ILAC placement test — what level did you test into and did the result feel accurate?
I'm arriving at ILAC Toronto in about 6 weeks from Brazil and I'm trying to get a realistic sense of what the placement test actually covers. My IELTS score from last year was a 6.5 overall with a 6.0 in writing, so I'm hoping to place into upper intermediate or advanced, but I've heard the ILAC placement can be strict about grammar accuracy in ways that catch fluent speakers off guard.
From what I understand the test has a written grammar and reading comprehension section plus an oral interview. The written part is about 45 minutes and the speaking interview is maybe 10 to 15 minutes. I've been reviewing conditional sentences and reported speech because those tend to expose gaps in my grammar even though I communicate pretty fluently in conversation.
Has anyone found their placement felt too low and then requested a reassessment? I've read a few posts saying ILAC will reconsider if you make a case within the first week. Just trying to set expectations before I arrive so I'm not blindsided if I end up in a level that doesn't match where I think I belong.
A 6.5 IELTS should put you comfortably in upper intermediate at minimum. I came in with a similar score and placed at Level 7. The ILAC levels go up to 10 so there's meaningful room above intermediate. Focus on speaking clearly rather than trying to sound perfect during the interview portion.
Coming from Brazil with Portuguese as your base language usually means grammar accuracy is your main challenge rather than vocabulary or comprehension. Spend your last few weeks before arriving on subjunctive and conditional structures — those gap students from Romance language backgrounds the most consistently.
The oral interview is the part that actually determines a lot, at least in my experience. I was nervous and probably underperformed on the grammar section but the interviewer seemed to factor in that I spoke naturally and placed me where I actually belonged. Relax and just have a real conversation rather than trying to perform.
I tested in at Level 7 out of 10 and it felt right for the first two weeks, but by week three I was finishing exercises early and felt under-challenged. I asked for a reassessment and got moved to Level 8 without much trouble. Don't be afraid to speak up if the level doesn't fit after you've had a few days in class.