test

Each version of the Objective Placement Test – A, B, and C – consists of three sections:
Listening (20 items), Reading (20 items), and Language Use (30 items) and requires
50 minutes to administer. The Listening section assesses students’ ability to understand
context, main idea, and supporting details in a conversation as well as the speaker’s
intent. Similarly, the Reading section assesses students’ ability to understand main and
supporting ideas in written passages, vocabulary, and the author’s intent. Passages in the
Listening and Reading sections are similar to those found in Touchstone and Viewpoint,
and mirror the language that students will encounter when they begin to use the series.
The Language Use section includes items that assess students’ ability to recognize
statements that are contextually appropriate and grammatically correct. The questions
in the Listening, Reading, and Language Use sections consist of four-option multiple-
choice items.
Administration of the Objective Placement Test

Before administering the Objective Placement Test, the teacher will need to make a copy
of the chosen version of the Objective Placement Test (pages 50–103) for each student.
The test pages may be photocopied and stapled into booklets, but it is best to leave the
answer sheets separate. In addition to these materials, the teacher will need to bring to
the testing site the Listening section audio CD, scratch paper (1 or 2 sheets per student),
pencils or pens, and a good-quality CD player.
Whether the Objective Placement Test is administered to individual students or to a
group, the test room and the audio equipment should be inspected before students arrive.
All students should be able to hear the audio program equally well. The room should be
comfortable and quiet, with tables or desks for each student. There should be enough
space to seat students so that they are comfortable and able to work independently
(using every other seat, for example).
Admit the students to the test room and direct them to their seats. Distribute scratch
paper, tests, and answer sheets. Tell students not to open the test booklets until they are
told to do so. Have the students write their names and the date on the answer sheet.
Check that no one has forgotten to do this. Then begin by having students open their test
booklets to the General Directions.
Read the directions aloud as students follow along. After you have read the directions,
answer any questions that students may have about the test and / or the test directions.
When the students are ready, tell them to turn to the first page of Section I. Say: “Listen
to the directions and the example. Then begin the test.”
Play the audio program. While students listen to the directions, adjust the volume as
necessary. The audio program should be played without stopping until the entire
Listening section has been completed.
At the end of the Listening section (Question 20), tell students to continue with the
Reading section. Read the directions aloud and note the time.
[9]
After 20 minutes, tell the students to begin the Language Use section. Check that
students are on the correct page. Read the instructions aloud and note the time.
After 15 minutes, collect all test materials. The test pages (booklets) may be reused. The
scratch paper should be thrown away.
Scoring of the Objective Placement Test

Use the appropriate Answer Key to score each version of the Objective Placement Test.
Total scores are used to indicate tentative placement into different levels of Touchstone or
Viewpoint. Each Touchstone or Viewpoint level corresponds to a different rating (see the
Scoring Guidelines below). These ratings are used in combination with ratings on the
Placement Speaking Assessment and the Placement Essay to determine final placement
(see Placement Procedure, page 6).
Scoring Guidelines
SCORE Rating Placement
1–5 1 Touchstone Level 1, first half

6–11 2 Touchstone Level 1, second half
50–55 9 Viewpoint Level 1, first half
56–61 10 Viewpoint Level 1, second half
62–68 11 Viewpoint Level 2, first half
69–70 12 Viewpoint Level 2, second half

Placement Speaking Assessment
[10]
Description of the Placement Speaking Assessment

The Placement Speaking Assessment is a 10-minute, face-to-face interaction with an
individual student. During the conversation, students are encouraged to perform specific
functions (e.g., introduce themselves, compare, give advice) and to demonstrate their
ability to use language appropriate to each given topic or task. The Placement Speaking
Assessment Tasks chart on pages 13–15 provides a list of 17 suggested tasks that are
reflective of the content and goals of various levels of Touchstone and Viewpoint. In the
chart, each task consists of example questions that can be used to guide the discussion as
well as a “language focus” section indicating relevant structures and vocabulary that the
task is designed to elicit.
Administration of the Placement Speaking Assessment

During the Placement Speaking Assessment, the student is presented with a series of tasks
from the chart with the goal of finding his or her optimum learning, or placement, level.
This level is characterized as the stage at which the student experiences some challenge or
difficulty, but not so much as to cause a breakdown or induce failure.
In presenting the tasks, the interviewer begins by introducing himself or herself and
finding out a little about the student; based on initial impressions of the student’s
speaking ability, the interviewer then selects a task at a level judged to be most
appropriate. Throughout the conversation, the selection of tasks tends to depend on a
student’s performance on prior tasks. For example, a student providing an excellent
response to one or several questions within a level would usually be led to a task at a
higher level; a student who cannot respond to a task at a given level most likely would be
given a task at a lower level. It is not necessary to present all the tasks in the chart or all
tasks at a particular level. The interviewer may close the conversation whenever it
becomes clear that enough tasks have been completed to determine a student’s overall
level.
Evaluation of the Placement Speaking Assessment

As the student completes each task, the rater or raters immediately evaluate the
student’s performance using the Placement Speaking Assessment Rating Form
(pages 24–26). All tasks are rated with a plus sign (+), a check (✓), or a minus sign (–),
as follows:
+ = very good to excellent response
✓ = appropriate / adequate response
– = inadequate response
It is important to remember that these represent holistic ratings, which means that raters
must consider content as well as accuracy when evaluating each response. Thus, a +
indicates a “very good” to “excellent” answer with respect to both content and language; a ✓
signifies that the student understands the task and responds adequately, although the
response may contain inappropriate words and /or grammar errors; and a – indicates a
major deficiency in the response as, for example, when the student is not able to
understand or answer a question even after it has been repeated or rephrased or when the
student gives a garbled or highly ungrammatical response.
[11]
To arrive at an overall rating, the evaluator finds the level at which the majority of
responses consist of ✓s and then, based on all the responses, determines whether the
student belongs in the first or second half of the level. Based on the Scoring Speaking
Assessment Guidelines below, the appropriate level is then assigned on the Placement
Speaking Assessment Rating Form (pages 24–26).
Scoring Speaking Assessment Guidelines

Rating Placement

The following examples illustrate the process of evaluating students’ oral skills during
the Placement Speaking Assessment. Each example includes (a) the specific tasks
selected, (b) ratings for each task, (c) the overall oral skills rating, and (d) a brief
description of the evaluation process (comments).
Example Student A
Task # LEVEL Description task Rating

1 Touchstone 1 Greetings and introductions + ✓ –
2 Touchstone 1 Talk about routines and free time + ✓ –
3 Touchstone 1 Talk about past events + ✓ –
6 Touchstone 2 Talk about communication + ✓ –
Oral skills rating: 3

Comments: The student responds quite well to the greeting and introductory questions, so is given
a more difficult Touchstone Level 1 task. Since this and the following tasks at the same level are
rated no higher than “adequate,” the student is given a 3 in oral skills (equivalent to the second half
of Touchstone Level 1).

[12]
Example Student B

4 Touchstone 2 Talk about interests and lifestyle + ✓ –
7 Touchstone 3 Talk about life experiences + ✓ –
12 Touchstone 4 Talk about education, the future, and careers + ✓ –
13 Viewpoint 1 Talk about methods of communication + ✓ –
15 Viewpoint 1 Talk about problems and solutions + ✓ –
Comments: This student also does well on greeting and introductions, but since she
appears quite advanced, she is immediately given a Touchstone Level 2 task, which she
also performs very well on. She also performs very well on a Level 3 task as well as on a
Level 4 task, so is given two Viewpoint 1 tasks. Since the student achieves a ✓ on Task #13
at the Viewpoint 1 Level but a – on Task #15, she is given an overall oral skills rating of 9
(equivalent to the first half of Viewpoint Level 1).
Example Student C

2 Touchstone 1 Talk about routines and free time + ✓ –
3 Touchstone 1 Talk about past events + ✓ –
Comments: Since this student achieves only an “adequate” rating on greetings and
introductions, he is assigned another Touchstone Level 1 task. The student’s “inadequate”
responses to the example questions from Task #3 indicate that he belongs in the first half of
Touchstone Level 1.

[13]
Placement Speaking Assessment Tasks

Touchstone Level 1
Task # Task Type EXAMPLes Language Focus
1 Greetings and • Good morning. How are you? • Simple present of be
introductions • What’s your name? Can you spell it? • What’s . . . ? It’s . . .
• What’s your email address?
• What’s your phone number?
2 Talk about • So, what’s your daily routine like? • Simple present verbs
routines and • Do you go out a lot in the evenings • Frequency adverbs
free time (weekends)?
• So, what do you do in your free time?
• How often do you watch TV (go to the
movies, etc.)?
• What do you usually watch?
3 Talk about past • What did you do last weekend (last • Simple past tense
events night / yesterday)? Did you do anything • Simple past of be
special?
• Where were you this time yesterday (last
year)? Were you happy (sad / busy / bored)?
• Tell me about a fun day you had recently.
What did you do?
Touchstone Level 2
Task # Task Type Examples Language Focus
4 Talk about • Do you have any interesting hobbies? • Simple present vs.
interests and • What kinds of activities are you doing these present continuous
lifestyle days? • Joining clauses with if
• Do you have a healthy lifestyle? Tell me why and when
or why not.
• Are you doing anything special to stay
healthy?
• What kinds of music do you like?
5 Talk about • What are you doing for your next birthday? • Future with present
future plans • How is your family going to celebrate the continuous and be
new year? going to
• What are you going to do later today (this
evening)?
6 Talk about • Which do you do more often – email, talk on • Comparative adjectives
communication the phone, or text message? Is there a better • More, less, fewer
way to communicate?
• How do you keep in touch with your friends
and family?
• Compare two different types of
communication. Which is easier (more
convenient)?

[14]
Touchstone Level 3
7 Talk about life • Have you been on a trip recently? Where? • Present perfect vs.
experiences • What was the most interesting thing about simple past
the trip? • Superlatives
• Have you ever done anything really scary?
• What are some of the most unusual foods
you have eaten? What was the best (worst)?
8 Talk about • If you had more free time, what would you • Present and future
hopes and do? conditional sentences
wishes • If you could live anywhere in the world, with if clauses
where would you live? Why?
• If you could change one thing about your life,
what would you change and why?
9 Talk about the • What important events have been in the • Present perfect
news news lately? continuous vs. present
• Have you been following a specific news perfect
story? Why is it interesting to you? • Simple past passive
• Has anything happened in your life recently
that’s newsworthy?
• Do you keep up with local news? What’s
been happening in your neighborhood
lately?
Touchstone Level 4
10 Talk about your • How did you end up studying English? • Simple and continuous
life • What are you planning to use English for? tenses
• Are you taking other classes (working) right • Verb complements
now?
• What’s most important to you in your life
right now? Why?
11 Talk about • What do you think about the legal age for • Passive of modal verbs
society driving here? Should it be changed? • get and be passive
• What do you think should be done about
students who regularly skip classes? Should
they be allowed to get away with it?
• We live in a multicultural society. What do
you think could be done to help people
understand each other?
12 Talk about • If you had the opportunity to change • Talking hypothetically
education, the anything about your education about the past
future, and (career / past), what would you change? • Reported speech
careers • Has anyone ever given you any good career • Passive of the present
(life) advice? What did they tell you? continuous and
• In what ways is education being changed by present perfect
technology?

[15]
Viewpoint Level 1 (9–10 points)

13 Talk about • What three methods of communication do • Present tense
methods of you use most often? • Tend
communication • Do you think more young people tend to use • Relative clauses
cell phones to talk or to text? Is the same true
for older people, do you think?
• Do you know anyone who doesn’t have a cell
phone or a computer? How does he or she
communicate?
14 Talk about your • How would you describe your childhood? • Simple past and past
childhood • What is something that you wish had been continuous
drastically different about your childhood? • Wish
How would it have changed your life? • Adverbs before
• What is something that a family member was adjectives
always telling you when you were growing • Reported speech
up? What’s some advice you were given as a
child?
15 Talk about • In your opinion, what’s the most serious • Superlatives
problems and problem facing your country today? • Reduced relative
solutions • Why is it the most important problem? clauses
• If you had the power, how would you solve • Conditional sentences
this problem?
16 Talk about • What’s something you shouldn’t do – and try • Avoiding repetition
yourself not to do – but sometimes do anyway? (Don’t with auxiliary verbs
tell me about anything that would be very and infinitive verb
embarrassing for you!) phrases
• How do you think most people who know • Noun phrases
you well would describe you? • Future perfect
• At the end of this course, how long will you continuous
have been studying English? What do you
think you’ll be doing at this time next year?
17 Talk about • Were it possible to return to a different • Conditional sentences
history time – a historical era – which would you be without if
interested in visiting? Explain your choice. • The perfect infinitive
• If you were to go back in time, what would
you miss most about your life in the 21st
century?
• Which historical figure would you like to
have met? Why?

Placement Essay
[16]
Description of the Placement Essay

The Placement Essay is a composition on an assigned topic that students complete within
a 30-minute period. Students are given three topics to choose from on Placement Essay
Form A, B, or C.
For users’ convenience, a list of additional writing topics for the Placement Essay has
been included below. Although the topics on this list and on the Essay Forms reflect the
subject matter and assignments in different levels of Touchstone and Viewpoint, they are
appropriate for all learners.
Additional Writing Topics
Select three of the following for students to write about:
1. Describe your favorite free-time activity. Why is it fun?

