TOP NOTCH
TOP NOTCH
Full-Course
PLACEMENT TEST
Joan Saslow ■ Allen Ascher
with Julie C. Rouse
Test Adapted by
Sherry Perez
Pearson Educación de México
TOP NOTCH
Contents
 About the Placement Test
 Placement Test Instructions
Placement Test
 Listening Placement Test
 Reading Placement Test
 General Placement Test
 Placement Test Answer Key
 Placement Test Answer Sheets
 Placement Guidelines
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About the Placement Test
The Top Notch Placement Test is designed to help allocate students into one of the
six Levels of the Language Program and to identify students who are beyond this
level. This booklet contains a complete Placement Test and detailed instructions for
administering it, answer key, photocopiable answer sheet and a guideline for scoring
and placement.
The Placement Test consists of the following:


Placement Test covering:
o Listening Test, Reading Test and General Test including Grammar and
Vocabulary.
One Speaking Test or Interview, covering material for all six levels.
Both sections may be used together to determine a more precise placement.
The Listening Test consists of three parts that include 10 multiple-choice questions.
It is easier to give it at the beginning of the testing session, or before you have
students work on the Reading Tests.
The Reading Test consists of 10 multiple-choice items to answer based on 1 reading
passage.
The General Test consists of 50 multiple-choice items including: (i) grammar and (ii)
vocabulary.
The Speaking Test is based on a set of 10 questions that will help the tester decide
in which level the students must be allocated. The Oral Test can be used
independently if you wish.
All material included in this booklet is permitted to duplicate. Make sure to keep the
master in a safe place to make copies in a future.
Be sure students understand that they will not receive a grade on this placement
test and that the purpose is only to allocate them in the right level. Also, it must be
clear to students that they might not be able to answer some of the questions, which
in this case is accepted.
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Placement Test Instructions
Listening Test
First explain that the Listening Test consists of three listenings, listening 1 covers
items 1-4, listening 2 covers items 5-7 and listening 3 covers items 8-10.
The procedure will be as follows:
(i) Have students read the questions first, before the listen to anything.
(ii) Students will have a chance to listen to the tape twice.
(iii) The first time they listen and mark the correct answer.
(iv) The second time, they listen and check their answers.
(v) Make sure students understand the procedure of the Listening Test before they
start. Use L1 if necessary for instructions.
(vi) Once they have answered all questions, they must put pencils down.
(vii) If you see that students don’t mark anything on the answer sheet after the
second time listening, have them stop to continue with the Reading Test.
Administration
For the Listening test, you will need Top Notch Full-Course Placement Test A:
Listening Test CD and CD player. Tape scripts for the Listening Test are in the last
pages of the original Top Notch Full-Course Placement Tests booklet (pageT1). Play
part of the cassette to adjust volume, rewind and re-play it when all students are
ready. There are 10 items in this section and a reproducible answer sheet is available
for students to indicate their answers.
Reading Test
The Reading consists of a reading passage with ten multiple-choice questions to
answer. There are 10 items in this section. A reproducible answer sheet is available
for students to indicate their answers.
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Administration
Before the test starts, go over the examples for each section and make sure students
understand the procedure for choosing the right answer. If during the test students
don’t know the answer for a question, they must skip the one they don’t know and
continue with the rest of the test and at the end go back and try again.
During the test, walk around the room, making sure students understand the
procedure for indicating their chosen answer on the answer sheet.
General Test
The students must choose the multiple-choice item that fits best into the given
context. The context is a single sentence in a series of sentences. Altogether there
are 50 items in this section.
A reproducible answer sheet is available for students to indicate their answers.
Administration
The General test can be administered individually or in groups. Students have 45-60
minutes to complete the test.
Before the test starts, make sure students understand the procedure for choosing the
right answer. If during the test students don’t know the answer for a question, they
must skip the one they don’t know and continue with the rest of the test and at the
end go back and try again.
During the test, walk around the room, making sure students understand the
procedure for indicating their chosen answer on the answer sheet.
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Speaking Test
The Speaking Test measures the student’s ability to understand and speak the
target language. More specifically, the ability to use grammatical structures within
context. This category allows us to test the students’ speaking ability regardless of
their ability to read or write.
Before starting the Speaking Test.




Put the student at ease by introducing yourself to put him or her in a
comfortable friendly manner by asking his or her name.
Have the students sit facing you.
Make sure the student understands he/she is expected to give complete
answers to all questions asked. If needed use L1 to make this clear. Otherwise
if the student gives incomplete answers this will not be counted as correct.
Ask if he or she has any questions about the Oral Placement Test; take some
time to answer them before the student starts.
