Writing Proficiency Exam
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Writing Proficiency Exam?
Who must take the exam?
Why must I take the exam?
When should I take the exam?
How do I register for the exam?
Where is the exam administered?
When is the WPE scheduled?
What if my schedule conflicts with the times the WPE is offered?
I'm entitled to accommodations under the ADA. How do I notify the WPE Director?
What can I do to prepare for the exam?
When will I find out how I did on the WPE?
Can I register for my Humanities Junior/Senior Elective after I pass the WPE?
What happens if I fail the WPE?
What happens if I fail the WPE twice?
What happens if I fail COM 3102 (Writing Workshop)?
What is the Writing Proficiency Exam?
COM 3000, the Writing Proficiency Examination, is a graduation requirement for all LTU undergraduate students. It's a timed (two and a half hours) writing exam during which you write an essay of at least three double-spaced pages (at least 750 words) in response to one of several writing prompts provided at the exam. You write the essay on a laptop computers provided for that purpose.
Who must take the exam?
The WPE is an "exit" examination, meaning that all undergraduate students must pass it in order to graduate from LTU. It is not an entrance or placement examination. The exam is required of all students, including transfer students. It cannot be waived. However, LTU undergraduate students who had already earned 80 credits (including transfer credits) before the Fall 2005 semester are exempt from this graduation requirement.
Why must I take the exam?
The University expects students always to present well-written assignments, and, according to President Lewis Walker, the University wants "students to understand that good writing skills are an integral part of good communication for professionals in any field of expertise." The University also uses the results of the WPE to assess the effectiveness of writing instruction at LTU.
When should I take the exam?
We recommend that students take the exam after they have earned 60 credit hours and before they have earned 80 credit hours. Banner will block registration for Junior/Senior Humanities electives for any student who hasn't completed the WPE requirement. We urge you to take the WPE before you earn 80 credits. Do not wait until you have almost earned enough credits to graduate before you take the WPE!
How do I register for the exam?
You register for COM 3000 on Banner, as you do for all your classes. The registration fee is $25.00. The exam is given every month except in December. (Note: If the WPE is the only course for which you register in a semester, Banner will add the normal registration fee of $115.00. Please contact the Registrar's Office, 248-204-2280 , or go to the One-Stop Center on the third level of the Taubman Student Services Building and explain your situation. The Registrar's Office will remove the $115.00 registration fee from your account when the drop/add period ends).
Where is the exam administered?
The location for Fall 2008 WPEs is to be announced. Locations will be announced on Blackboard before the exam and posted on the door to C201 on the day of the exam.
When is the WPE scheduled?
WPEs are scheduled every month except July and December, on the third Friday of the month. Exams are held at two different time slots, 9:00 AM -11:30 PM and 1:00-3:30 PM. Students will be expected to write essays of a minimum 750 words, or at least three double-spaced pages.
What if my schedule conflicts with the times the WPE is offered?
If the WPE is offered at times that conflict with your schedule, contact the Director to schedule a session at a time you can make it. You still must register for an upcoming section of COM 3000 so that your results can be posted to your transcript.
I'm entitled to accommodations under the ADA. How do I notify the WPE Director?
Contact Katherine Charbeneau at 248-204-4119 or go to her office at C405 in the A. Alfred Taubman Student Services Center. Tell her that you are registered for COM 3000. Ask her to contact the WPE Director in writing with the accommodations to which you are entitled. The Director will contact you to set up your WPE at a time and under conditions that are in compliance with the ADA.
What can I do to prepare for the exam?
We offer a free, one-hour WPE Workshop every month the WPE is administered. The Workshop will tell you what to expect on the exam. In Fall 2008, it will meet on 8/11, 9/15, 10/13, and 11/17 in C201.
We also offer a free, two-and-a-half-hour workshop every month the WPE is administered to give you practice in exam and writing strategies. It is offered from 2:00-4:30 PM the Friday before each scheduled examination 8/8, 9/12, 10/10 and 11/14 in C201.
Some problems with writing cannot be addressed in an afternoon. If you have difficulty organizing, developing, supporting, beginning or ending essays, and especially if you have problems with sentence structure and fluency, you can also attend free weekly Writing Practice seminars on Thursdays from 3:00-4:30 PM in M212, starting on 9/11/08 and continuing through 11/20/08. Plan to attend regularly most or all of the weekly sessions for maximum benefit. The text for Writing Practice is Pam Altman, et al., Sentence Combining Workbook, 2nd Ed. Heinle, 2007, ISBN 978-1413019773, available at the LTU Bookstore and online.
When will I find out how I did on the WPE?
Each essay is read twice. Readers are LTU faculty members who also teach composition. If both readers agree on whether the exam passes (CR), you pass. If both readers agree that the exam does not pass (NC), you fail. If the two readers disagree on whether your exam should pass or fail, the exam is given to a third reader, who decides whether the exam should pass or fail. This process is usually completed about two weeks after the date of the exam. Your score is then posted on Banner under the section of COM 3000 for which you registered. If you haven't received your results three weeks after the date you took the exam, please contact the Director.
Can I register for my Humanities Junior/Senior Elective after I pass the WPE?
Yes. Once you pass the WPE, you will be able to register for the electives. Plan to complete your WPE requirement before you take the Humanities Junior/Senior Elective.
What happens if I fail the WPE?
If you fail the WPE on your first try, you can re-register for it. You will have to pay the $25.00 registration fee again. Consider attending the three-hour workshop or even a semester of free Writing Practice sessions before retaking the exam.
What happens if I fail the WPE twice?
If you fail the WPE twice, you must register for COM 3102, a two-credit writing course specially designed to improve students' writing ability and prepare them to pass the WPE. The final exam for COM 3102 is taking the WPE. COM 3102 will be offered in Fall 2008 on T from 3:00-5:40 PM.
What happens if I fail COM 3102 (Writing Workshop)?
If you fail COM 3102, you will not be able to graduate. This is why we are offering preparation workshops, Writing Practice, and the Writing Workshop. We want every LTU graduate to write proficiently.
For More Information
Joyce Munro, Director of English Proficiency
C201 A. Alfred Taubman Student Services Center
248-204-4125
munro@ltu.edu
http://www.ltu.edu/aac/writ_prof.asp