2. What is the most interesting place you have ever been? What advice would you give to
a person who is going there for the first time?
3. Compare two cities that you know. Describe their similarities and differences.
4. What were your favorite books to read when you were a child? Describe how your taste
in reading has changed since then.
5. What advice about local customs would you give to a visitor to your country?
6. Describe how you made a decision about a difficult problem. Based on the knowledge
you have now, would you have made the same decision? Why or why not?
Administration of the Placement Essay

The requirements regarding the comfort and condition of the room and spacing of
students already outlined in the section on administering the Objective Placement Test
(see page 8) apply to the administration of the Placement Essay as well.
Direct students to their seats, and ask them to put away any notes or materials they may
have brought with them. Students may not refer to previously prepared notes or use any
books, including dictionaries. Give students paper for making notes and for writing their
final draft, as well as pencils and pens as needed. Announce that students will have
30 minutes to complete the writing sample. Distribute a copy of Placement Essay
Form A, B, or C to each student (see pages 44–49) or a sheet of paper listing three topics
chosen from the preceding list. At the end of each testing period, collect all papers,
including the forms.
Evaluation of the Placement Essay

Placement Essays are rated on a scale from 1 to 12 based on the descriptions in the
Placement Essay Rating Guide (see pages 17–22). Each of the descriptions in the chart
corresponds to a particular level of Touchstone or Viewpoint.
[17]
Placement Essay Rating Guide with Samples

Following are Essay Guidelines, an Essay Scoring Rubric, and six sample student essays.
A number of characteristics of each essay are highlighted to provide teachers a gauge with
which to rate their own students’ writing. Please note that not all students’ mistakes in the
essays are pointed out.
Placement Essay Guidelines

Rating Placement
1–2 Touchstone Level 1

9–10 Viewpoint Level 1
11–12 Viewpoint Level 2
Placement Essay Scoring Rubric

Rating language Placement
1–2 • The text is very short with a somewhat garbled message. Touchstone
• Misspelled words and omitted subjects confuse the reader. Level 1
• Lack of knowledge of basic structural patterns is shown in verb usage.
3–4 • Lack of control over structure and usage makes it difficult to interpret overall Touchstone
message. Level 2
• Only short, simple sentences are grammatically correct.
• Perspective is given, but it remains unclear and undeveloped.
5–6 • The essay has a clear topic and point of view, but the thesis is simplistic and Touchstone
lacks development. Level 3
• Student is able to use a number of basic structures correctly (e.g., past tense),
but lacks control over mid- to higher-level structures such as present perfect
and relative clauses.
• Errors in spelling, grammar, and usage indicate skills of an emerging learner.
7–8 • The writer clearly understands the topic and provides good examples of Touchstone
advantages and disadvantages, though point of view does not become clear Level 4
until the end.
• Content is basically good but needs further development.
• Several lapses in usage indicate that the writer lacks familiarity with
idiomatic English.
9–10 • There is a clear main idea with mostly sufficient detail to clarify it. Viewpoint
• The passage is very well organized with appropriate use of transition words; Level 1
however, main points in introduction are simply restated at the beginning of
the following paragraphs rather than rephrased, leading to needless repetition.
• The language is generally clear and idiomatic, but there are a couple of areas
that lack explanation and instances of awkward and/or incorrect usage.
11–12 • Student shows control over a variety of complex structures. Viewpoint
• There is a clear, well-developed thesis and the discussion is organized into Level 2
introduction, body, and conclusion.
• Minor errors in spelling and/or grammar do not hinder comprehension.
Placement Essay
[18]
Touchstone Level 1 (1–2 points)

A Level 1 paper typically suffers from severe limitations. For example, it may be very short,
consisting of only a few sentences. The language used may be difficult to interpret (garbled),
showing a lack of familiarity with basic structural patterns and normal English usage.
Sample 1
Rating: 1 (Touchstone Level 1)
Topic: Describe your daily routine. What is your favorite part of the day? Explain.
Misspelled words and

omitted subjects confuse
the reader.
Text is very short with

somewhat garbled My day Fiday. Like the go day off. My family live Mexico. I
message. phone mother and father all Fiday. I money sending on the
manth.
Lack of knowledge of
basic structural patterns
is shown in verb usage.

A Level 2 paper is characterized by major limitations with respect to both content and
language. For example, a composition may fail to address the topic. A main idea or point of
view, where present, remains largely undeveloped. Sentences are typically short and
simple in structure with many grammatical errors present.
Sample 2
Topic: Have you been on a vacation or short trip recently? Describe it. Where did you go? What
did you do? Would you recommend it to a visitor? Why or why not?
Only short, simple

sentences are
grammatically correct.
Lack of control over

I go to Japan since first time. I like Japan a lot. I saw Tokyo.
structure and usage There was Tokyo tower like effel tower in Pari. I eat sushe and
make it difficult to go shopping. I buy new clothes. Tokyo is good for people like
interpret overall message. shopping. There are many beautiful things. Japanese
department stores is best places. There is everything.
A recommendation is
given, but it remains
unclear and undeveloped.
Placement Essay
[19]

A Level 3 paper, while displaying some sense of content and language, is still clearly that
of an emerging learner. There is likely to be a discernible topic, but it may lack focus or be
inadequately developed. Students at this level are able to produce more language than
students at the lowest levels of development, but they still have problems with many
grammatical forms and the idiomatic or natural use of English.
Sample 3
Topic: “Speaking another language gives you more opportunities in life.” Do you agree with this
comment? Why or why not? Discuss the comment.
Student is able to use a

number of basic
structures correctly, but
lacks control over mid- to
higher-level structures
such as present perfect
and relative clauses.
Speaking languages gives more opportunities in life. Before I

The essay has a clear
topic and point of view, came to U.S., I speak Spanish and only little English. Now I
but the thesis is study English and I can speak better. Before when I find U.S.
simplistic and lacks job, I have not many opportunities. I work at kitchen cleaning
development. job. Now I work part-time as shop assistance because my
speak is better.
I am a full-time student. I study English at the University.
I want to study science but my speak is not well to study
Science in English. I work hard all seven days. I am going to
learn English. I want to be a U.S. doctor. English give me this
opportunity at chance. This is life’s importance.
Errors in spelling,
grammar, and usage
indicate skills of an
emerging learner.
Placement Essay
[20]

At Level 4, a topic is usually addressed directly but may lack precision or is not always
adhered to, and there may be a lack of balance among the various parts (introduction,
body, and conclusion). Although there is evidence of sufficient control over language to
express meaning, there are likely to be lapses in grammar, usage, and / or mechanics.
Sample 4
Topic: “Cell phones have made life easier.” Do you agree with this comment? Why or why not?
Discuss the comment.
The writer clearly

Before cell phones if I was late or if I was unable to meet a
understands the topic friend or family, I couldn’t talk to them. My friend or family
and provides good would wait or I would leave my emergancy situation to go
examples of advantages there. Now if I am late or can’t go, I call and it is O.K. It’s only
and disadvantages,
though point of view does
problems if my friend or family doesn’t have a cell phone.
not become clear until There can be no conmunications.
the end.
Sometimes my cell phone makes life difficult. I can’t resist.
Always the phone is ringing when I relax. When impossible, I
turn my cell phone off to get peace sometimes. When I turn it
on there are numbers of voice messages.
Content is basically
good but needs further I like my cell phone. If I don’t have it, I miss it. It’s an
development. important neccessary for conmunications with the world.
Several lapses in usage

indicate that the writer
lacks familiarity with
idiomatic English.
Placement Essay
[21]

A Viewpoint 1 paper contains a clear main idea, even if the thesis is not stated explicitly.
Writing appears organized, and there is sufficient detail, although there may be some
distractions and/or irrelevant points. Use of some idiomatic expressions indicates a
growing feel for language. Occasional problems with vocabulary, grammar, or mechanics
do not interfere with meaning.
Sample 5
Rating: 10 (Viewpoint Level1)
Topic: “Speaking another language gives you more opportunities in life.” Do you agree with this
comment? Why or why not? Discuss the comment.
There is a clear main idea I think speaking another language gives you more opportunities
with mostly sufficient in life for two reasons. First, speaking another language like
detail to clarify it. English helps with get a good job. Second, I can meet people
from different countries and learn about their culture.
The passage is very well First, speaking another language like English helps with get a
organized with appropriate good job. This is because many jobs are doing business in
use of transitions words different countries and it’s important to speak another
(first, second, finally); language, especially English. For example, engineer. Engineer
however, main points in
introduction are simply
often works for international company and needs to speak with
restated at the beginning people from different countries. Now, I am studying electric
of the following paragraphs engineer. After graduate, I hope I can work as engineer with
rather than rephrased, international company. Therefore I need to speak good English
leading to needless
repetition.
so I can have a good job.
Second, you can meet people from different countries and

learn about their culture. Nowadays, people can travel easily to
different countries. Travel around the world needs to learn
language to talk about many things like informations. I am
happy to gossip with people visit my country, too. Because of
that, I also improve my English.
Finally, I feel strongly that speaking another language is
important in modern life for work, school, travel, etc. I work
hard to learn to speak very well English. This will help me with
have a successful carrier and travel to many places in the world.
The language is generally

clear and idiomatic, but
there are a couple of areas
that lack explanation and
instances of awkward
and/or incorrect usage.
Placement Essay
[22]

A Viewpoint 2 paper contains a clear, well-developed thesis (whether stated or implied), as
well as evidence of an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. Sentence structure is varied,
reflecting control over many grammatical forms and a familiarity with most high
frequency idioms. There may be occasional minor errors in word order, grammar, spelling,
or mechanics.
Sample 6
Rating: 12 (Viewpoint Level 2)
Topic: “Cell phones have made life easier.” Do you agree with this comment? Why or why not?
Discuss the comment.
Nowadays, everyone has a cell phone. Having a cell phone is

very convenient, but have cell phones made life easier? In
The student shows control
order to answer this question, we have to analyze the pros
over a variety of complex and cons of cell phones.
structures (e.g., gerunds,
conditional sentences, Cell phones are very convenient because with a cell phone,
noun clauses, and you can make calls from anywhere, not just your house.
comparisons). If you had an emergency, you could call for help. You can
also call or text if you’re late to meet someone. Another
good thing about cell phones is that modern phones do
more things than old ones did. For example, you could read
email, listen to music, take photos, etc. So you could use
There is a clear, well- your cell phone to find a lot of informations and do a lot of
developed thesis and the
things.
discussion is organized
into introduction, body,
Some of the cons of having a cell phone are that they are
and conclusion.
destracting. They often ring when you are in the middle of a
job or you are wanting to relax. Always checking messages
also takes a lot of time. Another point that could be a
disadvantage is that people are sometimes very loud and
Minor errors in spelling
rude when they use their cell phones. It’s also annoying
and/or grammar do not when someone’s constantly texting during the conversation.
hinder comprehension.
I have to say that cell phones are necessary for modern life.
They have made life easier, but there are some problems,
too. It is important be considarate when you use your cell
phone and sometimes you should just turn it off.
Placement Essay
Teachers’ Test Materials
[23]
Before administering the Touchstone/Viewpoint Placement Testing Program, the teacher

will need to make copies of the Placement Speaking Assessment Rating Form (pages
24–26) and the Final Placement Form (page 27). Instructions for conducting the
Placement Speaking Assessment are found on pages 10–12. Guidelines for completing the
Final Placement Form are on pages 6–7.
Teachers are encouraged to make a template of the Answer Key that corresponds to the
version (A, B, or C) of the Objective Placement Test they are administering. To make a
template, photocopy the Answer Key and hole punch each correct answer. Place the
template over the student’s Answer Sheet. If the student’s answer is correct, it will
appear through the punched hole in the Answer Key.
Placement Speaking Assessment Rating Form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Final Placement Form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Answer Key for Objective Placement Test A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Answer Key for Objective Placement Test B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Answer Key for Objective Placement Test C . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Audio Script for Objective Placement Test A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Audio Script for Objective Placement Test B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Audio Script for Objective Placement Test C . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
[24]
Placement Speaking Assessment Rating Form

Student’s Name Date
Placement Speaking Assessment Rating:

task
TaskS comments
rating
1 Greetings and introductions + ✓ −
• Good morning. How are you?
• What’s your name? Can you spell it?
• What’s your email address?
• What’s your phone number?
2 Talk about routines and free time + ✓ −
• So, what’s your daily routine like?
• Do you go out a lot in the evenings (on weekends)?
• So, what do you do in your free time?
• How often do you watch TV (go to the movies, etc.)?
• What do you usually watch?
3 Talk about past events + ✓ −
• What did you do last weekend (last night /
yesterday)? Did you do anything special?
• Where were you this time yesterday (last year)? Were
you happy (sad / busy / bored)?
• Tell me about a fun day you had recently. What did
you do?
Touchstone Level 2 (3– 4 points)
task
TaskS comments
rating
4 Talk about interests and lifestyle + ✓ −
• Do you have any interesting hobbies?
• What kinds of activities are you doing these days?
photocopiable
• Do you have a healthy lifestyle? Tell me why or why
not.
• Are you doing anything special to stay healthy?
• What kinds of music do you like?
5 Talk about future plans + ✓ −
• What are you doing for your next birthday? Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2014
• How is your family going to celebrate the new year?
• What are you going to do later today (this evening)?
6 Talk about communication + ✓ −
• Which do you do more often – email, talk on the
phone, or text message? Is there a better way to
communicate?
• How do you keep in touch with your friends and
family?
• Compare two different types of communication.
Which is easier (more convenient)?

[25]

task
TaskS comments
rating
7 Talk about life experiences + ✓ −
• Have you been on a trip recently? Where?
• What was the most interesting thing about the trip?
• Have you ever done anything really scary?
• What are some of the most unusual foods you have
eaten? What was the best (worst)?
8 Talk about hopes and wishes + ✓ −
• If you had more free time, what would you do?
• If you could live anywhere in the world, where
would you live? Why?
• If you could change one thing about your life, what
would you change and why?
9 Talk about the news + ✓ −
• What important events have been in the news lately?
• Have you been following a specific news story? Why
is it interesting to you?
• Has anything happened in your life recently that’s
newsworthy?
• Do you keep up with local news? What’s been
happening in your neighborhood lately?
task
TaskS comments
rating
10 Talk about your life + ✓ −
• How did you end up studying English?
• What are you planning to use English for?
• Are you taking other classes (working) right now?
• What’s most important to you in your life right now?
Why?
11 Talk about society + ✓ −
photocopiable
• What do you think about the legal age for driving

here? Should it be changed?
• What do you think should be done about students
who regularly skip classes? Should they be allowed
to get away with it?
• We live in a multicultural society. What do you think
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2014
could be done to help people understand each

other?
12 Talk about education, the future, and careers + ✓ −
• If you had the opportunity to change anything about
your education (career / past), what would you
change?
• Has anyone ever given you any good career (life)
advice? What did they tell you?
• In what ways is education being changed by
technology?

