International Student English (ISE) Exam
About the ISE Exam
The ISE Exam is a free placement exam given to assess the English proficiency of international students at USC. After taking the ISE Exam, students are either released from any ALI requirement or receive an ALI course placement(s).
If you are required to take the ISE Exam, it will be stated in your USC admission letter and/or you will have an ALI Hold on your registration portal. There is no fee for taking the exam.
Overview of the ISE Exam:
The ISE Exam has two parts: writing skills and speaking skills. These parts are typically given on the same day, but may also be given on two different days.
Writing skills are assessed by a written exam. Students are allowed 50 minutes to write on a given topic. Students are evaluated on their ability to write a well-organized essay using grammatically accurate and academically appropriate English. Students must bring their personal laptop with the LockDown Browser downloaded to write their essays. The Written Exam is administered in person at the USC University Park Campus.
Oral skills are assessed in an oral interview that takes approximately 12-15 minutes. The interview is carried out on Zoom with two interviewers who ask students to talk about their personal and educational background, their ISE written exam and a topic chosen by the interviewers. Students are evaluated on fluency, pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar.
| Section | Estimated Time | Location | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Writing | 50 minutes | In Person (USC Campus) | Students will write a well-organized essay on a given topic where they will state and support an opinion using grammatically accurate and academically appropriate English |
| Speaking | 12-15 minutes | Online (via Zoom) | Students will talk about their personal and educational background, their written exam and a topic chosen by the interviewers based on graphic images. |
Schedule your ISE Exam
The ISE Exam will be offered in August for students beginning their studies in the fall semester, January for the spring semester and May for the summer session. The ISE Exam may only be taken once in the span of one academic year (i.e., after two regular semesters).
If you cannot attend the ISE Exam that is currently posted on the website, you may check back on or after that test date for additional tests. We recommend that you take the exam as soon as possible because you will not be able to register for any classes until after you receive your exam results.
Before you Sign Up
New students must certify enrollment and register for a USC email address before they will be able to sign up for the ISE Exam.
- Undergraduate students must submit their Enrollment Commitment Deposit.
- Graduate students must submit an Intent to Enroll form.
Before signing up for the ISE Exam, new students must also have a picture on file with the USCard Office. Students don’t need their actual USCard to take the exam. It can take two to five business days before your picture is available and you can sign up for the exam, so please submit a picture as early as possible.
If you have any difficulties submitting a photo, please email askali@usc.edu.
Exemptions From Taking the ISE Exam
Students who meet certain conditions may not be required to take the ISE Exam.