Administration
The speaking test should be administered individually. For this part of the test you will
need the Picture for Speaking Test A that comes in the original Top Notch FullCourse Placement Tests booklet (p. 22-23).
The first set of questions of the Oral Placement Test/Interview are non-scored; these
are just to help you put the student at ease.
The student is expected to give a response that is correct and appropriate, that is; a
complete sentence with correct grammar. But if the student’s answer is not a full
sentence, then encourage the student to give a complete sentence answer. You may
help the student by giving the first word for a complete answer. If the student still
answers with an incomplete response, this answer will be considered incorrect.
If the student suddenly has difficulty in understanding the questions you ask and
keeps on answering incorrectly and incoherently, you should stop the Speaking Test
and continue with the next part of the Placement Test that is administering the
General Test which includes the Listening and Reading sections.
For placing students with the Speaking Test go to pages viii-ix of the original Top
Notch Full-Course Placement Tests booklet.
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Listening Placement Test
Read the items 1 – 4. You have one
minute.
Listening 1
a. deaths or injuries
b. Chile
c. the Richter scale
d. record-breaking earthquake
7. The disaster was_____.
a. yesterday during the day
b. yesterday during the night
c. today
d. last week
1. They are discussing_______.
a. going to a concert
b. bedtime
c. clothing styles
d. musical instruments
2. Sergio Mendes is playing
at_______.
a. Maxwell’s
b. the Downbeat
c. Symphony Hall
d. Guitar Wolf’s
Read items 8-10. You have one minute.
Listening 3
8. According to the listening, Gandhi
fasted____.
a. to help India achieve
independence from Britain
b. to stop the division of India
into two states
c. to stop the fighting between
Hindus and Muslims
d. to stop a fanatic who
opposed his vision
9. In 1948, Gandhi stopped eating for
_____.
a. more than one week
b. less than one week
c. a week
d. 2 days
10. Gandhi’s assassin_____.
a. wanted an India where
Hindu and Muslim could live
together in peace
b. was again an India for both
Muslim and Hindus
c. wanted Indian’s
independence from Britain
d. though Gandhi was a
Muslim
3. The early show is at_______.
a. 11:30
b. 8:00
c. bedtime
d. 7:00
4. They both want to see________.
a. Guitar Wolf
b. a rock concert
c. Sergio Mendes
d. the 11:30 show
Read the items 5-7. You have one
minute.
Listening 2
5. The woman is telling the man
about____.
a. an earthquake in Rome
b. an earthquake near Chile
c. a lot of deaths and injuries
d. a trip to Romania
6. The man asks the woman
about_____.
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Reading Placement Test
Now read the article. Circle the letter of the correct answer.
1. Comics are____.
a. good source
b. favorite reading
c. source of reading for pleasure
d. source for education
b. Mexico
c. Japan
d. Italy
7. 6.5 million is the number of______.
a. comic books sold in Japan
each week
b. copies of manga sold each year
c. copies of Shonen Jump sold
each week
d. Japanese people who buy
manga each week
2. How do some educators see
comics?____.
a. a way to get teens to read
b. a way for teen to have fun
c. a way to get teens to think
creatively
d. a way to give academic
knowledge
8. People who criticized comics said
they _____.
a. caused bad behavior among
young people
b. encouraged
teenagers
to
choose TV and video games
instead of reading
c. made people who read them
feel guilty
d. we’re a pleasure to read
3. Comic titles sell over 7 million
copies a week in___.
a. in Japan
b. in Mexico
c. in Italy
d. in Brazil
4. 4.5 is the number of_____.
a. popular comic titles in the US
b. best-selling title in Brazil
c. copies a year sold in US
d. famous title in Mexico
9. Comics do not_____.
a. get children to think creatively
b. prepare young people to handle
computers easily
c. provide a useful way to teach
academic subjects
d. encourage teenagers to play
video games
5. Recent research suggest that___.
a. comics may be the reason for
young people to buy computers
and software
b. visuals and text help people
understand computers
c. prepare young people to handle
computers easily
d. make people read more
10. The Japanese Education Ministry
views comics as________.
a. trash
b. a treasure
c. a guilty pleasure
d. immoral
6. Comics are most popular in _____.
a. the U.S.
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Reading Placement Test
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General Placement Test.
Circle the Answer for each Question.
1. What’s your typical week like?
d. That’s interesting.
____.
6. Are you going shopping? We need
a. If you weather is good, I’m
a ____ of bread.
going to the park.
a. loaf
b. I work every weekend.
b. can
c. I have other plans.
c. bottle
d. I’m not doing anything
d. box
special.
7. The shower is in the___.
2. So, what are you doing on
a. garden
Saturday? ___.
b. bathroom
a. I’m going to a baseball game.
c. Closet
b. It’s great to see you.
d. kitchen
c. I play tennis very well.