[26]

TASK
TaskS comments
rating
13 Talk about methods of communication + ✓ −
• What three methods of communication do you use
most often?
• Do you think more young people tend to use cell
phones to talk or to text? Is the same true for older
people, do you think?
• Do you know anyone who doesn’t have a cell phone
or a computer? How does he or she communicate?
14 Talk about your childhood + ✓ −
• How would you describe your childhood?
• What is something that you wish had been
drastically different about your childhood? How
would it have changed your life?
• What is something that a family member was always
telling you when you were growing up? What’s some
advice you were given as a child?
15 Talk about problems and solutions + ✓ −
• In your opinion, what’s the most serious problem
facing your country today?
• Why is it the most important problem?
• If you had the power, how would you solve this
problem?
Viewpoint Level 2 (11– 12 points)
task
TaskS comments
rating
16 Talk about yourself + ✓ −
• What’s something you shouldn’t do – and try not to
do – but sometimes do anyway? (Don’t tell me about
anything that would be very embarrassing for you!)
• How do you think most people who know you well
photocopiable
would describe you?
• At the end of this course, how long will you have
been studying English? What do you think you’ll be
doing at this time next year?
17 Talk about history + ✓ −
• Were it possible to return to a different time – a Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2014
historical era – which would you be interesting in
visiting? Explain your choice.
• If you were to go back in time, what would you miss
most about your life in the 21st century?
• Which historical figure would you like to have met?
Why?

[27]
Final Placement Form

Student’s Name Date
TEST Rating LEVEL
Placement Essay
Total Rating
Total divided by 3
Placement recommendation
Comments:
photocopiable
Final Placement Form

Answer Key
[28]
Objective Placement Test A

Scoring Guidelines
Section I: Listening score raTing

1–5 1
PLacemenT
Touchstone Level 1,
a b c d first half
Example:
6–11 2 Touchstone Level 1,
1. a b c d 11. a b c d
second half
2. a b c d 12. a b c d
3. a b c d 13. a b c d
first half
4. a b c d 14. a b c d
5. a b c d 15. a b c d
second half
6. a b c d 16. a b c d
7. a b c d 17. a b c d
first half
8. a b c d 18. a b c d
9. a b c d 19. a b c d
second half
10. a b c d 20. a b c d
Section II: Reading

first half
second half
21. a b c d 31. a b c d
50–55 9 Viewpoint Level 1,
22. a b c d 32. a b c d
first half
23. a b c d 33. a b c d
24. a b c d 34. a b c d
second half
25. a b c d 35. a b c d
26. a b c d 36. a b c d
first half
27. a b c d 37. a b c d
28. 38.
photocopiable
a b c d a b c d
second half
29. a b c d 39. a b c d
30. a b c d 40. a b c d
Section III: Language Use

41. a b c d 51. a b c d 61. a b c d
42. a b c d 52. a b c d 62. a b c d
43. a b c d 53. a b c d 63. a b c d
44. a b c d 54. a b c d 64. a b c d
45. a b c d 55. a b c d 65. a b c d
46. a b c d 56. a b c d 66. a b c d
47. a b c d 57. a b c d 67. a b c d
48. a b c d 58. a b c d 68. a b c d
49. a b c d 59. a b c d 69. a b c d
50. a b c d 60. a b c d 70. a b c d
Answer Key Objective Placement Test A

Answer Key
[29]
Objective Placement Test B

Scoring Guidelines

1–5 1
PLacemenT
Touchstone Level 1,
a b c d first half
Example:
1. a b c d 11. a b c d
second half
2. a b c d 12. a b c d
3. a b c d 13. a b c d
first half
4. a b c d 14. a b c d
5. a b c d 15. a b c d
second half
6. a b c d 16. a b c d
7. a b c d 17. a b c d
first half
8. a b c d 18. a b c d
9. a b c d 19. a b c d
second half
10. a b c d 20. a b c d
Section II: Reading

first half
second half
21. a b c d 31. a b c d
22. a b c d 32. a b c d
first half
23. a b c d 33. a b c d
24. a b c d 34. a b c d
second half
25. a b c d 35. a b c d
26. a b c d 36. a b c d
first half
27. a b c d 37. a b c d
28. 38.
photocopiable
a b c d a b c d
second half
29. a b c d 39. a b c d
30. a b c d 40. a b c d

41. a b c d 51. a b c d 61. a b c d

42. a b c d 52. a b c d 62. a b c d
43. a b c d 53. a b c d 63. a b c d
44. a b c d 54. a b c d 64. a b c d
45. a b c d 55. a b c d 65. a b c d
46. a b c d 56. a b c d 66. a b c d
47. a b c d 57. a b c d 67. a b c d
48. a b c d 58. a b c d 68. a b c d
49. a b c d 59. a b c d 69. a b c d
50. a b c d 60. a b c d 70. a b c d
Answer Key Objective Placement Test B

Answer Key
[30]
Objective Placement Test C

Scoring Guidelines

1–5 1
PLacemenT
Touchstone Level 1,
a b c d first half
Example:
1. a b c d 11. a b c d
second half
2. a b c d 12. a b c d
3. a b c d 13. a b c d
first half
4. a b c d 14. a b c d
5. a b c d 15. a b c d
second half
6. a b c d 16. a b c d
7. a b c d 17. a b c d
first half
8. a b c d 18. a b c d
9. a b c d 19. a b c d
second half
10. a b c d 20. a b c d
Section II: Reading

first half
second half
21. a b c d 31. a b c d
22. a b c d 32. a b c d
first half
23. a b c d 33. a b c d
24. a b c d 34. a b c d
second half
25. a b c d 35. a b c d
26. a b c d 36. a b c d
first half
27. a b c d 37. a b c d
28. 38.
photocopiable
a b c d a b c d
second half
29. a b c d 39. a b c d
30. a b c d 40. a b c d

41. a b c d 51. a b c d 61. a b c d
42. a b c d 52. a b c d 62. a b c d
43. a b c d 53. a b c d 63. a b c d
44. a b c d 54. a b c d 64. a b c d
45. a b c d 55. a b c d 65. a b c d
46. a b c d 56. a b c d 66. a b c d
47. a b c d 57. a b c d 67. a b c d
48. a b c d 58. a b c d 68. a b c d
49. a b c d 59. a b c d 69. a b c d
50. a b c d 60. a b c d 70. a b c d
Answer Key Objective Placement Test C

Audio Script
[31]

The following audio script includes the material for the Listening section of Objective
Placement Test A.
Section I: Listening
In this section of the test, you will hear conversations and answer some
questions about them. For each conversation, first read the situation and
the question or questions. Then listen to the conversation. Answer the
questions after you hear the conversation. Respond to the questions by
marking the correct answer (a, b, c, or d) on your answer sheet.
Read the example situation and question.
Now listen to the example conversation. Bill invites his classmate Amy to go
out after class.
Bill So, Amy, are you busy after class tonight?
Amy Actually, no, I’m not. Why?
Bill Well, would you like to go bowling with me and some of my friends?
Amy Well, I usually go straight home after class. But bowling sounds like fun. I’d love to
go, Bill. Thanks.
Bill Great!
Now answer the example question.
The answer for the example is b, is going bowling after class. The letter b is
filled in on your answer sheet.
Now go on to page 3.
Read Situation 1 and the question.
Now listen to the conversation. Mr. Hanson is asking Jessie about her
classmates.
Mr. Hanson Where’s Paolo? Is he here today, Jessie?
Jessie Um . . . no, he’s not, Mr. Hanson. He’s at home. He’s sick.
Mr. Hanson And Bruce and Sami . . . where are they?
Jessie They’re not here. Bruce is in the library, and Sami’s in the cafeteria.
Now answer Question 1.
Now listen to the conversation. Susan is asking Alex about his free time.
Susan So, Alex, what do you do in your free time?
Alex Well, I don’t have a lot of free time, Susan. I mean, I work and I go to school.
Susan Oh, where do you work?
Alex Well, there’s a big movie theater in my neighborhood. I work there part-time.
Susan On the weekends?
Alex Yeah. Usually in the afternoon.
[32]
Now listen to the conversation. Jeff and Rosa are talking on the phone.
Jeff Hello?
Rosa Hey, Jeff. What are you doing right now?
Jeff Hey, Rosa. I’m watching a game on TV. Why?
Rosa Oh. Well, do you want to go shopping at the mall with me?
Jeff Uh . . . today? No, sorry, I can’t today. But I can go with you on Saturday.
Rosa Saturday? OK. Great! There are lots of sales this week.
Jeff I know. I was at the mall yesterday. I just love to shop.
Rosa Yeah. So do I!
Read Situation 4 and the questions.
Now listen to the conversation. Mark and Sarah are talking about their habits.
Mark You know, Sarah, you’re always so relaxed. How do you cope with stress?
Sarah It’s simple, Mark. I exercise a lot.
Mark Really? How often do you exercise?
Sarah Well, I love working out. I go to the gym four or five times a week.
Mark Gosh, that’s a lot! I’m not doing anything for exercise. And I’m eating a lot of junk
food these days, too. Maybe that’s my problem.
Sarah You know, I’m going to start a karate class next week. Come with me!
Mark Karate? Um . . . OK. That sounds like fun. I’d really like to get in shape.
Now answer Questions 4 and 5.
Now listen to the conversation. Jan is telling Carlos about her day.
Carlos You look really upset, Jan. What’s wrong?
Jan Oh, Carlos, I had a job interview this morning, and I got there late.
Carlos Oh, dear. What happened?
Jan I stopped for coffee in a little café near the company. See, my bus was a little early,
so I had some extra time.
Carlos Yeah? So what happened?
Jan Well, I was drinking my coffee and, um . . . my cell phone rang. It was my dad. He
was calling to give me advice for the interview.
Carlos That was nice.
Jan Yeah, but I wasn’t paying attention to the time, and when I looked at my watch, I
was already five minutes late!
Carlos Well, you know, maybe they’ll hire you anyway.
Now listen to one half of a conversation on the phone. Freddie is talking to
Judy on his cell phone about a trip.
Freddie Hi, Judy. It’s Freddie. How are you? . . . Hey, have you ever been to Australia? Matt
and I are going this winter – that’ll be Australia’s summer. We’ve already started
making plans. . . . You have? So you have been there. I thought so! . . . Yeah, I know
it’s hot. But that’s OK. I love hot weather. . . . No, we’ve never been there before. . . .
So, what’s the best thing about the country? . . . The beaches, huh? People say
they’re the most beautiful beaches in the world. . . . Yeah, I’ve always wanted to go
scuba diving. . . . You went sailing, too? Fantastic. . . . Hey, listen. I’ve got to go.
Thanks for the information. . . . I’ll talk to you later. . . . OK. Bye.
Audio Script for Objective Placement Test A

[33]

Now listen to the conversation. Victor is helping Stacy with her new cell phone.
Stacy Can you help me, Victor? My new cell phone is driving me crazy. I don’t remember
how to turn it off – I’m so annoyed!
Victor Let me show you what to do. Just press this button – really hard. Yeah! Hey, this is
a nice phone, Stacy. How long have you had it?
Stacy I bought it last week at Cell Phone City. I was tired of my old phone, and this one
was on sale. It was only $79.99. Anyway, thanks for your help. So, what have you
been up to lately, Victor?
Victor Well, actually, I have some news, and I think you’re going to be really surprised.
Stacy What is it?
Victor I’ve been dating someone.
Stacy That’s awesome! Who is she? Is she in your class this semester?
Victor Well, she’s someone I grew up with. Her name’s Caroline. I’ve known her for a long
time, but we just started going out two months ago.
Now answer Questions 10, 11, and 12.
Now listen to the conversation. Paula and Peter are talking about Paula’s
experience in another country.
Paula Peter, this article about culture is great. Isn’t it interesting how some behaviors are
acceptable in one country and totally unacceptable in others?
Peter Uh . . . I’m not sure what you mean, Paula. I haven’t traveled very much.
Paula Neither have I, really. Actually, I had never even left the United States until I
turned 25. My family and I celebrated my twenty-fifth birthday in the Dominican
Republic. That was a long time ago!
Peter Well, can you give me an example of behavior that’s OK in one place and not OK in
another?
Paula Sure. Um . . . well, I spent six months in Thailand on business a few years ago. I
was invited to a colleague’s home for dinner one night. When I arrived, I just
walked right into the house – you know, I didn’t take my shoes off. I mean, unless
someone asks you to take them off, you usually keep your shoes on in people’s
homes in the United States, right? I found out later that you’re not supposed to do
that in Thailand. But what really bothered me was that I should have known about
that tradition. I didn’t really have a good excuse for not knowing.
Now listen to the conversation. Adam and Carmen are talking about going
back to college.
Carmen Hey, Adam. How have your classes been going?
Adam Hey, Carmen. My classes are going pretty well. I love college actually. Not only do
I love it, but I’m doing really well. It turns out I’m pretty good at math and
science. Who knew?
Carmen That’s terrific. You went back to school to become a nurse, didn’t you? My mom is
a nurse. But hadn’t you been studying history?

[34]
Adam Yeah. I can’t believe I spent four years as a history major. Boy, do I wish I’d
known then what I know now. I wish I had gone to a career counselor to talk
about my options. Do you realize I will have spent a total of 20 years in school by
the time I get my nursing degree? That’s almost my entire life!
Carmen I know what you mean. I started out as a French major. Can you imagine? My
high school advisor could have told me it would be hard to find a job with a
French degree.
Adam Well, you’re very smart to have listened to your computer science professor. When
he suggested that you switch majors – and you took his advice – that’s the day
you took charge of your life. Don’t you think so?
Carmen I do. I’m bound to get a decent job when I’m done. I’m not worried about that.
What worries me most is the debt from my college loans. I’ll be making payments
for such a long time!
Adam Well, I know it won’t make you feel any better, but you’re not alone in that. I
don’t think I know anyone who isn’t drowning in debt.
Carmen Me neither. All my friends had to borrow a lot of money to pay for school. It’s
pretty depressing, isn’t it?
Adam Yeah, it is. So why don’t we change the subject? Did you hear about . . .
Now answer Questions 16, 17, 18, 19, and 20.
This is the end of the Listening section of Objective Placement Test A.
Now go on to page 7 and begin the Reading section.

