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Placement and credit-by-exam options

The Core Writing Program aims to place you in the right writing course based on your current skills. You have several options to determine your placement:

  • You can use your ACT, SAT, or AP test scores to qualify for certain courses.
  • You can take a short placement survey to get guidance on the best introductory writing class for you.
  • More advanced students can submit a portfolio of their work or take an exam to attempt to earn credit or place directly into English 102. Earning credit by taking an exam or submitting a portfolio is called “credit-by-exam.

One important thing to keep in mind: English 102 courses are mainly offered in the spring. If you complete English 101 or qualify for English 102 in the fall, you'll likely need to wait until the next spring semester to take English 102.

The Core Writing Program has flexible options to meet you where you're at and ensure you start in the writing course that will be most beneficial. Reach out to our faculty if you have any questions about placement options.

Placement options

1. Placement by college entrance exam scores

One of the easiest ways to determine your writing course placement is using your ACT, SAT or English AP exam scores. If you've taken any of those tests already, your scores can directly qualify you for certain introductory writing classes.

Just check what course your ACT, SAT or AP scores qualify you for based on the guidelines. As long as you feel comfortable with that course selection, this placement route is quick and easy. But you have other options too if you want to reconsider your placement level. The choice is yours.

2. Placement by completion of our Directed Self-Placement survey

If you don't have ACT or SAT scores, or feel those test results don't reflect your true writing abilities, the Directed Self-Placement survey is a great option. Just take the short survey and it will help determine if English 100I, 101, or 113 is the best fit to develop your skills. Don't worry - it's totally free to take the survey!

3. Placement by portfolio (English 102 only)

If you feel confident in your writing abilities and believe you're prepared for the second-semester writing course right away, you can submit a portfolio to attempt to place directly into English 102. For this option, you'll put together a collection of your writing samples from different genres along with a cover letter explaining how your work shows you've already mastered the skills from English 101. Keep in mind there is a $40 fee for this option, and acceptance is not guaranteed. See the instructions below.

 

Credit-by-exam options (English 102 only)

Earn credit by submitting a writing portfolio

Advanced writers looking to earn credit for English 102 without taking the course can pursue the credit-by-exam option. For this option, you'll put together a collection of your writing samples from different genres along with a cover letter explaining how your work shows you've already mastered the skills from English 102. You should select samples that demonstrate you meet the outcomes of the course, especially in terms of research-based writing and multimodal composition. Before submitting your portfolio, be sure to follow the approval steps in the drop-down box below.

It's important to know that the passing threshold is high for these credit portfolios. Meeting the criteria to earn credit is difficult, so be sure to take the requisite time on your portfolio and cover letter and seek feedback from others.