Writing Placement at WSU

Students taking a writing placement exam.
matching students with a first-year writing experience

All WSU students planning to enroll in English 101 or an equivalent course must complete the Writing Placement Assessment.

The Writing Placement Assessment:

  • Is only required for students who plan to enroll in English 101 or an equivalent course.
  • Is hosted in the Qualtrics Survey platform.
  • Asks students to reflect on their writing skills and experiences in a few multiple-choice and short-answer questions.
  • Provides an article for students to read (students select between two articles chosen by the English department).
  • Prompts students to write a short essay (600-800 words) in response to the article and upload it into the platform.
  • Is evaluated by trained readers who are also the teachers of first-year writing courses.


Summer 2023 Writing Placement for Incoming Cougs

Follow these instructions carefully:

  1. Confirm your New Coug Orientation (NCO) registration and make a note of your session number and dates.
  2. Locate your NCO session and associated writing placement link below.
  3. When you are ready to complete the assessment, click on the link for your NCO session and get started.

Failing to follow these three steps may impede your ability to enroll in an English course during your NCO meeting with an advisor.

Global Campus students are welcome to use any of the links below. Results will be posted in My.Wsu approximately 4 – 6 days after a link’s “close date.”

Additional Instructions:

You will have 48 hours to finish the assessment and your time begins when you click on the link. Use the same computer, Internet browser, and link if you need to take a break and return to the assessment later; do not clear your history or cache. Submissions are read by the evaluation team after the link closes. Results are available to advisors during NCO.

June New Coug Orientation Sessions

NCO Session 4: June 7 – June 9
Assessment Link (opens in a new window) (closes June 4 @ 11:59pm)

NCO Session 5: June 13 – June 15
Assessment Link (opens in a new window) (closes June 10 @ 11:59pm)

NCO Session 6: June 20 – June 22
Assessment Link (opens in a new window) (closes June 17 @ 11:59pm)

NCO Session 7: June 26 – June 28
Assessment Link (opens in a new window) (closes June 23 @ 11:59pm)

July New Coug Orientations

NCO Session 8: July 8 – July 10
Assessment Link (opens in a new window) (closes July 4 @ 11:59pm)

NCO Session 9: July 11 – July 13
Assessment Link (opens in a new window) (closes July 8 @ 11:59pm)

NCO Session 10: July 16 – July 18
Assessment Link (opens in a new window) (closes July 14 @ 11:59pm)

NCO Session 11 (transfer): July 20 – July 21
Assessment Link (opens in a new window) (closes July 18 @ 11:59pm)

NCO Session 12: July 22 – July 24
Assessment Link (opens in a new window) (closes July 18 @ 11:59pm)

NCO Session 13: July 26 – July 28
Assessment Link (opens in a new window) (closes July 24 @ 11:59pm)

August New Coug Orientations

Week of Welcome NCO: Aug 14 – Aug 16
Assessment Link (closes August 8 @ 11:59pm)

This is the last placement assessment before the Fall 2023 semester begins. The Writing Program will host a writing placement assessment during fall term which will enable registration into a Spring 2024 English course.

Unsure about your NCO session?

If you aren’t sure about your NCO orientation, you should email orientation@wsu.edudo not select a link at random.

Using the correct link ensures your results are available in time for your advisor meeting during NCO. You can choose to complete placement through the very first NCO link (or another early June link) if you don’t know your NCO plans and you want to cross writing placement off your to-do list.


Most Common Questions

  • Students who have earned scores of 4 or above on the AP test in English: Language and Composition will receive credit for English 101 and do not have to complete the Writing Placement Process.
  • Students who earned scores of 5 on the AP test in English: Literature and Composition will receive credit for English 101 and do not have to complete the Writing Placement Process.
  • Students who have earned scores of 4 or above on the Higher Level IB English A: Literature or the Higher Level English A: Language and Literature test will receive credit for English 101 and do not have to complete the Writing Placement Process.
  • Students in the Honors College do not need to complete the Writing Placement Process and should contact their advisor or the Honors College for instructions on registering for English 298.
  • Students who are transferring in college English credit should use the Transfer Course Search tool to verify their credit will meet the WRTG requirement.  So long as the transfer credit fulfills WSU’s first-year writing course requirement, students will not need to participate in the English Placement Process.

Additionally, WSU students can complete the UCORE WRTG requirement by taking all three of these 1-credit courses: WRITE 111, WRITE 112, and WRITE 113. See the Writing Program’s WRITE courses in the course catalog for more information.

Results are not distributed through email. Your advisor will access your results through My.Wsu during your advising meeting during NCO. If you do not attend NCO or you do not have an advising meeting, you can email us with that information and a request for your course placement.

Students are placed into the English course that most supports their unique needs as writers. The placement options include:

  • English 100: This course prepares students for the rigors of academic writing that will be found in English 101. Students must successfully complete both English 100 and English 101 to receive the [WRTG] credit. (My.WSU code 0)
  • English 101: This course provides instruction to develop students’ academic writing, critical thinking, rhetorical strategies, reading and library skills. Successful completion of this course fulfills the [WRTG] credit. (My.WSU code 1)
  • English 101+ 102: Placement into these concurrent courses indicates a level of readiness for academic writing, but also a need for structured assistance with academic writing while completing English 101. The Writing Center administers English 102 through the Small Group Collaborative program. (My.WSU code 2)
  • English 104: This course is designed to introduce non-native speakers of English to writing and reading in the university. This course prepares students for English 105 with focused attention on grammar, syntax, and academic styles of writing. To receive [WRTG] credit, students must successfully complete English 104 and 105. (My.WSU code 4)
  • English 105: This course provides instruction designed to develop academic writing, critical thinking, reading, library skills, and rhetorical strategies for non-native speakers of English. It is an equivalent course to English 101 and carries [WRTG] credit. (My.WSU code 6)
  • English 105+ 107: Placement into these courses provides an introduction to academic writing for multilingual writers whose first language is not English. This placement indicates a writer’s need for structured assistance with academic writing while completing English 105. The Writing Center administers English 107 through the Small Group Collaborative program. (My.WSU code 5)

For more information on the 1-credit classes (Eng 102 and 107) visit the Undergraduate Writing Center’s Courses page.

If you feel an error was made in the evaluation of your essays, you are welcome to contact the Writing Program.

NOTE: Some WSU campuses currently offer only English 101 and English 101 + 102. Contact the appropriate campus Writing Assessment office with questions.

The Writing Program hosts writing placement assessments throughout the school year. Typically, there is one assessment link available until about mid-semester (with results posted in time for spring registration) and another from mid-semester until the end of the term. Advisors prefer you complete assessment before your scheduled NCO so that they can talk with you about your assigned class, and possibly get you enrolled in that class (if seats are available), but it is not detrimental to complete writing placement at a later time.

Check out our Placement FAQ page if your question is not answered here.