Audio Script
[35]

Placement Test B.
Section 1: Listening
Now listen to the example conversation. Annie invites her co-worker Carlos
to go out after work.
Annie So, Carlos, are you busy after work tonight?
CarlosNo, not really. Why?
Annie A few of us are going to a movie. Would you like to join us?
CarlosWell, I usually go to the gym after work – before I go home. But a movie sounds
great. I’d love to go. Thanks, Annie.
Annie Oh, good. See you later.
The answer for the example is d, is going to the movies after work. The letter
d is filled in on your answer sheet.
Now listen to the conversation. Mrs. Dias is asking Steven about his classmates.
Mrs. Dias Excuse me, Steven. Where are Erica and Tony?
Steven They’re not in class today, Mrs. Dias. Erica’s in the library. I think Tony’s at
home.
Mrs. Dias And Koko . . . is she here today?
Steven No, she’s not. She’s at work.
Now listen to the conversation. John is asking Alicia about her free time.
John What do you do in your free time, Alicia?
Alicia Well, John . . . I really don’t have a lot of free time. I mean, I take classes every day.
John What about weekends? What do you do on the weekends?
Alicia Well, . . . my best friend always comes over on Saturdays.
John Do you go out?
Alicia No. We usually stay home and watch movies.
Now listen to the conversation. Ichiro and Kim are talking on the phone.
[36]
Kim Hello?
Ichiro Hi, Kim. It’s Ichiro. Are you busy?
Kim No . . . well, yes. Actually, I’m cleaning my apartment right now.
Ichiro Oh . . . Well, do you want to go to the city with me this afternoon? I want to go
shopping.
Kim Shopping? I love shopping. But I can’t today. How about Saturday?
Ichiro Saturday’s fine. I need to buy some hiking boots.
Kim Well, I was at Tracy’s Department Store yesterday. Lots of things are on sale.
Ichiro You were there yesterday? You do like to go shopping! And I do, too!
Now listen to the conversation. Hannah and Miguel are talking about their
habits.
Hannah I’m so stressed these days. What do you do to relax, Miguel?
Miguel Actually, I swim.
Hannah Really? How often do you go swimming?
Miguel Sometimes every day – but usually three or four times a week. I really love it.
Hannah Maybe that’s my problem. I’m not exercising at all. I’m not going for walks or
anything.
Miguel That’s really bad for your health, Hannah.
Hannah I know. I’m going to start exercising. And I’m going to stop eating junk food, too.
Miguel I have an idea. I’m going to join a gym next week. Come with me!
Hannah A gym? OK! I don’t enjoy working out, but I really need to get in shape.
Now listen to the conversation. Bob is telling Ellen about his day.
Ellen You look angry, Bob. What’s the matter?
Bob Oh, hi, Ellen. I had a math exam this morning, and I was late.
Ellen Oh, my gosh! That’s terrible. What happened?
Bob Well, I went to the cafeteria for a soda. See, I got to school really early because the
bus didn’t make many stops.
Ellen So what happened?
Bob Well, I drank my soda and took out my science book. I was reading a really
interesting chapter, and I wasn’t paying attention to the time. When I looked up at
the clock, I was already ten minutes late.
Ellen So did you take the exam?
Bob Yes, but I didn’t have time to finish it.
Ellen Well, you know, maybe you’ll pass anyway.
Now listen to one half of a conversation on the phone. Maria is talking to
Leo on her cell phone about a trip.
Maria Hi, Leo. It’s Maria. How’s it going? . . . Hey, have you ever been to Nepal? My
brother and I might go this September, but we haven’t really made any plans yet.
. . . Yeah, we like to travel together. . . .You haven’t been there? . . . No, I haven’t
been there either. But my brother has. He’s actually done some climbing in the
Himalayas. . . . No, he hasn’t climbed Mount Everest! . . . Yeah, it’s the highest
Audio Script for Objective Placement Test B

[37]
mountain in the world and the hardest mountain to climb. . . . I know, it sounds
beautiful – but it’s very cold at the top! I’ve always wanted to see it, but I definitely
don’t want to climb it! . . . Well, Leo, I’ve got to go. . . . Great talking to you, too. Bye.
Now listen to the conversation. Denise is helping Ivan with his new printer.
Ivan Can you help me, Denise? This new printer is driving me crazy. I can’t figure out
how to turn it on.
Denise Let me show you what to do, Ivan. Just press this button – and hold it down for a
few seconds. There. This is an awesome printer! Where did you get it?
Ivan At Better Buys just last week. My old printer died last month, and I needed a good
printer for my photography.
Denise How much was it? I mean, was it expensive?
Ivan Well, I think you’re going to be shocked. It was, um, almost six hundred dollars.
Denise Wow! But if you use it for photography, that’s not bad, I guess. You’ve been taking
photos for a long time. I’m amazed at how good a photographer you’ve become!
Ivan Thanks. I mean, I’ve been taking photos since high school. But photography
changed from a hobby to a career about a year ago. I got my first paycheck on my
last birthday, and I was definitely excited about that!
Now listen to the conversation. Jack and Louisa are talking about Louisa’s
Louisa Jack, this book is so interesting! I’ve learned a lot about behavior that’s OK in one
culture but not at all OK in others.
Jack You know, it’s embarrassing, but I don’t know much about other cultures.
Louisa Traveling helps a lot. Actually, I had never left the United States until I went to
visit my grandparents in Italy. That was a few months before my sixteenth
birthday – a long time ago!
Jack Wow, Louisa! Italy! Where else have you been?
Louisa I spent a year in Peru a few years ago. That reminds me of an interesting story
about unacceptable behavior – I was invited to a friend’s house for dinner one night
in Peru. On my way, I stopped and bought some beautiful yellow flowers. When I
arrived at my friend’s house, I handed the flowers to my friend’s mother. She looked
upset. Later, my friend explained to me that in some parts of Peru, yellow flowers
have a very negative meaning. And what really bothered me was that I should
have remembered that giving a friend yellow flowers is a very bad thing. I read in a
guidebook that you aren’t supposed to do that. I felt awful about forgetting that.
Now listen to the conversation. Paco is asking Lin for some career advice.

[38]
Lin Hi, Paco. I hear you just graduated. Congratulations! Your major was economics, right?
Paco Yeah, thanks, Lin. Actually, can I ask you for some advice? My parents think I should
apply for law school. You went to law school, didn’t you?
Lin I did. And not only did I do well, but I also enjoyed myself those years in law school.
Paco And how do you like being a lawyer?
Lin Believe it or not, after all that hard work – not to mention the money – I didn’t work as a
lawyer for long. It just wasn’t right for me. I actually hated it.
Paco What are you doing instead?
Lin An old friend suggested that I go work with him, and we ended up starting our own
software company. I love my job, and we’re doing really well. In fact, I just bought an
apartment in the city.
Paco Good for you! You’re lucky to have found something you like. That’s why I’m
wondering about law school. I’d never really thought about becoming a lawyer. What
I really want to do is study history. In fact, I should have studied history instead of
economics.
Lin History? What kind of job do you think you’d be able to find with a degree in history?
Paco Well, I’d like to teach. The problem is that if I go back for a history degree, I’ll still
have spent a total of 20 years in school.
Lin Yeah. Almost as long as I did.
Paco Yes, but at least I’d be studying something I’m interested in. And I wouldn’t have to
worry about finding a job when I’m done. There’s always a need for teachers! My
salary wouldn’t be great and my parents might be disappointed, but I’d be happy.
This is the end of the Listening section of Objective Placement Test B.

Audio Script
[39]

Placement Test C.
Section 1: Listening
Now listen to the example conversation. Harry invites his co-worker Mandy
to go out for lunch.
Harry So, Mandy, are you busy at lunchtime today?
Mandy No, not really. Why?
Harry A few of us are going to Tony’s Cafe. Would you like to join us?
Mandy Well, I usually go home for lunch. But lunch at Tony’s sounds good. I’d love to go,
Harry. Thanks.
Harry Fantastic! See you later.
The answer for the example is c, is going out for lunch. The letter c is filled
in on your answer sheet.
Now listen to the conversation. Mr. Chan is asking Nancy about her classmates.
Mr. Chan Where are Lee and Dana? Are they here today, Nancy?
Nancy They’re not in class, Mr. Chan. Lee’s at work, and Dana’s in the cafeteria.
Mr. Chan And Mary Ann . . . where is she?
Nancy She’s not here. She’s in the library.
Now listen to the conversation. Angela is asking Jerry about his free time.
Angela So, Jerry, what do you do in your free time?
Jerry Well, I don’t have a lot of free time, Angela. I mean, I take classes and I have a
part-time job.
Angela Oh! Where do you work?
Jerry At a gym near my house.
Angela Really? Do you work on the weekends?
Jerry No. I usually work on Mondays and Wednesdays – in the evening.
[40]
Now listen to the conversation. Linda and Marc are talking on the phone.
Marc Hello?
Linda Hi, Marc. It’s Linda. What are you doing?
Marc Hey! Not much . . . just writing emails.
Linda Well, do you want to go shopping with me on the weekend?
Marc Shopping? I love shopping. But I can’t go this weekend. I can go on Thursday.
Linda Thursday’s OK. I’m going to go skiing soon, and I need to buy a jacket.
Marc Well, I was at the Sports Spot yesterday. A lot of things are on sale.
Linda You went to the mall yesterday? You do love to shop! And I do, too!
Now listen to the conversation. Keith and Laura are talking about their habits.
Keith I’m really stressed these days. What do you do to relax, Laura?
Laura Well, I run.
Keith Really? How often do you go running?
Laura Sometimes every morning – but usually four or five times a week. I love to
exercise.
Keith Gosh, that’s a lot! Maybe that’s my problem. I’m not exercising at all these days.
I’m not going to the gym or anything.
Laura That’s really bad, Keith.
Keith I know. But I’m going to start working out – and stop eating junk food.
Laura I have an idea. I’m going to join an exercise class next week. Come with me!
Keith OK! Good idea. I don’t enjoy exercising, but I really have to get in shape.
Now listen to the conversation. Julie is telling Allen about her day.
Allen You look really annoyed, Julie. What’s wrong?
Julie Oh, Allen. I had an important meeting this morning to talk about my promotion, and
I got there late.
Allen Are you serious? That’s not good. What happened?
Julie Well, I stopped for breakfast at a coffee shop near the office. See, I had some extra
time because I took an early train.
Allen So what happened?
Julie Well, I was eating breakfast, and an old friend of mine came in. She sat down and
we started talking – you know, catching up.
Allen That’s nice.
Julie Yes, but I wasn’t paying attention to the time, and when I looked at my watch, I
was already ten minutes late for the meeting!
Allen Well, you know, maybe you’ll get your promotion anyway.
Now listen to one half of a conversation on the phone. Bobby is talking to
Mei on his cell phone about a trip.
Bobby Hi, Mei. It’s Bobby. How’s it going? . . . Hey, have you ever been to Hawaii? My
cousin and I might go, but we haven’t made any plans. . . . You’ve been there? Cool!
. . . No, I haven’t traveled much at all. Well, my cousin and I went to Puerto Rico
once. . . . So, tell me about Hawaii. . . . Yeah, I hear Mount Kilauea is fantastic! Did
Audio Script for Objective Placement Test C

[41]
you know it’s the most active volcano on earth? And it has the most visitors. . . .
Yeah, I’ve always wanted to see it, but I don’t want to get too close! . . . Oh, I’ve got
to go. . . . Nice talking to you, too. Bye.
Now listen to the conversation. Joey is helping Emma with her new MP3
player.
Emma Can you help me, Joey? This MP3 player is driving me crazy. I can’t figure out
how to turn it up.
Joey Let me show you what to do, Emma. Just turn this dial to the right. See? Hey,
this is a great MP3 player. When did you get it?
Emma Last Friday at E-Mart. I was tired of listening to the radio at home.
Joey How much was it? Or is that an annoying question?
Emma Not at all. It wasn’t very expensive. I can’t remember exactly. So what have you
been up to these days, Joey?
Joey Well, actually, I’ve decided to quit my job.
Emma You’re kidding! I bet that’s disappointing for your boss. You’ve been working there
for a long time.
Joey Yeah. Since I graduated from college – almost ten years. But it stopped being
exciting a couple of years ago. That’s why I’m leaving. My last day will be July 4th
– Independence Day!
Now listen to the conversation. John and Lara are talking about John’s
John Hey, Lara. I just read a fascinating article. It talks about things that are OK to do in some
cultures and not OK in others.
Lara I don’t know much about that kind of thing. I’ve never traveled outside this country.
John Traveling helps a lot. Actually, I had never left Canada until I went to study in France – a
few months after my twentieth birthday. That was a really long time ago!
Lara Where else have you been?
John I spent two years in Japan a few years ago. When I first got there, I had a very
embarrassing experience.
Lara What happened?
John Well, one night, I went to a restaurant with some people I met. Everyone ate with
chopsticks, of course. When we finished eating, I crossed my chopsticks and left them on
my empty plate. Later, a friend told me that putting one chopstick on top of the other
that way has a very negative meaning. And what really upset me was that I should have
remembered that. I read an article about Japanese culture that said you aren’t supposed
to do that.
Now listen to the conversation. Beth is asking Luis for some career advice.
Hi, Beth. I just heard that you’re graduating this year – and with a major in
Luis
communications. Congratulations!

[42]
Beth Yeah, finally! I can’t believe it took me six years. I started as a history major, but I
switched to communications in my second year. Maybe I shouldn’t have changed
majors.
Luis Well, at least you changed to something that sounds really practical.
Beth That’s true. But now I’m being encouraged to go to graduate school for a degree in
business. I’m just not sure I want to do that. You went to graduate school, didn’t you,
Luis?
Luis I did. And not only did I do well, but I also enjoyed grad school. Too bad I’m not
using my degree in education at all.
Beth You’re not? What are you doing instead?
Luis I ended up doing something very different from teaching. I got a job as an editor at a
publishing company, and you know, after almost five years, I still love it.
Beth Good for you! You’re lucky to have found something you like. What I’m most afraid
of is ending up in a job that I hate.
Luis Well, if you spend another two years in grad school, you will have spent a total of 20
years in school. As long as I did. Do you really want to do that?
Beth I don’t think so. What I really want to do is join the real world. I’m tired of school. I
think I’m going to look for a job in communications as soon as I graduate. My
parents may be disappointed if I don’t get a business degree, but they’ll understand.
Luis You know, that sounds like a terrific plan. That’s what I should have done.
This is the end of the Listening section of Objective Placement Test C.

Students’ Test Materials
[43]
Placement Essay Form A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Placement Essay Form B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Placement Essay Form C . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Objective Placement Test A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Section I: Listening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Section II: Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Section III: Language Use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Answer Sheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Objective Placement Test B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

Answer Sheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Objective Placement Test C . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

Answer Sheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
[44]
Placement Essay Form A

Name Date Rating
Directions: Please write about one of the following topics. Do not write about all
three. Write a well-organized essay about the topic you choose. When you finish
your essay, read it and correct any mistakes you find.
Topic 1: Describe your daily routine. What is your favorite part of the day? Explain.
Topic 2: Have you been to a festival or a special event recently? Describe it. What
was it like? What did you do? Would you recommend it to a visitor? Why or
why not?
Topic 3: “Cell phones have made life easier.” Do you agree with this comment? Why
or why not? Discuss the comment.
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1 Placement Essay Form A

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Placement Essay Form A

2
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[46]
Placement Essay Form B

Name Date Rating
Topic 1: What do you usually do on the weekends? Describe a typical weekend.

