Indiana Academic English Test (IAET)

The Indiana Academic English Test (IAET) is a remote computerized academic English test designed to assess the English abilities of newly admitted international students. Most IU students who are nonnative speakers of English must demonstrate highly skilled, academic-level English language proficiency before beginning studies at IU. Students who do not demonstrate sufficient language proficiency are required to enroll in English language improvement courses. The IAET provides an opportunity for students to demonstrate sufficient English language proficiency to be exempted from the required courses.

Learn more about the IAET, including whether you qualify for an exemption, on the Office of International Services webite.

The test is composed of three sections: Writing, Listening, and Speaking. The test results will determine whether or not you will need to take courses from the English Language Instruction Program (ELIP). The entire test will take about two hours.

Note that the IAET can be taken only once unless there are technical problems that occurred in the middle of the test.

1. Writing Section: Read-to-Write Argumentative Writing (45 minutes)
Students will be given a statement and two short reading passages that are relevant to the statement. Students will be asked to write an essay with at least 300 words that states their position, using the two texts to support their argument. Students will be given 45 minutes to complete the task. The essays will be evaluated on linguistic control, argumentation, and source use by the two trained raters.

2. Listening Section (45 minutes)
Students will watch two to three genuine academic lectures. Each lecture is divided into two parts. Students will listen to each part of the lecture and answer five to ten multiple-choice listening comprehension questions. 45 minutes are assigned to complete the listening test consisting of a total of 30 multiple-choice questions.

3. Speaking Section (15 minutes)
There are two separate parts in the speaking section: 1) a question-answer part (4 prompts); and 2) a short lecture-retell part. The performance will be rated on pronunciation, fluency, and organization by the two trained raters.

Test dates

The IAET is only available in the following dates:

Fall 2025: June 23 - July 31
Spring 2026: December 15 - December 19

To opt into the IAET, please ask you academic advisor to contact dsls@iu.edu about scheduling your test.

Information on getting your IAET results:

For privacy reasons, placement scores are made available on OneIU under the tab Tests And Other Credits. They can also be obtained from Academic Advisors and communicated during your private advising session during the New Student Orientation. It will take a few days after taking the test for the system to be updated with your results.

What do I need to take the IAET?

In order to take the IAET at home, you will need to make sure you meet the following requirements:

Equipment, Browser, a Photo ID, and IU username and passphrase

• Desktop or Laptop computer, which is either a PC with Windows 8 or 10 or a Mac OS X 10.5 or higher (10.13 High Sierra is recommended). Note: you are not allowed to take the test on a phone or tablet.
• Browser requirements: Chrome
• Webcam: Internal or external
• Speakers: internal or external.
• Headsets or earphones
• Your government issued Photo ID
• IU username and passphrase

Testing Environment

• Do not take your test in a public open space.
• Have a quiet test-taking spot with minimal distractions. You must be in a room alone, where all doors can be closed.
• Computer and keyboard must be on a desk, and you must be seated in a normal chair (i.e. no couch, bed, or overstuffed chair).
• Position your desk and chair such that you have your back to the door and that the proctor can see that nobody else comes in the room.
• The only items you can have on your desk are a blank piece of paper and pen or pencil.
• No food and drink are allowed.
• Your ears and face must be visible during the entire test. You can wear religious headwear, as long as it doesn’t cover your ears.
• Turn off your cell phones, smartwatches, iPad, etc. during the test.

Troubleshooting

When scheduling the practice test and actual test, please refer to the available test dates listed above.
Information on how to register and schedule a test is available in your Orientation Portal.
For general inquiries, please contact iaet@iu.edu.

Department of Second Language Studies

Indiana Academic English Test (IAET)