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Students gather in front of the Cascade Buidling

English Requirements

Students can be admitted to Pierce College with or without proof of English language proficiency. There are two options for incoming students.

Option A:  Complete Intensive English Program (IEP)

New students without proof of English proficiency will be given a test and then placed in the Intensive English Program (IEP) at Pierce College.  The IEP has four levels.  A student can complete their IEP study, depending on their level when they begin, in one to four quarters of study. 

Option B:  Submit Proof of English Proficiency

New students with proof of English proficiency may begin study in college credit classes immediately.  Accepted proofs of English proficiency are shown in the table below. Tests must have been taken within past two years.

Method of Proof Minimum Required
TOEFL 61 (iBT)
IELTS 5.5 (No Band Below 5.0)
DUOLINGO 90 (No sub score below 90)
EIKEN 2A
Pearson 46
GTEC 1050 (CBT)
Education First (EF) School Level B2 Completed
ELS Schools Level 109; or Inst. TOEFL 500
ITEP Score of 4, No area score below 4
Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE) C or better
Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English (CAE) C or better
IB English A (SL or HL), English B  (SL or HL) 5 or better
Oxford ELLT 5
Australia, New Zealand, Canada, or the United Kingdom Official high school completion diploma from accredited institutions or satisfactory scores in national certificate examinations indicating a passing score in English
Nordic institutions Gymnasium scores of "VG" or "MVG"
Singapore At least 4 O level or 5 N level passes
Kenya KCSE grades of B or better in high school level English
US High School Transfer One year of high school level English/language arts with grades of B or better; U.S. high school attendance must be within two years of the start date at Pierce College
US College or University Transfer Passing grade on required freshman English course. Attendance must be within two years of the start date at Pierce College