What is your favorite part of the weekend? Why?
Topic 2: Have you been on a vacation or a short trip recently? Describe it. Where
did you go? What did you do? Would you recommend it to a visitor? Why
or why not?
Topic 3: “The Internet has made life easier.” Do you agree with this comment?
Why or why not? Discuss the comment.
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1 Placement Essay Form B

Placement Essay Form B

2
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[48]
Placement Essay Form C

Name Date Rating
Topic 1: Describe your favorite day of the week. Why is it your favorite day? What
do you usually do? Explain.
Topic 2: Have you been to an interesting place in your town or city recently?
Describe it. What was it like? What did you do there? Would you
recommend it to a visitor? Why or why not?
Topic 3: “Speaking another language gives you more opportunities in life.” Do you
agree with this comment? Why or why not? Discuss the comment.
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1 Placement Essay Form C

Placement Essay Form C

2
[49]
[50]
General Directions
The Objective Placement Test has three sections: Listening, Reading, and
Language Use. There are 70 questions. You are allowed 50 minutes to
complete the test.
In Section I, the Listening section, you will hear nine conversations and
answer one or more questions about each one. Before you listen to a
conversation, read the question or questions. Then listen to the
conversation. Answer the questions after the conversation ends. Choose the
correct answer for each question, and fill in your choice on your answer
sheet. You will hear the conversation only once. The first conversation is an
example. You have 15 minutes to complete this section.
Section II, the Reading section, has several short passages. After you read
each passage, choose the correct answer for each question, and fill in your
choice on your answer sheet. You have 20 minutes to complete this section.
Section III, the Language Use section, has 30 items. Choose the correct
completion for each item, and fill in your choice on your answer sheet. You
have 15 minutes to complete this section.
Mark your answers clearly on your answer sheet. If you want to change an
answer, erase your first answer completely. If you want to take notes during
the test, write on the paper you were given.
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1
[51]
questions about them. For each conversation, first read the situation and the
question or questions. Then listen to the conversation. Answer the questions
after you hear the conversation. Respond to the questions by marking the
correct answer (a, b, c, or d) on your answer sheet.
Example
Situation: Bill invites his classmate Amy to go out after class.
Amy _______.
a. doesn’t like to bowl
b. is going bowling after class
c. wants to meet her friends after class
d. has to go home after class
Now listen to the example conversation.
[EXAMPLE CONVERSATION]
The answer for the example is b, is going bowling after class. The letter b is
filled in on your answer sheet.
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Objective Placement Test A 2

[52]
Situation 1: Mr. Hanson is asking Jessie about her classmates.
1. Paolo is _______.
a. in class
b. at the cafeteria
c. at home
d. in the library
Situation 2: Susan is asking Alex about his free time.
2. On the weekends, Alex _______.

a. works at a part-time job
b. goes to the movies
c. goes to school
d. has a lot of free time
Situation 3: Jeff and Rosa are talking on the phone.
3. Rosa _______.
a. went shopping yesterday
b. can go to the mall today
c. can’t go shopping today
d. doesn’t like to shop
Situation 4: Mark and Sarah are talking about their habits.
4. Sarah _______.
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a. loves her karate class
b. enjoys working out
c. doesn’t cope well with stress
d. goes to the gym every day
5. Mark _______.
a. exercises a lot.
b. doesn’t like junk food
c. goes to Sarah’s gym
d. is going to join a karate class
3 Objective Placement Test A

[53]
Situation 5: Jan is telling Carlos about her day.
6. Jan was late for her interview this morning because _______.
a. the service in the café was slow
b. she was talking to her father
c. her bus didn’t come on time
d. she didn’t have a watch
7. Carlos thinks _______.

a. Jan may get the job
b. Jan will definitely get the job
c. Jan will probably not get the job
d. Jan definitely won’t get the job
Situation 6: Freddie is talking to Judy on his cell phone about a trip.
8. Freddie _______.
a. wants to visit Australia alone
b. does not want to visit Australia in the summer
c. hasn’t made any plans to go to Australia
d. has never been to Australia before
9. Judy says the best thing about Australia is the _______.

a. weather
b. people
c. beaches
d. sports
Situation 7: Victor is helping Stacy with her new cell phone.
10. Stacy doesn’t remember _______.

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a. how to turn off her phone

b. how much her phone cost
c. where she bought her phone
d. why she bought her phone
11. Victor thinks his news will be _______.

a. annoying
b. tiring
c. surprising
d. helpful
12. Victor has known Caroline _______.

a. for two months
b. since childhood
c. since last week
d. for one semester

[54]
Situation 8: Paula and Peter are talking about Paula’s experience in another
country.
13. Paula took her first trip outside the United States _______.
a. before she turned 25
b. a few years ago
c. when she turned 25
d. last year
14. Paula offended her hosts in Thailand by _______.

a. asking them to take off their shoes
b. making excuses for her behavior
c. not taking off her shoes
d. going inside their house
15. Paula told Peter that you _______ in homes in Thailand.

a. don’t have to wear shoes
b. are expected to wear shoes
c. can get away with wearing shoes
d. shouldn’t wear shoes
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[55]
Situation 9: Adam and Carmen are talking about going back to college.
16. Adam _______.

a. doesn’t like his classes and isn’t doing well
b. likes his classes but isn’t doing well
c. likes his classes and is doing well
d. doesn’t like his classes but is doing well
17. Adam is studying for a degree in _______.

a. math
b. science
c. history
d. nursing
18. When Adam receives his degree, he will have spent _______ years
studying.
a. 4
b. 20
c. 24
d. 40
19. Carmen thinks she took charge of her life when she listened to
her _______.
a. mom
b. computer science professor
c. high school advisor
d. career counselor
20. Carmen thinks she’ll be _______ for a really long time.

a. looking for a good job
b. getting student loans
c. working on her degree
d. paying off her loans
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This is the end of the Listening section of Objective Placement Test A.


[56]
Section II: Reading

In this section of the Objective Placement Test, you will read some short
passages and answer questions about them. Choose the word or words that
best complete the sentence. For each item, fill in your answer on the answer
sheet. You will have 20 minutes to complete this section.
Passage 1: What’s your weekly routine?
Miki: I have classes every afternoon. In the mornings, I work in the college
cafeteria. I usually do my homework in the evenings. On the weekends, I go
out with my friends.
21. On weeknights, Miki usually _______.

a. studies
b. works in the cafeteria
c. sees her friends
d. has classes
Passage 2: An email, Subject: Back home!
Hi Mandy,
I just got back from my trip to Spain. It didn’t rain at all! We ate at some
great Spanish restaurants – delicious! I learned to do flamenco! It’s a kind of
dance. We went to the beach every day, and we went snorkeling. I’d like to do
this every year!
Max
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22. Max _______.
a. didn’t like Spanish food
b. was bored on his trip
c. enjoyed his trip
d. never wants to visit Spain again

[57]
Passage 3: Do you have “vacation deprivation”?
The average amount of time off in the United States is only 11 days a year.
But in Europe, workers get 26 to 37 days off. Researchers say vacations are
important for good health. They say the kind of vacation you take makes a
difference, too. When people travel to sunny places, have lots of free time,
sleep a lot, exercise, and make friends, they enjoy better health.
23. The article suggests that _______.

a. busy vacations are better for your health
b. Americans need more vacation time
c. Europeans don’t like to travel
d. Americans take enough vacation
Passage 4: Minor burns
Leon Caplan was watching television when his sister burned herself in the
kitchen. He immediately ran to the refrigerator to get some ice and butter for
her hand. Did he do the right thing? What should you do for a burn?
Many people think you should put ice, oil, or butter on a burn. Actually,
these can damage the skin and make the burn worse. Always cool a minor
burn as soon as possible with cold water – preferably running water.
24. The main idea of this reading is to _______.

a. tell a story about Leon Caplan
b. give advice about burns
c. describe types of burns
d. stop people from burning themselves
25. If you have a burn, the reading says you should _______.
a. put the burned area into the refrigerator
b. avoid cold water
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c. put oil on it
d. never put butter on it

[58]
Passage 5: Live life to the fullest: Fly a plane!
Have you ever flown a plane? Probably not. But if you like excitement and
don’t get stressed easily, you might want to try flying a jumbo-jet simulator –
the same one pilots use in training. I haven’t taken many plane rides, but
last Sunday I decided to try a day at pilot school. It’s open to the public on
Sundays. I got a full lesson on how to fly before I climbed into the simulator.
Then the instructor let me take off, fly at 914 meters (3,000 feet), and land. It
was the scariest 30 minutes I’ve ever had “in the air” – and totally realistic.
26. Jumbo-jet simulators _______.

a. are real planes
b. aren’t open to the public
c. are something pilots use to learn to fly
d. aren’t like real airplanes
27. The writer _______.

a. has never been on a plane
b. has taken many classes at pilot school before
c. has flown a plane
d. has flown in a simulator
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[59]
Passage 6: Someone you can look up to: Christina Morin
Christina Morin is an amazing young woman with an inspiring story. When

she was 17, Christina went on a safari to Kenya with her parents. During
her trip, she spent four days with the local Samburu tribespeople, who were
suffering from a devastating drought after several months without rain and
had very little food. Christina wanted to help. She started by teaching art
classes to the Samburu children, who had never painted before. Christina
was amazed at their wonderful drawings, and began to think. If she made
their pictures into note cards, would she be able to sell them when she went
home and raise money for food? She bought samples of the children’s artwork
with her own money, which paid for two weeks’ worth of food for the tribe.
Soon after she got home, the Samburu Project was born. Christina set up a
program to sell tribal arts and crafts in local stores, with all profits going to
the tribespeople in Kenya. She was able to build a dam, which was her
original goal, as well as build several wells, buy animals and food, pay
medical bills, and build a crafts center.
28. Christina wanted to help the Samburu tribespeople because _______.

a. they didn’t have an art teacher
b. they were suffering from a food shortage
c. they didn’t know how to run a safari trip
d. their homes were flooded
29. Christina got her idea to sell the children’s artwork _______.
a. before she went to Kenya
b. after she returned back home
c. before she started teaching them art classes
d. after she saw the pictures they painted
30. Christina’s Samburu Project _______.

a. bought two weeks’ worth of food for the tribe
b. sold arts and crafts in Kenya
c. never made a profit
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d. helped the tribespeople in many ways
31. Christina’s original goal was to _______.

a. pay for medical bills
b. raise money for a dam
c. build a crafts center
d. go back and see the tribe again

[60]
Passage 7: Modern crimes: image theft
Personal blogging is the new form of journal writing – only better, because
more people can read your entries online! Nowadays, most travelers are
expected to post their photographs, in addition to their commentary, on blogs
for friends and family to see.
But imagine finding your vacation photos in an advertisement, copied
from the Internet without your permission. Although you, as an amateur
photographer, might have thought they were “just pictures,” someone else
decided they had value and used them to make money. That person stole
your property.
Photo theft, or image theft, is a growing problem, especially for
professional photographers who advertise on the Web. Any photo can easily
be copied and used illegally, and often the people who do it don’t realize they
are committing a crime. The ones who do probably know they won’t be
caught.
So how can you protect yourself and your images? Professional
photography associations recommend using photo-editing programs to add
text to your photos. For example, write the word SAMPLE on the pictures.
More sophisticated software allows you to make the pictures “flash” or add
moving images that can’t be copied. Finally, give your photo files unusual
names so that they won’t be found easily when people search the Internet for
common subjects like “the beach.”
32. The article tells photographers how to _______.

a. make money from pictures
b. become a professional
c. put their pictures on the Internet
d. stop people from using their photos illegally
33. The writer says amateur photographers _______.

a. might not realize their photos are valuable
b. travel too much to worry about image theft
c. shouldn’t find image theft frustrating
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d. can also use other people’s pictures illegally
34. Everyone who uses an image without permission _______.

a. knows it’s illegal
b. will be caught
c. is doing something illegal Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2014
d. understands photo-editing software
35. One way of protecting your pictures is to _______.

a. sell them to advertisers
b. use software to change them
c. join a professional association
d. hide them on the Internet

[61]
Passage 8: What are businesses doing about global warming?
The issue of climate change has been discussed in scientific and business circles for over two
decades. However, only in recent years has there been agreement that it is crucial something
be done to reduce the carbon emissions that cause global warming, and that businesses – as
well as governments and individual citizens – must act. The main problem is the rising level
of carbon dioxide, which has been shown to warm the earth’s atmosphere, and which is still
being produced in damaging quantities by power plants and motor vehicles.
A few forward-thinking companies are investing in renewable energy, reducing their use
of oil and coal, recycling more, and consuming less in order to reduce their "carbon footprint"
(their total amount of carbon emissions). Although companies like these are preparing to
live in a reduced-carbon world, most businesses have been slow in reducing their negative
impact on the environment. They might be encouraged to finally start changing their
environmental policies through a combination of legal, political, and business pressures.
Laws on carbon emissions are likely to be affected by changes in government
policy. In addition, the effects of new weather patterns involving high winds,
hurricanes, fires, and floods are making insurance companies look seriously at
climate change as more and more money is continually being paid out for the
damage caused by these events. Companies are being forced by their insurers to
think of such environmental damage as a significant business risk.
36. The main idea of the article is that _______.

a. businesses will have to be more environment-friendly in the future
b. it’s the government’s responsibility to do something about climate change
c. nothing has been done about climate change
d. there are companies taking steps to become more environment-
friendly
37. The article says that scientists and business leaders _______.
a. have always agreed about the causes of climate change
b. have been talking about climate change for a long time
c. prepare to live in a reduced-carbon world
d. have not discussed climate change enough
38. _______ companies are trying to be more environment-friendly.

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a. Oil and coal

b. A small number of
c. All the major
d. A rising number of
39. Most companies are _______ when it comes to investing in renewable energy.
a. in agreement
b. forward-thinking
c. slow to change
d. not encouraged to change
40. Companies might change their environmental policies _______.

a. to produce power plants
b. but would not be considered "forward-thinking"
c. for political, legal, and business reasons
d. but will negatively impact the environment
Now go on to page 13 and begin the Language Use section.