8. Alex’s hair isn’t curly. It’s______.
d. It’s hot and sunny today.
a. short
3. Would you like chicken or fish?
b. blonde
____.
c. straight
a. About the same.
d. light
b. I’d like fish please.
9. When my wife is late for work, she
c. I’ll check.
_____on her makeup in the car.
d. I think I’d like the same thing.
a. puts
4. Where were you last night?
b. is going to put
______.
c. is putting
a. Yes, I am.
d. put
b. At about 8:00
10. If she _____ home, she’s going to
c. Really nice.
relax.
d. I was at home.
a. is going to stay
5. I broke my arm.
b. stay
a. Congratulations!
c. would like to stay
b. That’s too bad. I’m sorry.
d. stays
c. Too bad I wasn’t there!
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11. A: Tell me something about your
c. Where
family.
d. Where does
B: _______.
17. ______ milk in the fridge.
a. What do you mean?
a. There are
b. What should we do?
b. It’s
c. What do you do?
c. There’re
d. What do you want to know?
d. There’s
12. How would you like to pay for it?
18. There is roast chicken on the
_____.
menu. ______ roast chicken comes
a. Cash, please.
with soup.
b. I’ll take the check, please.
a. A
c. No more than €50.
b. The
d. I can give you €30.
c. Any
13. Rice is a grain; and _____ is a
d. An
dairy product.
19. I’ll take the green polo shirt. Can
a. yogurt
you gift wrap ____ for me?
b. broccoli
a. it
c. beef
b. him
d. olive oil
c. them
14. Bruce hardly ever exercises. He’s
d. her
really________.
20. These loafers aren’t_______.
a. modest
They’re very uncomfortable.
b. out of shape
a. bigger
c. inappropriate
b. too big
d. healthy
c. the biggest
15. The concert is______ Saturday,
d. big enough
June 4th.
21. Anthony_______ in London since
a. in
2001.
b. at
a. has lived
c. off
b. lived
d. on
c. was living
16. ______ your sister live?
d. lives
a. Where is
22. Luckily, I _______ a seat belt when
b. Where do
I had the accident.
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a. wore
28. Be sure not to miss the Louvre
b. was wearing
Museum while you’re in Paris.
c. have worn
a. Oh, yeah? What kind?
d. had better wear
b. Sure. What’s the problem?
23. I bought_______ shampoo at the
c. Really? Why’s that?
drugstore.
d. What are you up to?
a. any
29. I_______ the movie when it came
b. much
out on DVD.
c. some
a. already
d. many
b. have already seen
24. That photograph______ by Henri
c. was already going to see
Cartier-Bresson in 1954.
d. had already seen
a. took
30. My wife needs to have this dress
b. was taking
_______ by Saturday.
c. has taken
a. to dry-clean
d. was taken
b. dry-clean
25. Is this car_____?
c. dry-cleaned
a. their
d. dry-cleaning
b. they’re
31. Andre_____ be a doctor, but he
c. theirs
changed his mind.
d. there’s
a. would
26. A______ movie is very strange or
b. was going to
unusual, in a negative way.
c. might
a. boring
d. could have
b. weird
32. Joe_____ married Amy. They
c. violent
would have been happy.
d. silly
a. must have
27. ________. No it’s my first time.
b. may have
a. Have you ever been here
c. had
before?
d. should have
b. Have you ever been here long?
33. The Cherry Blossom Festival is a
c. Have you seen any good
holiday_____ in Japan every
movies lately?
spring.
d. Have we met before?
a. who is celebrated
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b. is celebrated
a. celebrating
c. to celebrate
b. to celebrate
d. that is celebrated
c. celebrated
34. Could you tell me____?
d. celebrate
a. whether this means
40. Oh no! Yesterday was my mother’s
b. what does this mean
birthday, and I forgot____ her.
c. this means
a. calling
d. what this means
b. to call
35. _____ the topic of the international
c. called
conference.
d. call
a. Poverties are
41. Jason asked me_____ I had
b. The poverty is
bought tickets yet.
c. Poverty is
a. when
d. A poverty is
b. that
36. Our friends encouraged______
c. whether
early.
d. whom
a. to arrive
42. ______, Stacy would have lent him
b. we arrive
money.
c. us to arrive
a. If he would have asked
d. arriving
b. That he had asked
37. Valencia is ______ the east coast
c. If he might have asked
of Spain.
d. Had he asked
a. in
43. Not only______ here, but they
b. on
didn’t call either.
c. of
a. they aren’t
d. at
b. are they not
38. ______ happens when there is no
c. are they
rain for a long period of time.
d. they are not
a. A drought
44. Mr. Reed needs this report for a
b. A landslide
meeting on Monday. It ____ be
c. A flood
finished on time.
d. An epidemic
a. can
39. I remember_______ holidays with
b. might
my family when I was young.
c. could
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d. must
d. Are you familiar with this CD?
