MSN-ESLAT
The MSN-ESLAT (Madison English as a Second Language Assessment Test) is used to assess students’ English language skills required for academic work and to place students in appropriate ESL courses. The MSN-ESLAT is required of many new graduate and undergraduate students.
The MSN-ESLAT consists of two parts.
- Part 1: Listening. This portion of the test is only given as part of the on-campus test. The test assesses your comprehension of informal speech and lectures. The first part is multiple-choice. You will listen to one-line statements and choose a response or a paraphrase. The test continues with short dialogues or lectures on either general or academic topics.
- Part 2: Reading & Writing. The second portion of the test requires you to read a 600-800 word passage. You will then summarize the passage and respond to it in a short essay. You will have 50 minutes to complete this section.
Skills and abilities that are evaluated to determine satisfactory English language proficiency as well as suitable Communication Part A skills to justify placement beyond ESL 118:
Reading ability:
- Summary reflects clear understanding of the reading
- Summary conveys the main points of the article’s arguments
Writing ability:
- Composition adheres to the conventions of academic writing
- Composition contains no plagiarism; no copying from the article
- Composition makes use of cohesive devices
- Paragraphs are well-formed
- Opinion is organized, reasoned and developed
Language use:
- Vocabulary is varied and academic
- Correct word forms are used
- Grammar is accurate and does not interfere with meaning
- Variety of sentence structures is used
There is no practice or sample test available. To prepare yourself, read widely, summarize what you read and write about it. Good writing develops through practice.
If you have questions, please contact the ESL office at askesl@english.wisc.edu. Students with disabilities needing a reasonable accommodation should contact the McBurney Disability Resource Center.