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Demonstrating oral English proficiency through the Versant English Test
Incoming international PhD and MFA students who have not fulfilled TGS’s English proficiency requirement (including students who have transferred from Master’s to PhD programs) are required to take the Versant English Test during the first test period after they arrive on campus (typically September of the first year). The Graduate School only accepts scores from tests administered by the English Language Programs at Northwestern University.
Please see the Versant English Test website for details about the test format.
- Testing periods are scheduled during early September and late Feb/early March of each academic year, giving students approximately 6 months between testing sessions to make significant improvements in their spoken English proficiency.
- Students take the Versant test in group testing sessions that last less than an hour.
- Students will be contacted directly by the testing coordinator to sign up for a test session. Departments will be notified about testing for their students before and after each test period.
Versant Test Dates for 2017-2018
- September 6 - 12, 2017
- February 26 - 28, 2018
Testing outcomes for Versant
- Passing. Students who pass the Versant test (earning a score of 65 or greater out of a possible 80) fulfill The Graduate School’s spoken English proficiency requirement, and will not be required to participate in further testing.
- Not passing. Students who do not pass the Versant test will be offered the test again during each testing period until they fulfill The Graduate School’s spoken English proficiency requirement. Students will be contacted directly by the testing coordinator to sign up for a test session. Departments will be notified about testing for their students before each test period. Based on their score, certain students may be required to participate in services offered by English Language Programs.
Have more questions about Versant testing at Northwestern? Contact our staff at elp@northwestern.edu.
