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Rules and regulations for Placement Test:

1. New Student Placement Test:

• There is No placement test for new students registering in Preschool and Kindergarten classes.

• All the new students aged 6 years and above will be assessed for their Tamil skills when they register in ITA or any of its affiliates.

• If your child is registering for the first time in ITA and is 6 years or older, please provide the information about your child to help us assess and place your child in the right grade.
  Guideline for Placement Test Request

• Based on their performance, the students will be placed in the appropriate grade level.

• Students must meet the skill set expectations specified in the Skill Set for Grade Placement to qualify for the grade level.

• If a student would like to be placed in Grade 5, they will be evaluated on both Grade 3 and Grade 4 skill sets. This helps us determine the appropriate grade level for the student without having to be assessed multiple times.

• If a student does not want to take the placement test, please contact the school’s registration officer who can help place the student in an age appropriate basic grade level.

• Only one placement test per student per year.

• If progressive school students wants to move to regular grade school, then they need to take placement test.

• ITA will not accept any walk-ins. Placement Test Form should be completed and approved by the school prior to the test.

2. Returning Student Placement Test:

• Returning students can take the placement test to skip a grade if

  • they meet the minimum age requirements for the grade level AND
  • their previous year’s test score average (average of all monthly tests & final exam) is 95% or above.

• Students must meet the skill set expectations specified in the Skill Set for Grade Placement to qualify for the grade level.

• Only one placement test per student per year.

• ITA will not accept any walk-ins. Placement Test Form should be completed and approved by the school prior to the test.

3. Grade Eligibility:

For the student to be evaluated for a grade, the student should satisfy the age requirements as listed below. The age requirement is based on the cut-off date of each state or region the school is located. For example, the cut-off date is September 1st for the schools in California, USA.

FAQ on Placement Test:

1. What is a Placement Test?

1. A placement test is designed to assess the student’s skill level as specified in the Skill Set for Grade Placement document and helps ITA to determine the appropriate grade level for the student.

2. The test has two sections: Written and Oral. The students are expected to demonstrate their skill in BOTH sections.

3. The student will be allowed to answer each question adequately. If the student finds a question to be very difficult, they should skip to the next question.

4. If the test still seems too difficult, it only confirms that the student’s academic skill level has been reached and the testing may stop.

5. The placement test should take no longer than an hour.

6. The placement Test process at ITA is age-appropriate as mentioned in the Rules and regulations for Placement Test

7. To take a placement test for a grade level, the student is expected to have mastered the language skill of the previous grade levels and also meet the age criteria.

   For example, to take a placement test for grade 3, the student must be 8 years old by the cutoff date and should have mastered the skills specified for Grade 1 and Grade 2.

2. What does ITA expect from the parents to help prepare their students for the Placement Test?

1. Ensure that the student meets the age requirement for the grade. Please refer to the Grade Eligibility section above.

2. Read the Skill Set for Grade Placement and prepare the students based on the core language skills, including reading, writing, grammar, and conversation skills as applicable to the grade levels.

3. ITA textbooks and exercise books may optionally be used as a base to prepare for the placement test; however, the placement test will solely be based on the skillset & core language skills as mentioned above.

4. Teach the student (or ask the student to prepare/learn) over the summer or over a few weeks, rather than cramming everything in the last few days before the test. Language skills are better acquired and sustained with practice and immersion.

5. Do not force the student to take a placement test if he/she is not ready. ITA’s goal is to ensure the students enjoy learning Tamil, apply it in real life situations, and sustain a life-long interest. When the student is forced to take a placement test and does not pass the placement test, the experience could negatively impact their Tamil learning. Please consider this from the student’s perspective.

6. Get the student ready for/on the testing day:

   1. Look out for emails from the Principals regarding the placement test date, time, and location.
   2. Ensure the student gets a good night’s sleep the night before the test and gets a good breakfast on test day.
   3. Have the students bring a water bottle, a couple of pencils, and an eraser.
   4. Bring the student to the testing location/room 10-15 minutes before the placement test starts
   5. Follow the instructions of the Placement Test Officer.

7. Parents are not allowed inside the room where the test is given.

8. Avoid conversations with the Placement Test Officer before, during, or after the test.

9. Test paper or the student’s completed answer paper will not be provided to the student or parents.

10. Feedback about the student’s performance shall be given upon request.

3. What is expected of the students?

1. Have a good night’s sleep the night before the test

2. Have a good breakfast and bring a water bottle as needed

3. Bring a couple of sharpened pencils and an eraser.

4. Listen to the instructions provided by the Placement Test Officer.

5. Relax and write the test as directed within the given time.

6. Ask the Placement Test Officer if you do not understand a question.

4. What will happen if they do not pass the Placement Test?

1. Returning students will be placed in the grade they got assigned to prior to taking the test.

2. New Students could be placed in a grade level lower than they had anticipated to go to. Multiple placement tests are a possibility in some rare cases. This only helps us determine the appropriate grade level as mentioned earlier.

5. Will the student be evaluated for a lower-level?

1. Yes, if the placement test results are not conclusive to determine the appropriate grade level for the student. This does not apply to the returning students.

6. Is there a published list of words that we can use to prepare for the Placement Test?

1. No, there is no published word list provided. Please refer to the Skill Set for Grade Placement document to get an idea on what to prepare for the Placement Test.

7. What is ITA looking for in a Placement Test?

1. The student’s ability to demonstrate their skill in both written and spoken Tamil as specified in the Skill Set for Grade Placement.

8. How will the Placement Test results be notified?

1. The school will notify the parents via email regarding the grade level that the student qualifies for, before the next school day.

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