New Student Programs

Basic Writing Challenge Exam

Contact Info
Dr. K. Hyoejin Yoon,
BWCE Director
610-738-0547
(please leave a message)
bwce@wcupa.edu


Basic Writing at WCU

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I challenge my placement in ENGQ20

  • Can I challenge my placement in ENGQ20?
  • What is the Basic Writing Challenge Exam (BWCE)?
SAT information
  • What's the difference between the SAT Writing and the Critical Reading scores?
  • Do you still use the SAT Verbal score?
  • How does College Board determine the Writing score
Where can I get more information?

What is Basic Writing?

English Q20 Basic Writing is the developmental writing course, considered preparatory for the more demanding writing of general-education requirements.

How do I know if I have to take ENGQ20?

We decide writing placement based on the SAT Writing overall score. Students with an overall Writing score of less than 490 are placed automatically into ENGQ20 Basic Writing.

What are the advantages of taking ENGQ20?

  • Smaller class sizes mean you get more individual attention from your professor and make it easier for you to participate in class discussions
  • More class time is devoted to your writing and more help is available for revision
  • A greater focus on grammar and other basic skills will help you build a strong foundation in writing
  • Strong foundations will benefit you in all of your courses that require a high standard of quality and quantity in written work
  • Students who take ENGQ20 get higher grades in subsequent writing courses than students who do not take advantage of this academic resource
  • Students are challenged to do the kind of thoughtful and interesting work expected in WRT120, but at a slower pace and with additional support and practice (See our ENGQ20 Guidelines)

Do I get credit for ENGQ20?

The grade you receive in ENGQ20 gets calculated into your overall GPA, but the course credits are not included in the total required for graduation.

Can I challenge my placement in ENGQ20?

The SAT Writing score is a proven reliable indicator for placement into the most appropriate writing course. However, we know that sometimes scores don't tell the whole story. Therefore, the university offers the Basic Writing Challenge Exam (BWCE) as an opportunity to test out of Basic Writing ENGQ20 and into Effective Writing 1 WRT120. Click here to find out more about the Basic Writing Challenge Exam.

What's the difference between the SAT Writing and the Critical Reading scores?

Writing placement is based on the SAT Writing overall score only. The SAT Critical Reading score is used for general admissions decisions (Click here for Admissions web page: http://www.wcupa.edu/_ADMISSIONS/SCH_ADM. The Critical Reading score can substitute for the Writing score only if you took the ACT or an older version of the SAT.

Do you still use the SAT Verbal score?

SAT Verbal is the old term for what is now called the SAT Critical Reading section. As indicated above, writing placement is not based on the Critical Reading score. However, for those students who don't have a Writing score because they took an older SAT exam or the ACT exam, their placement will be based on their Critical Reading or Verbal score.

How does College Board determine the Writing score?

The overall Writing score (200-800) includes both the multiple choice and the essay subscores. The raw scores for multiple-choice and writing are converted to scaled subscores (multiple-choice: 20-80; essay 2-12). These subscores are then weighed according to percentages of the raw score (multiple-choice: 70%; essay: 30%), which are used to calculate the 200-800 score (2006-2007 SAT Program Handbook, 24). Also see SAT Writing Section web page.

Where can I get more information?

  • Department of English Main Office
    Tel: 610-436-2822, Fax: 610-438-0516

  • IT Help Desk, Anderson Hall Room 20, Tel: 610-436-3350

  • New Student Programs
    Tel: 610-436-3305