WPE Information
It is possible to improve your chances of passing the Writing Proficiency Examination. Whether you're taking the WPE for the first time or are attempting it again, learning a few simple strategies can help you achieve a higher score.
At the University Writing Center, we have worked with hundreds of students who received No Credit on the WPE - many of whom went on to pass the exam. Included here are strategies we believe contributed to the success of passing students, and could do the same for you.
Preparing for the Exam
To be as prepared as possible when you take the exam, you should:
Become familiar with what will be expected of you on test day. Knowing the format of the WPE (for example, the recommended length of the essay you will write and other test directions) can save you precious minutes on this timed writing - time you might use to revise and proofread your work.
The Writing Center can provide you with all the preparatory information you will need to be ready to do your best on the WPE. Handouts are available at the Writing Center. Practice writing timed essays on topics like the ones used for the WPE. A number of *WPE sample topics* are available at the Writing Center. The sample topic sheet looks a lot like a real WPE exam. By timing yourself when you write, you can simulate actually taking the WPE. You might then schedule an appointment with a tutor at the Writing Center to review your practice WPE essay.
Read the official WPE Scoring Guide and some actual graded WPE sample essays written by students in past test administrations. This will familiarize you with WPE scoring standards, giving you a better idea of what you need to do to pass. Also, the Writing Center handout "An Essay is like an Intellectual Journey" is a helpful guide to proper essay format.
Consider attending a Writing Center WPE Orientation or Workshop. The WPE Orientations are one-hour presentations designed to provide basic information about the exam, including exam format and test-taking strategies, while the WPE Workshops meet twice for two hours each meeting and provide more extensive preparation for the exam, including writing and revising an essay on a WPE sample topic.
What if I Still Don't Pass?
If you receive a No Credit on the WPE, you will
be asked to visit the Writing Center to review
your essay with a WPE Consultant. You will
always have the option of taking the test again.
In addition, the Consultant may, depending upon
the seriousness of the problems in your essay
and the number of times you have attempted the
exam, authorize you to enroll in Univ.401, the
course alternative to the WPE. Successful
completion of Univ.401 fulfills the WPE
requirement - if you pass Univ.401, you won't
have to take the WPE again.
Method of Scoring
Each essay will be
scored independently by
two readers. Readers
will evaluate the essay
in terms of how well it
completes the tasks set
by the topic, the
effectiveness of its
organization and
development, and its
demonstrated language
control. Based on this
evaluation, each reader
will assign the essay a
score from 1 (very low)
to 6 (very high). The
scores will then be
added together; thus,
the highest possible
score is 12 and the
lowest is 2. To pass the
exam, students must
achieve a score of 8 or
higher.
Grade Reports
Approximately 4 weeks
after taking the exam,
students will be able to
access their grades
through the GET. A grade
of "CR" means "Credit"
and that the student has
passed the exam. A grade
of "NC" means "No
Credit" and that a
student did not pass.
Students may also access
the "GET"
system to view their
UNIV 400 grade.
Students who receive No Credit and do not pass the exam must meet with a WPE consultant in the University Writing Center. The consultant will review the essay with the student, identify deficiencies in the writing, and recommend activities and strategies to correct them. To make an appointment with a consultant, students should visit the University Writing Center, JFK Library, Palmer Wing, (Library South) Room 2097 or call (323) 343-5350.
WPE Holds and Contracts
Do you have a registration hold? Have you completed 135 units and received a letter about a possible registration hold? Click here
According to University
regulations,
undergraduate students
must take and pass the
Writing Proficiency Exam
prior to the completion
of 135 units. A warning
letter is sent by the
Office of Undergraduate
Studies when that limit
has been reached.
Students are given two
quarters to meet the
requirement after they
receive the warning. If
they don't pass the exam
in that time, a
registration hold is
applied. The student
should go to the
University Testing
Center (Room 2098)
in order to remove the
hold. However, even if a
student is unable to
pass the WPE, there is
an alternative. He or
she can come to the
Writing Center and sign
a WPE Contract.
NOTE: The University Writing Center does not place HOLDS, The University Testing Center Places the HOLD. Contact them by calling them at (323) 343-3160.