[62]

In this section, you will answer questions about the use of English. Choose the
word or words that best complete the sentence. For each item, fill in your answer on
the answer sheet. You will have 15 minutes to complete this section.
41. My friends and I go to the movies _______ weekends.

a. every
b. on
c. in
d. any
42. How often _______ your father work late?

a. is
b. do
c. are
d. does
43. Jill didn’t _______ that skirt because it was expensive.

a. bought
b. buys
c. buy
d. buying
44. Javier eats _______ beef, but he doesn’t like hamburgers.

a. any
b. a lot of
c. many
d. a
45. I’m interested _______ an art class next year.

a. in taking
b. to take
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c. at taking
d. take
46. A: What’s the weather forecast for tomorrow tonight?

B: It _______ tomorrow night.
a. rains Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2014
b. has rained
c. is going to rain
d. rained

[63]
47. I went shopping yesterday _______ a tent for my camping trip.

a. get
b. to get
c. got
d. for getting
48 A: What do you do with your old clothes?

B: I throw them away, but my sisters give _______ to charity.
a. hers
b. their
c. her
d. theirs
49. A: What _______ when you broke your arm?

B: I was climbing a tree.
a. are you doing
b. did you do
c. were you doing
d. do you do
50. It’s bad to lose your keys, but it’s _______ to lose your wallet.
a. too bad
b. best
c. better
d. worse
51. A: What are you doing tomorrow night? Do you want to hang out?
B: Actually, _______ anything. I’d love to get together.
a. I won’t do
b. I can’t do
c. I’m not doing
d. I don’t do
52. We need to find a car _______.

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a. that doesn’t use a lot of gas

b. who isn’t too expensive
c. is totally reliable
d. we both like it

[64]
53. If I _______ the chance, I’d spend a year or two in Australia. My English
would improve a lot.
a. have
b. would have
c. had
d. am going to have
54. A: Where did you buy your printer?

B: I don’t remember where _______ it.
a. did I buy
b. I bought
c. I’ll buy
d. I buy
55. Anna _______ an art class since September, and she loves it.
a. is taking
b. has taken
c. took
d. has been taking
56. Several flights _______ earlier today because of severe thunderstorms.

a. delayed
b. was delayed
c. were delayed
d. be delayed
57. When did Shane decide _______ to Seoul?

a. moving
b. to move
c. moved
d. move
58. You can offend people by not _______ their names.

a. remember
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b. remembering
c. remembered
d. have remembered


[65]
59. We _______ to a soccer game last night, but the weather was awful, so we
stayed home.
a. are supposed to go
b. are going to go
c. went
d. were supposed to go
60. We’d love to get our neighbors _______ their yard. It’s really a mess!
a. cleaned up
b. will clean up
c. to clean up
d. clean up
61. I’m very upset with Brian. He should not _______ to me that way.
a. have spoken
b. had spoken
c. spoke
d. speaks
62. If Dennis had been in the right place at the right time, his career
_______.
a. would take off
b. is taking off
c. has taken off
d. would have taken off
63. Some TV stations show nothing but reality shows, _______ are less
expensive to produce than many other types of programs.
a. they
b. because
c. which
d. that
64. Many voters wish the senator _______ for re-election, but he has
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announced his intention to retire from politics.

a. would run
b. is running
c. will run
d. runs

[66]
65. When growing up, we’re told there are certain things that are simply not
worth _______ about.
a. worry
b. to worry
c. worrying
d. be worrying
66. Is it still common for children to _______ their mothers flowers on
Mother’s Day?
a. give to
b. give
c. give her
d. give for
67. Professor Silva always said it was crucial that our written work _______
to us – and that plagiarism would be severely punished.
a. belong
b. would belong
c. is belonging
d. can belong
68. When I was deciding on a major, I ought to _______ from choosing a field
that doesn’t have many job opportunities.
a. be discouraged
b. have discouraged
c. discouraged
d. have been discouraged
69. Is there any particular historical figure you would like to _______ – say,
William Shakespeare for example?
a. have met
b. meet
c. met
d. had met
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70. Now that my best friend and I live in different cities, we call _______ at
least twice a week.
a. ourselves
b. each other
c. him Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2014
d. us
END OF TEST

[67]

Answer Sheet
Name Date
Total Points Rating
a
Example: b c d
1. a b c d 11. a b c d
2. a b c d 12. a b c d
3. a b c d 13. a b c d
4. a b c d 14. a b c d
5. a b c d 15. a b c d
6. a b c d 16. a b c d
7. a b c d 17. a b c d
8. a b c d 18. a b c d
9. a b c d 19. a b c d
10. a b c d 20. a b c d
Section II: Reading

21. a b c d 31. a b c d
22. a b c d 32. a b c d
23. a b c d 33. a b c d
24. a b c d 34. a b c d
25. a b c d 35. a b c d
26. a b c d 36. a b c d
27. a b c d 37. a b c d
28. a b c d 38. a b c d
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29. a b c d 39. a b c d
30. a b c d 40. a b c d

41. a b c d 51. a b c d 61. a b c d

42. a b c d 52. a b c d 62. a b c d
43. a b c d 53. a b c d 63. a b c d
44. a b c d 54. a b c d 64. a b c d
45. a b c d 55. a b c d 65. a b c d
46. a b c d 56. a b c d 66. a b c d
47. a b c d 57. a b c d 67. a b c d
48. a b c d 58. a b c d 68. a b c d
49. a b c d 59. a b c d 69. a b c d
50. a b c d 60. a b c d 70. a b c d

[68]
General Directions
complete the test.
conversation, read the question or questions. Then listen to the conversation.
Answer the questions after the conversation ends. Choose the correct answer
for each question, and fill in your choice on your answer sheet. You will hear
the conversation only once. The first conversation is an example. You have
15 minutes to complete this section.
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1
[69]
Example
Situation: Annie invites her co-worker Carlos to go out after work.
Carlos _______.
a. has to go straight home after work
b. doesn’t want to go out after work
c. wants to go to the gym after work
d. is going to the movies after work
The answer for the example is d, is going to the movies after work. The letter
d is filled in on your answer sheet.
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Objective Placement Test B 2

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Situation 1: Mrs. Dias is asking Steven about his classmates.
1. Koko is _______.
a. in the library
b. in class
c. at work
d. at home
Situation 2: John is asking Alicia about her free time.
2. On Saturdays, Alicia _______.

a. relaxes at home
b. goes out with her best friend
c. goes to the movies
d. teaches a class
Situation 3: Ichiro and Kim are talking on the phone.
3. Ichiro and Kim _______.

a. don’t like to shop
b. can go shopping on Saturday
c. can go to the city today
d. went shopping yesterday
Situation 4: Hannah and Miguel are talking about their habits.
4. Hannah _______.
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a. exercises once a week
b. goes for a lot of walks
c. wants to go swimming with Miguel
d. isn’t exercising right now
5. Hannah and Miguel _______. Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2014

a. are going to join a gym
b. like to work out
c. are going to the pool next week
d. are going to do something they both enjoy
3 Objective Placement Test B

[71]
Situation 5: Bob is telling Ellen about his day.
6. Bob was late for his exam this morning because _______.
a. the clock in the cafeteria was wrong
b. the bus was late
c. he was reading something interesting
d. he was studying for the exam
7. Ellen thinks _______.

a. Bob might not fail the exam
b. Bob is probably going to fail the exam
c. Bob can’t fail the exam
d. Bob will fail the exam
Situation 6: Maria is talking to Leo on her cell phone about a trip.
8. Maria _______.
a. has started making plans to travel to Nepal
b. would like to climb Mount Everest
c. has never been to Nepal before
d. has never traveled with her brother before
9. Maria says Mount Everest is the highest mountain in the world

and _______.
a. the most difficult mountain to climb
b. the most beautiful view in the world
c. the most popular mountain to see
d. the coldest place in Nepal
Situation 7: Denise is helping Ivan with his new printer.

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10. Ivan doesn’t know _______.

a. where to plug in his printer
b. how to hook up his printer
c. which button turns his printer off
d. how to turn on his printer
11. Ivan thinks the price of his printer might be _______.

a. crazy
b. shocking
c. amazing
d. exciting
12. Ivan has been earning money from his photography _______.
a. for about a year
b. since high school
c. for a week
d. since last month
[72]
Situation 8: Jack and Louisa are talking about Louisa’s experience in

another country.
13. Louisa traveled abroad for the first time _______.

a. a few years ago
b. before she turned 16
c. a few months ago
d. when she turned 16
14. In Peru, Louisa’s mistake was _______.

a. handing the flowers to her friend’s mother and not to her friend
b. giving the flowers to her friend’s mother before dinner
c. stopping to shop on the way to dinner
d. choosing the wrong color of flowers
15. Louisa says, “You’re not supposed to do that.” She means that people
_______.
a. will never do that
b. don’t have to do that
c. shouldn’t do that
d. don’t intend to do that
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[73]
Situation 9: Paco is asking Lin for some career advice.
16. Paco just graduated with a degree in _______.

a. law
b. history
c. economics
d. software design
17. Lin isn’t working as a lawyer because he _______.

a. didn’t do well in law school
b. wasn’t happy as a lawyer
c. isn’t interested in a big salary
d. was unhappy in law school
18. Lin probably wishes he _______.

a. had majored in history
b. hadn’t gone to law school
c. had studied economics
d. hadn’t started a business
19. If Paco gets a degree in history, he will probably _______.

a. end up in law school
b. earn a lot of money
c. make his parents happy
d. become a teacher
20. If Paco goes back to school, he will have spent _______ years studying.
a. 20
b. 14
c. 12
d. 4
This is the end of the Listening section of Objective Placement Test B.

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[74]
Section II: Reading

Passage 1: What’s your weekend routine?
Katie: I work Monday through Saturday, so Sunday is my favorite day. I

usually sleep late and watch TV. I never clean the house or do laundry. We
always have lunch in a restaurant.
21. On Sundays, Katie _______.

a. has a busy day
b. works at home
c. eats out
d. doesn’t get up all day
Passage 2: An email, Subject: Home again!
Dear Frank,
I just got back from Mexico. It’s beautiful, but I didn’t see much. I got sick
and had to stay in the hotel. I felt awful! On the last day, we saw a mariachi
band. It’s a kind of musical group. That was nice. And I bought some great
souvenirs.
Molly
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22. Molly _______.
a. didn’t go out a lot
b. thought her hotel was awful
c. had a fabulous time
d. hated Mexico

[75]
Passage 3: Take a “staycation”!
High travel costs, flight delays, and job worries mean only 39 percent of
Americans are planning trips this year. The idea of a “staycation” – time off
at home – is becoming popular. One life coach doesn’t like the idea. “If you
stay home, it’s not a vacation,” he says. Other researchers generally agree
that it’s important to go somewhere – if you don’t take vacations, it’s bad for
your health.
23. The reading suggests that _______.

a. Americans are not going to travel much this year
b. Americans never take enough vacation
c. vacations are not healthy
d. long trips are becoming popular
Passage 4: Chest pains
Celia Burk was driving down Main Street in her neighborhood when she felt
pains in her chest and arms. She stopped the car, went into a drugstore to
buy some aspirin, and then drove herself home. Did she do the right thing?
Chest pains can mean you have a serious problem, so don’t ignore them.
Take aspirin if you’re not allergic to it, and see a doctor immediately. But
don’t drive – it can be dangerous.

a. tell an anecdote about Celia Burk
b. advertise aspirin
c. describe chest pains
d. give advice about chest pains
25. If you have chest pains, the reading says you _______.
a. shouldn’t worry
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b. should avoid aspirin

c. shouldn’t wait to see a doctor
d. should drive yourself to a doctor

[76]
Passage 5: Live life to the fullest: cook a gourmet meal!
I’ve never cooked a real meal in my life (I usually buy my food from the
freezer section at the grocery store), but last week I went to one of the best,
most expensive restaurants in the country and took a one-day class with a
celebrity gourmet chef. We learned how to make basic sauces and cook pasta,
meat, and fish. Best of all, they let us eat everything afterwards! It was
expensive but delicious, and well worth the cost. If you want to learn how to
cook properly, you might want to try it, too. Your friends will certainly be
impressed when you cook them a three-course dinner!
26. Before the cooking class, the writer _______.

a. was an excellent chef
b. ate a lot of frozen meals
c. only knew how to cook basic sauces
d. ate out at expensive restaurants every day
27. The writer thinks the cooking class _______.

a. was much too expensive
b. wasn’t very useful
c. was too simple
d. was a good experience
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[77]
Passage 6: Someone you can look up to: Ashley Mulroy
Ashley Mulroy was always curious about science, even as a small child. Since
sixth grade, she has been winning prize money at science fairs, which she
has saved to pay for college. But it’s not just her keen interest in science that
makes Ashley stand out from the crowd. Her interest in the quality of local
rivers brought her a lot of attention. It started when Ashley was reading an
article in a science magazine about antibiotics and other drugs in rivers and
tap water in Europe. Ashley wondered about the water in her local area and
decided to test it. If she found drugs in the water, she could do something
useful to help people. She taught herself how to test the water by reading
science journals. Her chemistry teacher was amazed because Ashley’s
experiment was the first of its kind in the U.S. In fact, Ashley did find low
levels of antibiotics in the water, and her study won an international junior
science prize. Since then, researchers have continued the tests. Ashley went
on to study medicine. And she has been using a filter for her drinking water
ever since that project!
28. Ashley _______.

a. didn’t like science when she was a child
b. became interested in science after sixth grade
c. began studying science in college
d. has always been interested in science
29. Ashley’s interest in the water in her local area started _______.
a. when she read about problems in other countries
b. after people brought attention to the problems in her area
c. when she learned about it at a science fair
d. when she did a science project in college
30. Ashley’s teacher was amazed because Ashley _______.

a. didn’t know how to use science journals
b. found antibiotics in the water
c. was the first person in America to test water for antibiotics
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d. didn’t share her study with any European scientists
31. Ashley thinks American drinking water _______.

a. is free from antibiotics
b. is better than European water
c. should always be tested by doctors
d. needs to be filtered

