If the standard doesn't change, you need to get Level 2 in order to register any university courses and Level 3 for English classes. If you English is not bad and you are well prepared, you may pass the test (L3) in less than 3 times. The biggest trick in English tests is to make it simple to avoid possible mistakes (marks are deducted according to how many mistakes in your essays).
ESL courses (STEP, LEAP) are time-wasting for me, but it depends on different people. The English courses in UT program are totally different things from ESL ones. You need to write literature analysis. If you are good at English, you won't have problem of how to write; if you are good at Chinese Literature in your high school (assuming you graduated from Chinese high school), you won't have problem of what to write.