Writing Placement

Welcome to UWP Writing Placement! Please read through the important placement information on this page.  After reading, please proceed to the Writing Placement website by clicking below.  

Purpose of the Placement

Research has shown that test scores aren’t an accurate indicator of your success as a writer. To more accurately place you into one of our three writing courses, we would like to read a writing sample that is more reflective of the processes writers engage in when they write.

Your Writing Placement

Your writing placement will consist of three parts:

1. An essay: an original essay based on one of three writing prompts.

2. A revision plan: a plan for how you might improve your essay if you had more time.

3. A survey: a survey about your writing experiences creates a snapshot of your incoming freshman class as writers for the University Writing Program.

How Your Placement Is Read

Your placement is anonymously read by experienced instructors in the University Writing Program, and you will be placed into the best class for you based on their evaluation of your work. 

Essays that place into WRIT 1120, our most advanced writing course, answer the prompt fully, have a focused main claim that is developed with specific evidence, demonstrates adaptation of structures taught in high school, use varied and complex sentence structures, and have few sentence-level errors.

Notes on Completing Your Placement

• You need to be an undergraduate student entering BGSU and have access to your BGSU email account to access and write your placement.

• Do not obtain any form of assistance while taking the Writing Placement. This includes consulting with a teacher, parent, or friend for proofreading or editing your written essay. This extends to the use of artificial intelligence language models like ChatGPT. It is imperative that you honor this important part of the placement guidelines. It is to your disadvantage to receive a score higher than your actual abilities. A score that is too high would place you in a course beyond your capabilities with a limited probability of success.

• You have 24 hours to complete your placement, which gives you time to explore ideas, draft your essay, revise to improve, and edit to polish. We’re looking to see what you can produce when given more than the standard two-hours in standardized tests, so make the most of the time given you. Your placement determines how many writing classes you are required to take!

• You may access the site an unlimited number of times within the 24-hour period, and you may submit your placement at any point within the same 24-hour period. When the 24-hour window ends, however, you will no longer be able to submit work.

• You are required to wait one year to resubmit a placement.

• You may only submit one placement for consideration.

• Your placement results will be emailed to your BGSU email address. You can also learn your placement from your advisor.

When You Should Complete Your Placement

We encourage incoming students to complete the writing placement as soon as possible or no later than two weeks before your scheduled orientation date. The placement website is online and available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  

We strongly discourage you from writing your placement the day of your scheduled orientation date or writing your placement on your phone. Again, your placement determines how many writing classes you take.

Message for Second Language and Multilingual Speakers/Writers of English

All undergraduate students are required to complete the UWP writing placement. Second language and multilingual speakers/writers of English may be required to complete ESOL writing courses as prerequisites to the University Writing Program’s WRIT courses. Completing an ESOL speaking/listening placement may also be required. See ESOL Placement Assessment Information or contact esolprog@bgsu.edu for more information.

Message for AP Students

Students who score a 3 or higher on AP English Language and Composition Test or the English Literature and Composition Test are not required to complete a placement essay. If you plan to take an AP test this year, you still need to write a Placement essay before May 1 because the AP scores will not be submitted in time for you to be enrolled in your Linked Courses.

I am ready to proceed to the Writing Placement Website (Link)