[78]
Passage 7: Modern crimes: Wireless network theft
Almost everybody has a wireless Internet connection these days. If you use your
laptop in any city apartment building, it will automatically find several networks
(Internet connections) to choose from. Often there’s no need to enter a password,
and you can be connected to your favorite website in seconds. But is it legal to use
your neighbor’s connection without permission? Is it right?
Although the law differs in different states, it is illegal in most places to use
other people’s Internet connections without their knowledge. It is considered theft
of a paid service, and you can be fined for doing it. Of course, it’s very difficult to get
caught unless you sit right outside someone’s house with your laptop. This
happened to a Florida man who was arrested by the police. He was told he should
have asked for permission before using the homeowners’ Internet connection.
Opinions differ on whether wireless network theft is right or wrong, and it is
frequently discussed on the Internet. Some people believe that if network owners
don’t protect themselves with a password, they are automatically giving permission
to use their connection. They say it’s like walking into an unlocked home and
drinking a glass of water – no one and nothing gets hurt. Others say it’s theft, and
people who do it should be punished.
32. Wireless network theft means _______.

a. everybody has an Internet connection
b. using someone’s Internet connection without asking
c. automatically finding several networks to use
d. connecting to the Internet with a stolen laptop
33. People who commit wireless network theft _______.

a. are hard to find
b. never get caught
c. need a password
d. have to sit outside someone’s house
34. People don’t agree on whether or not wireless theft is _______.

a. legal
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b. difficult
c. right
d. frequent
35. Some people say that using someone else’s network _______.
a. is worse than burglary Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2014
b. is like water damage
c. doesn’t do any damage
d. can’t be done without a password

[79]
Passage 8: What’s your “food footprint”?
Environmental issues have been discussed for years, with many people making
personal efforts to become “greener” by reducing their electricity use or purchasing
hybrid vehicles to cut gas consumption. But only recently has there been growing
interest in the food we eat and the impact this has on the environment.
Calculating “food footprints,” a movement that is rapidly gaining support, is based
on the idea that food traveling long distances contributes to global warming more than
food grown locally. As a result, there is increasing interest in “low-carbon” diets and
eating locally grown products, since theoretically these products won’t have used as
many resources, or created as much pollution, in production and transportation.
Not all experts agree that it is crucial that we buy only locally grown products.
Some argue that goods that travel long distances may have been grown and processed
more efficiently than local goods. Nevertheless, low-carbon menus are being created in
restaurants across the country. In addition, items such as imported water are being
removed from supermarket shelves and replaced by local products.
Attention is also being continually paid to the question of what the “lowest carbon” diet
is. Many experts agree that it is a vegetarian diet, because food from plant sources creates
less environmental damage than meat and dairy products. In the U.S., 80 percent of
farmland and half the water supply is used to raise animals for food. Even the
transportation of animals produces 18 percent more in greenhouse gases than transporting
food from plant sources. The message to “go vegetarian” is getting louder and louder.
36. The article says that in recent years, environmental issues _______.
a. have been ignored by the general public
b. haven’t influenced the reduction of electricity use
c. have been of concern to many people
d. haven’t had much personal impact
37. The article says that transporting food long distances _______.
a. is a growing movement
b. has absolutely no impact on the environment
c. is highly efficient
d. has become an environmental issue
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38. As a result of the interest in “food footprints,” _______.

a. stores have been changing the items they sell
b. more hybrid cars are being purchased
c. goods travel long distances
d. restaurants only serve water from local sources
39. Most of the farmland in the U.S. is used _______.

a. to grow products for local markets
b. to grow food from plant sources
c. by meat and dairy farmers
d. to collect water
40. Transporting food from plant sources is _______ transporting meat and dairy
animals.
a. half as expensive as
b. just as bad for the environment as
c. more environment-friendly than
d. 18 percent more damaging than

[80]

In this section, you will answer questions about the use of English. Choose
the word or words that best complete the sentence. For each item, fill in your
answer on the answer sheet. You will have 15 minutes to complete this section.
41. My family and I have breakfast together _______ the morning.

a. in
b. on
c. at
d. every
42. What _______ your sister do in her free time?

a. do
b. is
c. does
d. are
43. Sammy didn’t _______ out last night because he was very tired.
a. going
b. went
c. goes
d. go
44. Carla drinks _______ milk, but she doesn’t like cheese.
a. a lot of
b. a
c. any
d. many
45. I’m good _______ languages.

a. in learning
b. learn
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c. at learning
d. to learn
46. A: Are you going to Stella’s party tomorrow night?
B: Yes, I am. And it _______ fun!
a. is being
b. is going to be
c. was
d. is

[81]
47. I went on the Internet yesterday _______ some research for my trip.
a. for doing
b. did
c. do
d. to do
48. A: What do you do with your old magazines?

B: I throw them away, but my neighbors Sandra and Kate give _______ to
the library.
a. her
b. their
c. hers
d. theirs
49. A: Where _______ when you had your accident?

B: I was driving to work.
a. are you going
b. do you go
c. were you going
d. did you go
50. It’s great to get an email, but it’s _______ to get a phone call.
a. better
b. too good
c. the worst
d. worse
51. A: Are you doing anything tomorrow afternoon? Do you have plans?
B: Actually, I do. _______ a yoga class from 2:00 to 5:00.
a. I’m having
b. I had
c. I would have
d. I have
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52. I’d like to meet someone _______.

a. is very different from me
b. which is interesting and funny
c. I can really talk to
d. my parents like him, too

[82]
53. If I _______ more free time, I’d play tennis more often. Then my game
would really improve.
a. would have
b. have
c. am going to have
d. had
54. A: How long did you spend on the Internet today?
B: I really have no idea how long _______.
a. I did spend
b. I spent
c. did I spend
d. I spend
55. Hakim _______ karate for almost ten years, and he enjoys it very much.
a. is doing
b. has been doing
c. did
d. had done
56. Several bridges _______ last night during the earthquake.

a. be damaged
b. was damaged
c. damaged
d. were damaged
57. When does Magda plan on _______ her new job?

a. to start
b. starts
c. starting
d. start
58. You can offend your host by not _______ a gift.

a. to bring
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b. bring
c. brought
d. bringing


[83]
59. I _______ to a job interview this morning, but the company called
yesterday and changed the appointment to Friday.
a. am supposed to go
b. am going to go
c. was supposed to go
d. went
60. We’re going to have a professional _______ our house. We’re too busy to
do it ourselves.
a. paint
b. paints
c. has painted
d. painted
61. We’re very disappointed in Teresa. She should not _______ that way, and
she ought to apologize.
a. have acted
b. acted
c. acts
d. been acting
62. If Tony had continued his education, he _______ something entirely
different.
a. did
b. would have done
c. is doing
d. has been doing
63. Celebrity magazines, _______ continue to be popular among people of all

ages, can be found next to the checkout line in supermarkets across the
country.
a. because
b. that
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c. they
d. which
64. The citizens wish the government _______ the serious problem of high
unemployment.
a. is solving
b. would solve
c. solves
d. will solve

[84]
65. If Alan has a good memory, he’ll have no problem _______ dates and
other information in the history class he just signed up for.
a. learning
b. learn
c. to learn
d. learns
66. There is a saying that advises not to _______ your friends money.
a. lend them
b. lend to
c. lending
d. lend
67. Were you ever told that it’s important that everyone _______ under a
doorway during an earthquake?
a. would stand
b. is standing
c. stand
d. will stand
68. Before Rosa made such an important decision about the project, her
supervisor probably should _______.
a. have been consulted
b. be consulted
c. have consulted
d. consulted
69. I would like to _______ to the last Olympics, but I couldn’t afford to make
the trip.
a. go
b. have gone
c. had gone
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d. went
70. Charles and his brother live in different cities, but they try to visit
_______ at least twice a year.
a. them
b. themselves Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2014
c. him
d. each other
END OF TEST

[85]

Answer Sheet
Name Date
Total Points Rating
a
Example: b c d
1. a b c d 11. a b c d
2. a b c d 12. a b c d
3. a b c d 13. a b c d
4. a b c d 14. a b c d
5. a b c d 15. a b c d
6. a b c d 16. a b c d
7. a b c d 17. a b c d
8. a b c d 18. a b c d
9. a b c d 19. a b c d
10. a b c d 20. a b c d
Section II: Reading

21. a b c d 31. a b c d
22. a b c d 32. a b c d
23. a b c d 33. a b c d
24. a b c d 34. a b c d
25. a b c d 35. a b c d
26. a b c d 36. a b c d
27. a b c d 37. a b c d
28. a b c d 38. a b c d
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29. a b c d 39. a b c d
30. a b c d 40. a b c d

41. a b c d 51. a b c d 61. a b c d

42. a b c d 52. a b c d 62. a b c d
43. a b c d 53. a b c d 63. a b c d
44. a b c d 54. a b c d 64. a b c d
45. a b c d 55. a b c d 65. a b c d
46. a b c d 56. a b c d 66. a b c d
47. a b c d 57. a b c d 67. a b c d
48. a b c d 58. a b c d 68. a b c d
49. a b c d 59. a b c d 69. a b c d
50. a b c d 60. a b c d 70. a b c d

[86]
General Directions
complete the test.
conversation, read the question or questions. Then listen to the conversation.
Answer the questions after the conversation ends. Choose the correct answer
for each question, and fill in your choice on your answer sheet. You will hear
the conversation only once. The first conversation is an example. You have
15 minutes to complete this section.
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1
[87]
Example
Situation: Harry invites his co-worker Mandy to go out for lunch.
Mandy _______.
a. has to go home for lunch
b. doesn’t want to go to a restaurant
c. is going out for lunch
d. doesn’t like Tony’s Cafe
The answer for the example is c, is going out for lunch. The letter c is filled in
on your answer sheet.
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Objective Placement Test C 2

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Situation 1: Mr. Chan is asking Nancy about her classmates.
1. Mary Ann is _______.

a. in the cafeteria
b. in the library
c. in class
d. at work
Situation 2: Angela is asking Jerry about his free time.
2. On Monday and Wednesday evenings, Jerry _______.

a. stays home
b. takes a class
c. exercises
d. goes to work
Situation 3: Linda and Marc are talking on the phone.
3. Linda and Marc _______ .

a. don’t like to shop
b. went shopping yesterday
c. can go shopping on Thursday
d. can go shopping this weekend
Situation 4: Keith and Laura are talking about their habits.
4. Keith _______.
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a. wants to go running with Laura
b. isn’t exercising right now
c. exercises once a week
d. often goes to the gym
5. Keith and Laura _______.

a. are going to do something they enjoy
b. both love to exercise
c. are going to join the same gym
d. are going to start going to an exercise class
3 Objective Placement Test C

[89]
Situation 5: Julie is telling Allen about her day.
6. Julie was late for her meeting this morning because _______.
a. her watch was wrong
b. her train was late
c. she was talking to a friend
d. she ate breakfast too slowly
7. Allen thinks _______.

a. Julie might get her promotion
b. Julie will definitely get her promotion
c. Julie won’t get her promotion
d. Julie will probably not get her promotion
Situation 6: Bobby is talking to Mei on his cell phone about a trip.
8. Bobby _______.
a. has never traveled with his cousin before
b. would like to go to Puerto Rico
c. has started making plans to go to Hawaii
d. has never been to Hawaii before
9. Bobby says Mount Kilauea is the most active volcano in the world
and _______.
a. the highest mountain in Hawaii
b. the most popular volcano to see
c. the hottest place in Hawaii
d. the most dangerous volcano on earth
Situation 7: Joey is helping Emma with her new MP3 player.
10. Emma doesn’t know _______.

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a. which button turns her MP3 player off

b. where to plug in her MP3 player
c. how to turn up the volume on her MP3 player
d. how to put music on her MP3 player
11. Joey thinks asking about the MP3 player’s price might make Emma
feel _______.
a. annoyed
b. crazy
c. excited
d. disappointed
12. Joey hasn’t been happy at his job _______.

a. since college
b. for a very long time
c. for about two years
d. for almost ten years
[90]
Situation 8: John and Lara are talking about John’s experience in another
country.
13. John traveled abroad for the first time _______.

a. a few years ago
b. a few months ago
c. when he turned 20
d. after he turned 20
14. In Japan, John’s mistake was _______.

a. putting his chopsticks in the shape of an X
b. arriving late at the restaurant
c. leaving an empty plate on the table
d. finishing his dinner before his hosts
15. John says, “You aren’t supposed to do that.” He means that people _______.
a. don’t intend to do that
b. shouldn’t do that
c. will never do that
d. don’t have to do that
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[91]
Situation 9: Beth is asking Luis for some career advice.
16. Beth is going to graduate with a degree in _______.

a. business
b. education
c. communications
d. history
17. Luis isn’t working as a teacher because he _______.
a. didn’t do well in graduate school
b. wasn’t happy teaching
c. didn’t enjoy his graduate courses
d. went into the field of publishing
18. Beth is most afraid that _______.
a. she’ll get a job she doesn’t like
b. she will regret joining the real world
c. her parents will be disappointed with her choice
d. she’ll end up with a job in communications
19. If Beth goes back to school, she will have spent______ years studying.
a. 20
b. 12
c. 6
d. 5
20. If Beth doesn’t go to graduate school now, she’ll probably _______.
a. make her parents happy
b. start her own business
c. start her career
d. be disappointed
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This is the end of the Listening section of Objective Placement Test C.


