Faculty of Environment

The Faculty of Environment requires that all students have a basic competency in written English in order to be successful in their university studies and to qualify for a degree. The English Language Proficiency Examination (ELPE) is a diagnostic exam intended to determine the level of a student's ability in written English. Students entering the Faculty of Environment must write the English Language Proficiency Examination by the end of their 1A term and achieve a grade of 65/90 or higher. There are no exceptions to this requirement.

Students who do not achieve this grade must fulfill this requirement by the end of their 2B term in one of the following ways:

• Re-write the English Language Proficiency Examination and achieve a grade of 65/90 or higher (two additional attempts are permitted), 
• Successful completion of the work assigned by the Waterloo Writing Centre, or 
• Completion of ESL 102R or ESL 129R with a grade of 65% or higher. 

ELPE (http://elpp.uwaterloo.ca/) is written during the student's first term. Sittings of ELPE are also available prior to the start of the Fall, Winter, and Spring examination periods.

Students may choose to attend the Writing for Success Workshop after attempting and failing ELPE with a grade of at least 60/90.  The workshop is normally attended the term after the failed ELPE attempt.  For information on this workshop visit: //elpp.uwaterloo.ca/Workshops/workshops.html.

Notes:

1. Students can arrange a special sitting of the ELPE outside of the scheduled dates. An administrative fee will be charged. Contact the Writing Centre directly.
2. Students who have not completed the English Language Proficiency requirement by the end of second year will have their future registrations cancelled and will be allowed to proceed only after successful completion of this requirement.
3. A completed English Language Proficiency milestone on a student's academic record will indicate successful completion of this requirement.
4. Transfer credits cannot be used to satisfy the English Language Proficiency Requirement.