English and French Placement Tests
As part of the DEC Requirements, from the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, all students must successfully complete Ministerial English and French courses.
Students who have graduated from a Quebec high school or Quebec adult education centre and have taken their Secondary V Ministerial Exams in English and French in the last three (3) years, do not write placement tests.
English and French Placement Results are automatically generated using your final Sec V English and French grades.
English and French Placement Information
Do I Need to Write My English Test?
As part of the DEC Requirements, from the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, all students must successfully complete four (4) English courses.
Students who have a Certificate of Eligibility for English Instruction in Quebec are required to pass the English Exit Exam as part of their DEC requirements.
Students who have graduated from a Quebec high school or Quebec adult education center and have taken their Sec V Ministerial Exams in English in the last three (3) years, do not write the placement test.
English Placement results are automatically generated using your final Sec V English grades.
Please note:
- If you have a Dawson College Placement Test result from the last 2 years, you do not need to rewrite your test(s).
- ESL courses cannot be used to request a test exemption.
In most cases, the following applies:
| Do I have to write my placement test(s) if I … |
Explanation |
| Graduated from a Quebec high school or Quebec adult education centre |
If you have completed your Ministerial Sec V English courses within the last 3 years, you do not write your English Placement Test. If you have completed your Sec V English more than 3 years ago, you must write your English Placement Test. |
| Went to an English CEGEP and are transferring to Dawson College or you are a Dawson student who is transferring programs |
If you have successfully completed 603-101 Intro to College English you do not need to write your English Placement Test. – OR – If you have Sec V English grades from the past 3 years, you do not need to write your placement test(s). |
| Went to a French CEGEP and are transferring to Dawson College |
If you have Sec V English grades from the past 3 years, you do not need to write your placement test(s). – OR – If you have already successfully completed some English courses, please speak with one of our Academic Advisors to see if you need to take your test. |
| Went to high school outside of Quebec or outside of Canada |
You need to write your English Placement Test. In some rare circumstances, such as you have completed a grade 12 English course at a Canadian high school, you might be exempt from your English Placement Test. Please send your request to placementtest@dawsoncollege.qc.ca and don’t forget to include your full name and Dawson student number. |
| Already have a DEC |
If you already have a DEC, you do not need to write your English Placement Test. Your previously completed English courses will be automatically credited. |
| Already have a University degree |
You need to write your English Placement Test. If you believe you should be exempt, please send your request to placementtest@dawsoncollege.qc.ca and don’t forget to include your full name and Dawson student number. Please remember that exemptions will be granted based on completion of English courses and not solely on the language of instruction at the university. |
Do I Need to Write My French Test?
As part of the DEC Requirements, from the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, all students must successfully complete French courses as part of their program.
Students with a COE are required to complete two French Second Language courses as part of their program.
Students, with a COE, who have graduated from a Quebec high school or Quebec adult education center and have taken their Sec V Ministerial Exams in French in the last three (3) years, do not write the placement test.
French Placement results are automatically generated using your final Sec V French grades.
As part of the DEC Requirements, from the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, all students must successfully complete French courses as part of their program.
Students without a COE are required to pass the French Exit Exam in order to graduate from a DEC program.
To prepare for the French Exit Exam and as part of their program, students without a COE must complete three French literature courses.
Depending on placement level, students without a COE, may also be required to complete additional preparatory French courses before taking the required French literature courses.
Students, without a COE, who have graduated from a Quebec high school or Quebec adult education center and have taken their Sec V Ministerial Exams in French in the last three (3) years, do not write the placement test.
French Placement results are automatically generated using your final Sec V French grades.
Please note:
- If you have a Dawson College Placement Test result from the last 2 years, you do not need to rewrite your test(s).
- FSL courses cannot be used to request a test exemption.
In most cases, the following applies:
| Do I have to write my placement test(s) if I … |
Explanation |
| Graduated from a Quebec high school or Quebec adult education centre |
Ministerial French Sec V grades from high school are used to generate French Placement results. If you completed your Secondary V French more than 3 years ago, you must write your French Placement Test. |
| Went to a French CEGEP and are transferring to Dawson College |
If you have Sec V French grades from the past 3 years, you do not need to write your placement test(s). – OR – If you have already successfully completed some French courses, please speak with one of our Academic Advisors to see if you need to take your test(s). |
| Went to a French CEGEP and are transferring to Dawson College |
If you have Sec V French grades from the past 3 years, you do not need to write your placement test(s). – OR – If you have already successfully completed some French courses, please speak with one of our Academic Advisors to see if you need to take your test. |
| Went to high school outside of Quebec or outside of Canada |
If you have not completed high school or CEGEP in Quebec, you must submit either: DELF – B2 (Diploma Of French Language Studies) is an internationally recognized French Language Proficiency. Applicants are required to complete the four parts of the DELF (oral comprehension & production, written comprehension & production). The minimum accepted score is B2 for admission to Dawson College. – OR – TEF or TEFAQ French language proficiency test. The TEF or TEFAQ is recognized as proof of language level by various CEGEPs and universities. The minimum accepted score is B2 (level 7) for admission to Dawson College. Applicants must complete all four modules of the TEF or TEFAQ. |
| Already have a DEC from an Anglophone Cegep |
If you already have a DEC, you do not need to write the French Test. If you do not have a Certificate of Eligibility for English Instruction in Quebec, you will be required to take the three French literature courses and will have to take the French Exit Exam. |
| Already have a University degree |
You may still need to write your French Placement Test. If you believe you should be exempt, please send your request to placementtest@dawsoncollege.qc.ca and don’t forget to include your full name and Dawson student number. Please remember that exemptions will be granted based on completion of French courses and not solely on the language of instruction at the university. |
Placement Test Dates
English and French Placement Testing is currently closed and will reopen on December 6, 2023.