[92]
Section II: Reading

Passage 1: What’s your routine at work?
Jeff: I usually go to work early and have breakfast at my desk. I’m always on
the Internet – I check my email a lot. Sometimes I have meetings. I go home
late every night!
21. Jeff spends a lot of time _______.

a. in the cafeteria
b. on his computer
c. on the phone
d. with his boss
Passage 2: An email, Subject: Back at work!
Dear Carl,
I’m back, but I didn’t want to come home! Italy was wonderful! I met nice
people, and I learned some Italian. I ate a lot of zabaglione – it’s a kind of
dessert. I went to museums, and I went shopping. It was expensive! I want to
go back to Europe – France next time!
Abby
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22. Abby _______.
a. can’t speak any Italian
b. wanted to stay in Italy
c. doesn’t want to go to overseas again
d. didn’t like the people

[93]
Passage 3: Hobbies are good for you!
We all know vacations are good for your health. But if you can’t take a
vacation, do a hobby instead. Research shows that people with hobbies
generally aren’t very stressed. Hobbies help people relax. They give you quiet
time and help you sleep better. One psychologist explains, “When we’re doing
something we love, it’s a passion.” And passion is important for a healthy life.
23. The article suggests that _______.

a. people get stressed when they do a hobby
b. hobbies don’t help with sleep problems
c. a hobby can’t be a passion
d. it’s good to have a passion in life
Passage 4: Back pain
Miki Akeba was lifting weights at the gym when she hurt her back. She went
home and went to bed for several days, but didn’t call her doctor. When she
got up, she sat up straight on a kitchen chair. Was this right?
With any back injury, always talk to a doctor first to check if it is serious.
Keep moving – for example, go swimming or walking. And it’s usually fine to
lean back in a comfortable chair.

a. tell an anecdote about Miki
b. discuss exercise
c. describe back pain
d. give advice about back injuries
25. If you have back pain, the reading says you _______.
a. don’t need to see a doctor
b. usually can’t sit up straight
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c. shouldn’t avoid exercise

d. should stay in bed for a few days

[94]
Passage 5: Live life to the fullest: Play golf with a pro!
Have you ever played golf with a professional? Probably not, unless you’re a
friend of Tiger Woods. I’ve hardly ever played golf, so I’m certainly not a good
golfer, but last month I took lessons from the professionals at one of the most
famous and oldest golf clubs in the country. The instructors were incredibly
good and very talented, and I learned some great tips. I recommend it! If
you’re already a good golfer, you’ll definitely improve your technique. You
might want to play a full round of golf on the challenging course after the
lessons. Me? I went for dinner in the clubhouse!
26. The writer _______.

a. didn’t learn anything useful
b. played golf like a professional
c. played golf with Tiger Woods
d. was a beginner at golf
27. After the golf lessons, the writer _______.

a. had a meal
b. played a full round of golf
c. gave the instructors a good tip
d. decided to go to a club
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[95]
Passage 6: Someone you can look up to: Alfred Ciffo III
Alfred Ciffo had happy memories of talking with his grandmother while he
was growing up. They chatted by phone every week and shared their lives.
Alfred realized that regular contact between the generations was important
and decided to do something about it. When he was 14, he founded his Teen
Connect organization. The project links teenagers and seniors who call each
other and keep in touch by phone. From the very beginning, the senior from
Teen Connect who Alfred was calling was enthusiastic – she never knew her
own grandmothers when she was young, which she regretted. Alfred started
Teen Connect in Florida, and four years later the program had more than 200
groups around the U.S. and an international chapter in Japan. Both
teenagers and seniors felt positive about the program. The seniors looked
forward to keeping in touch each week, and the teenagers enjoyed getting
advice and hearing about the seniors’ life experiences. Shortly after Alfred
started his degree at MIT, he received an award for his community work. He
was surprised but satisfied that his program could help reduce loneliness.
28. When Alfred was young, he _______.

a. visited his grandmother once a year
b. called his grandmother every week
c. didn’t like talking with his grandmother
d. shared a home with his grandmother
29. Alfred founded Teen Connect so _______.

a. teenagers wouldn’t be lonely
b. older people could contact their grandchildren
c. seniors wouldn’t regret keeping in touch with family
d. young and old people could talk together
30. Seniors liked the program because _______.

a. it was so popular all over the world
b. they enjoyed having weekly conversations
c. it gave them some life experience
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d. it helped them forget about the past
31. Alfred got an award for his community project _______.

a. before he started college
b. after graduating from college
c. in Japan
d. while he was at college

[96]
Passage 7: Modern crimes: telephone fraud
You’re at home and the phone rings. A young woman says you’ve won a
fabulous prize – a dream vacation, a new car, or a lot of money. You get
excited and start imagining it. But first, you must pay a fee for shipping or
taxes. You give the woman your credit card details, or write a check and mail
it to an international address. Then you sit back and wait for your prize to
come. It will never be sent. You’ve been a victim of telephone fraud.
You may feel that you should have known it was too good to be true. It
might help you feel better to know that you are not alone. This type of crime
is a growing problem in the U.S. and Canada. People have been losing
billions of dollars every year hoping to get the prize of their dreams. Victims
of telephone scams are often called a second time by the same criminals, who
then pretend to be government lawyers. The victims are told they can get
their money back if they pay a legal fee or government tax.
These criminals usually can’t be caught because they call from outside
the country and use telephone numbers that can’t be traced to real people or
companies. If you haven’t entered a contest, you probably haven’t won
anything. Don’t be fooled by telephone fraud: never send money or give out
your credit card information in order to receive a “prize.”
32. Victims of telephone fraud _______.

a. pay too much for a vacation
b. pay money and get nothing back
c. don’t pay enough in taxes
d. enter a lot of contests
33. Sometimes criminals who commit this crime ________.

a. rob the same people twice
b. employ government lawyers
c. pay the money back to their victims
d. pay legal fees when they are caught
34. The article says that these criminals _______.
photocopiable
a. work for international companies
b. have foreign addresses
c. own real companies
d. live in the U.S. and Canada
35. The writer’s advice about telephone fraud is _______.

a. don’t enter contests
b. don’t cash the check if you win a telephone contest
c. don’t pay money if you haven’t entered a contest
d. don’t feel bad about being tricked

[97]
Passage 8: Consumers and the environment
In recent years, concern about the environment has been endlessly discussed in the
media, and consumers have regularly been told to change their lifestyles in order to
reduce their impact on the planet. But how much has this media attention influenced
our behavior? Recent surveys suggest that although there is greater awareness of
environmental issues, it is crucial that much more be done to change people’s
behavior. Concern for the environment alone is not enough to change habits. Over
half of the people surveyed said that they had made changes such as buying recycled
products or recycling paper, plastic, and glass. However, only a fifth said they were
taking fewer flights – a major cause of greenhouse gas emissions – and less than five
percent were using more environment-friendly hybrid cars.
“The problem is human nature,” says a leading environmentalist, “because
changing to more eco-friendly habits means giving up some of the luxuries we’re
used to.”
Changing consumer behavior is complex, but the most effective kind of pressure
that can be applied is financial. As long as gas prices remain affordable, people use
their cars without thinking about the environmental cost. But as world oil prices
increase, car owners are looking for ways to reduce car use. In countries where public
transportation is limited, many people have few alternatives. What is clear is that it
will take more than recycling to save the planet.
36. The main idea in the article is that _______.

a. the environment is a serious issue
b. it’s difficult to make people change their lifestyles
c. gas prices are more expensive
d. people should buy more recycled goods
37. Recent surveys on consumer behavior show that people _______.

a. know little about environmental issues
b. don’t care much about the environment
c. are willing to give up some luxuries to help the environment
d. will have to change their behavior more in the future
38. The view of a leading environmentalist is that consumers _______.

photocopiable
a. are willing to change their habits

b. can be easily motivated to change their habits
c. don’t want to give up their lifestyles
d. will need to recycle more to save the planet
39. The writer says that the best way to change consumer spending habits is to _______.
a. make things more expensive
b. convince people it’s the right thing to do
c. tell people about the environmental cost
d. limit the availability of public transportation
40. The article says that now car owners _______.

a. often drive hybrid cars
b. have alternatives to driving
c. use public transportation more often
d. drive less often to save money

[98]

In this section, you will answer questions about the use of English. Choose the
word or words that best complete the sentence. For each item, fill in your answer
on the answer sheet. You will have 15 minutes to complete this section.
41. My father works _______ night on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

a. any
b. on
c. in
d. at
42. Where _______ your best friend live?

a. is
b. does
c. are
d. do
43. Ronnie didn’t _______ breakfast this morning because she got up late.
a. ate
b. eating
c. eats
d. eat
44. Carlos eats _______ rice, but he doesn’t like potatoes.

a. a lot of
b. any
c. many
d. a
45. I’m interested _______ a meditation class.

a. to join
b. in joining
c. at joining
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d. joining
46. A: Are you and Sarah going trick-or-treating tomorrow night?
B: Yes, we are. And we _______ a great time!
a. have
b. are having Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2014
c. had
d. are going to have

[99]
47. I went to the mall yesterday _______ some things for my trip.
a. to buy
b. bought
c. buy
d. for buying
48. A: What do you do with your old books?

B: I give them to the library, but my best friends Marie and Susan keep
_______ for years.
a. their
b. hers
c. theirs
d. her
49. A: What _______ when you heard the news?

B: I was cooking dinner.
a. do you do
b. were you doing
c. did you do
d. are you doing
50. It’s bad to get junk mail, but it’s _______ to get spam. I hate spam.
a. too bad
b. best
c. worse
d. better
51. A: What are you doing tomorrow? Do you want to go to the beach?
B: Actually, I’d love to. _______ you up at around 10:00. OK?
a. I’ll pick
b. I’m picking
c. I picked
d. I pick
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52. My best friend is someone _______.

a. which I admire
b. my whole family loves her, too
c. I met when we were kids
d. is interesting and funny

[100]
53. If I _______ work so much, I’d go kayaking more often. Then I’d feel less
stressed out.
a. wouldn’t have to
b. didn’t have to
c. am not going to have to
d. don’t have to
54. A: Where did you leave the manual that came with the printer?
B: I have no idea where _______ it.
a. I’ll leave
b. I leave
c. did I leave
d. I left
55. Carol _______ tennis since she was a kid, and she really loves it.
a. plays
b. is playing
c. has been playing
d. played
56. The storm caused serious flooding, but no injuries _______.

a. were reporting
b. were reported
c. was reported
d. is reported
57. How did Min-Jee end up _______ as a travel agent?

a. working
b. worked
c. to work
d. works
58. In some countries, you can offend people by _______ at them.

a. point
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b. to point
c. pointed
d. pointing


[101]
59. Luis _______ to a party last night, but he didn’t feel well, so he stayed
home.
a. is supposed to go
b. went
c. was supposed to go
d. is going to go
60. Our next-door neighbors are having their roof _______. It’s going to look
so much better.
a. to repair
b. repairing
c. repaired
d. repairs
61. We’re very annoyed with Andrew. He should not _______ so rude.
a. have been
b. was
c. is
d. had been
62. If I had finished my education, I probably _______ many more

opportunities to succeed.
a. had
b. would have had
c. am having
d. have had
63. Do you think that e-books, _______ have become so popular, will
eventually totally replace printed books?
a. they
b. which
c. because
d. that
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64. My wife and I wish the city _______ a traffic light on the corner of Main
Street and Center Avenue. It’s a very dangerous intersection.
a. will install
b. installs
c. would install
d. is installing

[102]
65. Professor Torres has said that we should feel free to ask for help if we
have trouble _______ anything from her lectures.
a. to understand
b. are understanding
c. understanding
d. understand
66. _______ me your cell phone number, and I’ll call you tonight.
a. Give for
b. Give to
c. Give
d. Give you
67. Many people believe it’s essential that a child _______ taught how to
swim at an early age.
a. be
b. will be
c. would be
d. is being
68. As soon as the company realized its product was defective, the public
should _______ .
a. have informed
b. have been informed
c. be informed
d. informed
69. I would like to _______ a haircut today, but I couldn’t get an

appointment.
a. had gotten
b. get
photocopiable
c. have gotten
d. got
70. Julie and her sister don’t talk on the phone very often these days, but
they try to email _______ a few times a month.
a. them
b. each other
c. her
d. themselves
END OF TEST

[103]

Answer Sheet
Name Date
Total Points Rating
a
Example: b c d
1. a b c d 11. a b c d
2. a b c d 12. a b c d
3. a b c d 13. a b c d
4. a b c d 14. a b c d
5. a b c d 15. a b c d
6. a b c d 16. a b c d
7. a b c d 17. a b c d
8. a b c d 18. a b c d
9. a b c d 19. a b c d
10. a b c d 20. a b c d
Section II: Reading

21. a b c d 31. a b c d
22. a b c d 32. a b c d
23. a b c d 33. a b c d
24. a b c d 34. a b c d
25. a b c d 35. a b c d
26. a b c d 36. a b c d
27. a b c d 37. a b c d
28. a b c d 38. a b c d
photocopiable
29. a b c d 39. a b c d
30. a b c d 40. a b c d

41. a b c d 51. a b c d 61. a b c d

42. a b c d 52. a b c d 62. a b c d
43. a b c d 53. a b c d 63. a b c d
44. a b c d 54. a b c d 64. a b c d
45. a b c d 55. a b c d 65. a b c d
46. a b c d 56. a b c d 66. a b c d
47. a b c d 57. a b c d 67. a b c d
48. a b c d 58. a b c d 68. a b c d
49. a b c d 59. a b c d 69. a b c d
50. a b c d 60. a b c d 70. a b c d

Placement Test: Michael Mccarthy Jeanne Mccarten Helen Sandiford

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Placement Test

Cambridge University Press is part of the University of Cambridge.

Placement Test Administration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Objective Placement Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Placement Speaking Assessment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Teachers’ Test Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Students’ Test Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Description of the Placement Testing Program

1 Touchstone Level 1, first half

TEST Rating level

Objective Placement Test 3 Touchstone Level 2, first half

Placement Test Administration

TEST Rating level

Objective Placement Test 5 Touchstone Level 3, first half

TEST Rating level

Objective Placement Test 8 Touchstone Level 4, second half

Placement Test Administration

Description of the Objective Placement Test

Administration of the Objective Placement Test

Scoring of the Objective Placement Test

1–5 1 Touchstone Level 1, first half

Objective Placement Test

Description of the Placement Speaking Assessment

Administration of the Placement Speaking Assessment

Evaluation of the Placement Speaking Assessment

Scoring Speaking Assessment Guidelines

1 Touchstone Level 1, first half

Task # LEVEL Description task Rating

Oral skills rating: 3

Placement Speaking Assessment

Task # LEVEL Description task Rating

Task # LEVEL Description task Rating

Placement Speaking Assessment

Placement Speaking Assessment Tasks

Placement Speaking Assessment

Placement Speaking Assessment

Viewpoint Level 1 (9–10 points)

Placement Speaking Assessment

Description of the Placement Essay

1. Describe your favorite free-time activity. Why is it fun?

Administration of the Placement Essay

Evaluation of the Placement Essay

Placement Essay Rating Guide with Samples

Placement Essay Guidelines

1–2 Touchstone Level 1

Placement Essay Scoring Rubric

Touchstone Level 1 (1–2 points)

Misspelled words and

Text is very short with

Touchstone Level 2 (3–4 points)

Only short, simple

Lack of control over

Touchstone Level 3 (5–6 points)

Student is able to use a

Speaking languages gives more opportunities in life. Before I

Touchstone Level 4 (7–8 points)

The writer clearly

Several lapses in usage

Viewpoint Level 1 (9–10 points)