Research suggests that the learner is the only one who knows, intuitively, the relationship between the objectives of the evaluation and his or her actual knowledge at any given time. Experience shows that students use some form of self-assessment in the normal classroom setting. The University of Ottawa's Centre for Second Language Learning undertook a system of student placement by self-assessment that was initially designed to answer three questions: (1) whether first-year university students could assess their second language performance by way of a questionnaire; (2) what constituted an effective questionnaire; and (3) what the real effects of using a self-assessment questionnaire would be. The first issue was addressed by comparing first-year student questionnaire responses with standardized proficiency test results. It was found that the students were capable of evaluating their performance. The second question was addressed by comparing responses to two questionnaires, differing in format and in situational emphasis. Results supported using questions linked to students' actual situations. The third question was addressed by examining placement changes to assess the questionnaire's predictive value. Results showed fewer placement changes using the self-assessment approach. Based on these findings and practical considerations, the questionnaire has been adopted as the sole placement instrument. (MSE)