45. I don’t appreciate_____ forced to
48. I still____ my mind about what I’ll
watch commercials in a movie
do after school.
theater.
a. didn’t make up
a. being
b. don’t make up
b. to have been
c. haven’t made up
c. had I been
d. am not making up
d. to be
49. We will meet at the park at 10:00
46. The older people are when they
A.M. ____ it rains.
marry, ____ children they have.
a. even though
a. fewer
b. provided that
b. fewest
c. unless
c. the fewer
d. since
d. the fewest
50. Irina has never studied English, but
47. ________. What’s the matter with
she has____ a lot of English words
it?
from TV, movies, and the Internet.
a. Do you think something
a. caught on
happened?
b. taken up
b. Would you ever consider
c. picked up
getting a pet?
d. made up
c. Can you believe that outfit?
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Placement Test
Answer Key
Listening Test
Reading Test
1.
a
1.
c
2.
b
2.
a
3.
b
3.
b
4.
c
4.
c
5.
a
5.
c
6.
a
6.
c
7.
a
7.
c
8.
c
8.
a
9.
b
9.
d
10. b
10. b
General Placement Test
Circle the letter of the correct answer.
1. b
5. b
9. a
13. a
2. a
6. a
10. d
14. b
3. b
7. b
11. d
15. d
4. d
8. c
12. a
16. d
17. d
26. b
35. c
44. d
18. b
27. a
36. c
45. a
19. a
28. c
37. b
46. c
20. d
29. d
38. a
21. a
30. c
39. a
22. b
31. b
40. b
23. c
32. d
41. c
24. d
33. d
42. d
25. c
34. d
43. b
47. c
48. c
49. c
50. c
Placement Test Answer Sheet
Student’s Name_______________________________________________
Date ________________________________________________________
Circle the letter of the correct answer.
Listening Test
Reading Test
1.
a
b
c
d
1.
a
b
c
d
2.
a
b
c
d
2.
a
b
c
d
3.
a
b
c
d
3.
a
b
c
d
4.
a
b
c
d
4. a
b
c
d
5.
a
b
c
d
5.
a
b
c
d
6.
a
b
c
d
6.
a
b
c
d
7.
a
b
c
d
7.
a
b
c
d
8.
a
b
c
d
8.
a
b
c
d
9.
a
b
c
d
9.
a
b
c
d
10. a
b
c
d
10. a
b
c
d
General Placement Test
Circle the letter of the correct answer.
1. a b
c
d
19. a b
c
d
2. a b
c
d
20. a b
c
d
3. a b
c
d
21. a b
c
d
4. a b
c
d
22. a b
c
d
5. a b
c
d
23. a b
c
d
6. a b
c
d
24. a b
c
d
7. a b
c
d
25. a b
c
d
8. a b
c
d
26. a b
c
d
9. a b
c
d
27. a b
c
d
10. a b
c
d
28. a b
c
d
11. a b
c
d
29. a b
c
d
12. a b
c
d
30. a b
c
d
13. a b
c
d
31. a b
c
d
14. a b
c
d
32. a b
c
d
15. a b
c
d
33. a b
c
d
16. a b
c
d
34. a b
c
d
17. a b
c
d
35. a b
c
d
18. a b
c
d
36. a b
c
d
37. a b
c
d
45. a b
c
d
38. a b
c
d
46. a b
c
d
39. a b
c
d
47. a b
c
d
40. a b
c
d
48. a b
c
d
41. a b
c
d
49. a b
c
d
42. a b
c
d
50. a b
c
d
43. a b
c
d
44. a b
c
d
Placement Guidelines
This test is designed to help you place students within the TOP NOTCH series.
Each item from the test is worth 1 point. There is a total of 70 points plus 10 points
for the Speaking Test to be added if required.
The following table shows level-by-level achievement scores.
Placement Test Guidelines
Test Score
Fundamental
s
Top
Notch 1
Top
Notch 2
0-1
2-3
4-5
6-7
8
9
10
Reading
Test
0- 1
2-3
4– 5
6-7
8-9
9
10
General
Test
0-5
6 - 10
11 - 20
21 - 30
31 - 40
41-45
46-50
Listening
Test
Top
Summit Summit Beyond
Notch 3
1
2
Summit
2
STUDENT PLACEMEN
STUDENT’S NAME__________________________________ DATE __________
Listening ____________
Reading____________
General__________
CLASS ASSIGNMENT
LEVEL______________ TEACHER _______________________ CLASRROOM_______