The Writing ProgramWriting Placement

Writing Placement at WSU

Students taking a writing placement exam.
matching students with a first-year writing experience

WSU students planning to enroll in English 101 or an equivalent course must complete the Writing Placement Assessment.

The Writing Placement Assessment:

  • Is only required for students who plan to enroll in English 101 or an equivalent course.
  • Asks students to reflect on their writing skills and experiences in a few multiple-choice and short-answer questions.
  • Provides an article for students to read (students select between two articles chosen by the English department).
  • Prompts students to write a short essay (600-800 words) in response to the article and upload it into the platform.
  • Is evaluated by trained readers who are also the teachers of first-year writing courses.

Contact

Pullman & Global:
writing.program@wsu.edu
509-335-7959

Tri-Cities:
Writing placement website
tricities.testingcenter@wsu.edu

Vancouver:
Writing placement website
van.writingassessment@wsu.edu

The Writing Placement Assessment

Please read this information carefully before starting your Writing Placement submission:

  • You must complete Writing Placement at least one week prior to your advising meeting (or to your orientation dates).
  • You will be prompted to enter your WSU account (i.e., Butch.Cougar) and your password in order to enter the assessment platform.
  • As noted above, this assessment includes reading an article and writing a short essay, as well as several reflection questions. Plan to spend anywhere from a couple of hours to a couple of days on this assessment.
  • You can exit the platform and return to your saved submission.
  • You will need to use a composing program such as Word or Google Docs, and you will need to upload your completed essay into the assessment platform in a Word file type or a PDF.

If you have any questions, please reach out to The Writing Program (for info about the assessment or placement) or Crimson Service Desk (for help with your WSU account).

Click this link to enter the Writing Placement platform.

A note from the Writing Program:

We are currently transitioning Writing Placement to a new platform. We appreciate your patience in the coming weeks. Our office will prioritize the evaluation and processing of currently enrolled students through the end of spring term. We recognize that some currently enrolled students plan to enroll in an English course in the summer session. In early May, we will expand our focus to new and incoming students.

Most Common Questions

  • If you scored 4 or above on the AP test in English: Language and Composition, you have satisfied a WRTG designation and do not need to complete Writing Placement.
  • If you scored 5 on the AP test in English: Literature and Composition, you have satisfied a WRTG designation and do not need to complete Writing Placement.
  • If you scored 4 or above on the Higher Level IB English A: Literature or the Higher Level English A: Language and Literature test, you have satisfied a WRTG designation and do not need to complete Writing Placement.
  • If you are in the Honors College, you do not need to complete Writing Placement. Contact your advisor or the Honors College for instructions on registering for English 298.
  • If you are transferring in college English credit, use the Transfer Course Search tool to verify your credit will meet the WRTG requirement.  So long as the transfer credit fulfills WSU’s first-year writing course requirement, you do not need to complete Writing Placement.

Additionally, WSU students can complete the UCORE WRTG requirement by taking all three of these 1-credit courses: WRITE 111, WRITE 112, and WRITE 113. See the Writing Program’s WRITE courses in the course catalog for more information.

Results are not distributed through email. An advisor will access your results through My.Wsu during your advising meeting. If you do not attend orientation on your campus or you do not have an advising meeting, you can email us with that information and request your course placement.

Students are placed into the English course that most supports their unique needs as writers. The placement options include:

  • English 100: This course prepares students for the rigors of academic writing that will be found in English 101. Students must successfully complete both English 100 and English 101 to receive the [WRTG] credit. (My.WSU code 0)
  • English 101: This course provides instruction to develop students’ academic writing, critical thinking, rhetorical strategies, reading and library skills. Successful completion of this course fulfills the [WRTG] credit. (My.WSU code 1)
  • English 101+ 102: Placement into these concurrent courses indicates a level of readiness for academic writing, but also a need for structured assistance with academic writing while completing English 101. The Writing Center administers English 102 through the Small Group Collaborative program. (My.WSU code 2)
  • English 104: This course is designed to introduce non-native speakers of English to writing and reading in the university. This course prepares students for English 105 with focused attention on grammar, syntax, and academic styles of writing. To receive [WRTG] credit, students must successfully complete English 104 and 105. (My.WSU code 4)
  • English 105: This course provides instruction designed to develop academic writing, critical thinking, reading, library skills, and rhetorical strategies for non-native speakers of English. It is an equivalent course to English 101 and carries [WRTG] credit. (My.WSU code 6)
  • English 105+ 107: Placement into these courses provides an introduction to academic writing for multilingual writers whose first language is not English. This placement indicates a writer’s need for structured assistance with academic writing while completing English 105. The Writing Center administers English 107 through the Small Group Collaborative program. (My.WSU code 5)

For more information on the 1-credit classes (Eng 102 and 107) visit the Undergraduate Writing Center’s Courses page.

If you feel an error was made in the evaluation of your essays, you are welcome to contact the Writing Program.

NOTE: Some WSU campuses currently offer only English 101 and English 101 + 102. Contact the appropriate campus Writing Assessment office with questions.

The Writing Program hosts writing placement assessments throughout the school year. During the summer, it’s best to complete assessment at least one week before your scheduled orientation dates so that you can get enrolled in an appropriate course during your advising meeting, but it is not detrimental to your WSU experience to complete writing placement at a later time.

Check out our Placement FAQ page if your question is not answered here.