A Placement Test is simply a test of English which a student will take to determine their learner level.

They are often used during a needs analysis‏‎ and when a new student joins a school. The result of the test will give the school a good indication of which class is most suitable for the student. Some institutions such as universities in the USA‏‎ and United Kingdom will use tests such as IELTS‏‎ or TOEFL‏‎ to determine how good a student’s English is.

Placement Test Content

Most placement tests will check the four major language skills‏‎ (reading‏‎, writing‏‎, listening‏‎ and speaking‏‎) and often also look at knowledge of grammar and vocabulary‏‎.

Good ones will refine as they are taken (often online) and so a test might begin with a question such as:

Before coming here I __ a cup of coffee.

a) drink
b) drank
c) had drunk
d) will have drunk

If the student gets it right then they move on to a more complex grammatical question; if they get it wrong then the next question is easier.