The Carleton Academic English Language (CAEL) Assessment is a criterion-referenced test developed at Carleton University (Canada). It combines logic of performance testing with ethics of gradual admission, i.e., that limited-English-speaking students should be allowed to begin limited academic study in English, based on language proficiency and with the support of additional language instruction. The test was developed from the model of the Ontario Test of English as a Second Language, but provides multiple, parallel versions for test security. The test is administered in two stages: (1) student registration by trained interviewers, with an informal sample of student writing taken; and (2) a formal, written test based on a simulation and set of integrated activities on a single academic theme, drawn from a first-year undergraduate course. Using results, it is possible to construct a profile of language use for academic purposes. Each language skill (speaking, listening, reading, and writing) is evaluated differently but standardized to a band score. The four scores provide data for overall language assessment and placement decisions. The test's reliability for placement decisions was assessed through teacher perceptions of placement appropriateness, advisor feedback, and grade trends. It is proposed that the CAEL may provide a model for other institutions. (MSE)