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?
Can I register for my Humanities Junior/Senior Elective before I pass 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?
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 (2.5 hours) writing exam during which you write an essay of at least 3 double-spaced pages (or at least 750 words, whichever is longer) in response to one of several writing prompts provided at the exam.  You write the essay on 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.  The WPE is an exam to assess students' writing skills at the midpoint of their undergraduate work.

Can I register for my Humanities Junior/Senior Elective before I pass the exam?
No. You may not register for your Humanities Junior/Senior Elective until you have successfully completed the WPE. Plan to complete your Writing Proficiency Requirement before you register for your Humanities Junior/Senior elective.  Overrides will no longer be granted to allow registration for Junior/Senior Electives before successful completion of the WPE.

Why must I take the exam?
In 2004, the University started a comprehensive campaign to improve the writing skills of our students.  Instituting the WPE requirement in Fall 2005 is one component of this campaign.  In addition, instructors in all fields are asked to require assignments for which students write within their disciplines as part of regular course work. 

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 on the third Friday of every month except December.  (Note:  If the WPE is the only course for which you register in a semester, Banner will add the normal $110.00 registration fee.  Please contact the Registrar's Office registrar@ltu.edu, 248-204-3300, 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 $110.00 registration fee from your account when the drop/add period ends).

Where is the exam administered?
The WPEs are held in C201, inside the Academic Achievement Center in the Taubman Student Services Building.. 

When is the WPE scheduled?
WPEs are scheduled every month except December, on the third Friday of each month.  Exams are held at two different time periods, 9:00 -11:30 AM 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 Disability Services at 218-204-4110.  Tell the Coordinator that you are registered for COM 3000, and ask the Coordinator 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 free, one-hour WPE Orientation Workshops every month the WPE is administered.  The Workshop will tell you what to expect on the exam, and it will introduce you some skills to help you do well on the exam.  The WPE Orientation Workshop is scheduled at 4:30-5:30 pm in C201 the Monday of the week the WPE is held.

We also offer a free, three-hour WPE Extended Workshop every month the WPE is administered.  The Workshop gives you practice in skills that will help you do better on the exam.  The WPE Extended workshop is offered in C201 from 2:00 pm -5:00 pm on the Friday before each WPE is scheduled.

A one-time workshop cannot address chronic problems in writing.  If you think that you need intensive preparation before you register for COM 3000, consider attending the free weekly Writing Practice sessions every Wednesday from 12:30 pm -1:30 pm in the Faculty Dining Room section of the Café Lawrence cafeteria.  No registration is required; bring a notebook and a pen, pick up a cup of coffee or snack, and join us.

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 - credit), you pass.  If both readers agree that the exam does not pass (NC-no credit), 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.  After the Registrar's Office "rolls" the Banner grades on Thursday mornings, you will be able to see your results on Banner.  If you haven't received your results three weeks after the date you took the exam, please contact the Director at munro@ltu.edu. 

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.  The  Extended WPE Preparation Workshop will be available for students who are re-taking the exam.  That workshop meets for three hours, and it will give you hands-on practice in specific skills that will help you to pass the exam on your second try. 

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 Spring 2008 on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:45 pm - 5:35 pm (CRN 3749).

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 and Weekly Writing Practice.  We want every LTU graduate to write proficiently. 

 
For More Information

Joyce Munro, Director of English and Writing Proficiency Programs
C201 A. Alfred Taubman Student Services Center
248-204-4125
munro@ltu.edu