Admitted and confirmed students can access their Placement Tests through their My Dawson (Omnivox) account.
Deadlines
For students who will be taking English and/or French during the winter semester, tests must be submitted by January 4, 2024 to ensure a result in time for course registration.
Tests submitted after July 28, will have a 2-3 business day wait and this can impact your course registration.
Please note: No email will be sent to remind students to take their test. It is your responsibility to take it during the availability period.
Don’t forget!
Students who have graduated from a Quebec high school or QC adult education centre and have completed Ministerial Sec V English and Sec V French within the last 3 years, do not write English and French Placement Tests.
English and French Placement Results are automatically generated using your final Sec V English and French grades.
Placement Test Results
Placement results will be available as of 1pm on January 5, 2024
If you are writing a placement test, tests must be submitted by January 4, 2024 to ensure a result in time for course registration.
Tests submitted after July 28, will have a 2-3 business day wait and this can impact your course registration.
Placement results can only be accessed through your My Dawson account.
Once logged in:
- Go to Placement Test
- Click on French Placement Test or English Placement Test for your result
No email will be sent.
It is your responsibility to make sure that you have a result.
Please note: Placement Test results are only valid for two (2) years.
If you do not successfully complete your first credit-level French and/or English course during this time period, you will have to re-write your test(s).
Certificate of Eligibility and Placement
As part of the DEC Requirements, from the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, all students must successfully complete four (4) English courses and French courses as part of their program.
Students who hold a Certificate of Eligibility for English Instruction in Quebec (COE)
English
As part of the DEC Requirements, from the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, all students must successfully complete four (4) English courses.
Students who have a Certificate of Eligibility for English Instruction in Quebec are required to pass the English Exit Exam as part of their DEC requirements.
French
Students with a COE are required to complete two French Second Language courses as part of their program.
Students with a COE, who have graduated from a Quebec high school or Quebec adult education center and have taken their Sec V Ministerial Exams in French in the last three (3) years, do not write the placement test.
French Placement results are automatically generated using your final Sec V French grades.
Students who DO NOT hold a Certificate of Eligibility for English Instruction in Quebec (COE)
English
As part of the DEC Requirements, from the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, all students must successfully complete four (4) English courses.
French
Students without a COE are required to pass the French Exit Exam in order to graduate from a DEC program.
To prepare for the French Exit Exam and as part of their program, students without a COE must complete three French literature courses.
Depending on placement level, students without a COE, may also be required to complete additional preparatory French courses before taking the required French literature courses.
Students without a COE, who have graduated from a Quebec high school or Quebec adult education center and have taken their Sec V Ministerial Exams in French in the last three (3) years, do not write the placement test.
French Placement results are automatically generated using your final Sec V French grades.
Frequently Asked Questions
English and French Placement Tests
If you have graduated from a Quebec high school (including adult education centres) within the last three (3) years, you do not take placement tests as results will be generated for you based on your Sec V English and Sec V French final high school grades.
Both the English and French Placement Test are online tests. We offer these tests three (3) times per year for our newly admitted students; please refer to Placement Test Dates for the next availability period so that you can make sure that you do not miss it.
Yes.
In some very rare circumstances, such as you have successfully completed a grade 12 English course from a Canadian high school, you might be exempt from taking the test. Please email placementtest@dawsoncollege.qc.ca to inquire about this. Make sure to include your full name and student number.
Please note:
- If you have a Dawson College Placement Test result from the last 2 years, you do not need to rewrite your test(s).
- ESL or FSL courses cannot be used to request a test exemption.
- Exemptions from the French Placement Test are currently not available.
Students in a DEC program who are required to write their placement tests and do not write their tests, will be unable to complete their course registration for the upcoming semester
Students in a Continuing Education (evening) program will be unable to add an English and/or French course to their schedule.
If you are a returning student and are not sure if you need to take this test or not, please check to see if you have a result (under Placement Test in your My Dawson). If you do not have a result, you must take the test.
Only admitted and confirmed students will have access to the test in their My Dawson account, located under Placement Test. No access code is required for either test.
The English Placement Test evaluates students’ writing, grammar, vocabulary, and comprehension skills.
The French Placement Test evaluates students’ grammar, vocabulary, and comprehension skills.
Placement tests are not a pass/fail tests.
Placement tests are diagnostic tools used to measure aptitudes in English and French so that we place you in the appropriate English and French course levels.
We are currently not giving out exemptions for the French Placement Test as students are required to have a result in the system or they will not be able to register for their Block B French (the second mandatory French course).
When you go to write your placement test(s), you will either be given test access or information about your results. If you are given information about your results, you do not need to write that test.
Before emailing the Placement Test Coordinator, please review our Do I Need to Write My English and/or French Placement Test(s) document. It is possible that you are already exempt.
Please note: ESL courses cannot be used to request a test exemption and you must write your English Placement Test.
Results
When available, your results can only be accessed through your My Dawson account.
Once logged in:
- Go to Placement Test
- Click on French Placement Test or English Placement Test for your result
No email will be sent.
It is your responsibility to make sure that you have a result.
If your English and/or French Placement Results are not available at the expected time, please check again in a day or two. If the problem persists, please send an e-mail to the Placement Test Coordinator at placementtest@dawsoncollege.qc.ca. Please make sure to include your full name and student number in your email.
It is your responsibility to contact the Placement Test Coordinator if your results are unavailable at the expected time. Please allow for a 24-48 hour turnaround time for a reply. Placement test results are required in order to register online for the upcoming semester, please notify the coordinator as soon as possible if your results are not showing up in the portal.
