DC English Assessment (DCOE)
Fall 2024
Your DC English Assessment (DCOE) is a computer based assessment test that will be offered in-person for the Fall semester. Pre-registration is required at least 24 (business) hours in advance.
- Who should Write
- What to bring to the test
- Preparation for test
- Test result
- Waiting period for rewrites
- Maximum number of attempts
- Test schedule
- How to book an assessment
Who should write
The English Upgrading Assessment (ENGU) is a placement test to determine which level of English Upgrading (ENGU) to register for. Please contact the English Upgrading Department by email at upgrading@douglascollege.ca.
The DC English Assessment (DCOE) is a threshold test to obtain :
- An approved substitution for English 12 "C" or higher to meet the College's English Proficiency Requirement and College-level Admission to programs
- An approved pre-requisite substitution for registration into first-year English, Communications and Creative Writing course(s).
What to bring to the test
Please bring:
- Photo identification (for example: Douglas College student card, current driver's license or passport)
- Your student Number
- A pen
- An English Language dictionary
It is strongly recommended that you come prepared with an approved English Language dictionary, it is to your advantage to do so.
NOTE:
- No electronic or translation dictionaries
- No thesaurus/dictionaries
- No synonym/dictionaries are allowed.
- No dictionaries with built in sentence structure, grammar, punctuation usage, or writing styles.
Please check the front, middle and back to ensure these are not included, as they will not be permitted.
Preparation for test
Sample questions covering reading comprehension and sample essay writing (called WritePlacer) can be found at the Accuplacer site.
Once you are there, click on "Information for Students" under Student Portal on the left, and then choose the "Accuplacer Practice Resources". Under “Download and practice with free sample Questions” on the right, click “Download Samples”. On the next page, you can click on Reading Sample Questions for the Next-Generation Reading. At the same link scroll down to WritePlacer Guide with Sample Essays. This information is very useful in helping to prepare for the assessment and is to your advantage to do so.
Test results
The result of this Assessment will usually be given to you after completion of the assessment, and are also forwarded directly to the Registrar’s Office. In some instances your results may take twenty-four (24) hours. Results are valid for four years.
Please note, you may not register in any college-level credit courses before completing the necessary upgrading or meeting one of the other language-proficiency requirements listed in the General College Admission Requirements.
Waiting period for DC English Assessment (DCOE) rewrites
If you do not meet the assessment standard you are encouraged to take the opportunity to upgrade your skills in ELLA or ENGU courses. You must wait until after the last day to withdraw from a course and receive grade of W in the following semester before you are eligible for a second attempt of the DC English Assessment (DCOE).
Maximum number of DC English Assessment (DCOE) attempts
You may attempt the DC English Assessment (DCOE) a maximum of twice in two years. However, if you first take the ELLA or ENGU assessment, without having attempted the Computer-based English assessment, you will be eligible to take the Computer-based English assessment only once. The ELLA or ENGU assessment counts as the first attempt, and the DC English Assessment (DCOE) counts as the second.
Alternately, if you take the Computer-based English assessment first, and then attempt the ELLA or ENGU assessment, you will not be eligible to take the DC English Assessment (DCOE) again. The Computer-based English assessment counts as the first attempt, and the ELLA or ENGU assessment(s) will count as the second.
In either of the above cases, the two-year wait period starts from the date of the second testing attempt, whether it is the DC English Assessment (DCOE) or the ELLA or ENGU Placement assessment.
Test Schedule
Please follow the steps on - Assessment Testing Information to book your exam.
How to book an assessment
Visit our How to Book an Assessment test page.
Please note that registration or cancellation of assessments must be done 24 (business) hours in advance of the scheduled date and time.