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All undergraduates must demonstrate competency in writing skills at the upper division level as a requirement for the baccalaureate degree within the California State University System. At San Diego State University, the Writing Proficiency Assessment (WPA) is used to assess that competency.
A. Students must take the Writing Proficiency Assessment (WPA) within the time frames described below. Once students are enrolled in Rhetoric and Writing Studies 280 or 281 or Linguistics 281, they may not take the WPA to test out of that class or an upper division writing course.
Continuing Students. Continuing students must take the WPA during the semester in which they are completing 60 units or in the semester immediately following.
Transfer Students. Transfer students are eligible to take the WPA once they have received an offer of admission. They must take the examination during their first semester at SDSU.
B. Students who do not take the examination by the end of the required time frame will not be able to register for future terms. Students may stop out of the university one semester and maintain continuing student status. If the examination is completed during the stop out term, the student may re-enroll the following semester. Students who have not taken the examination by the end of the stop out term will be required to reapply for admission to SDSU and meet the admission requirements in effect at the time they reapply.
C. Writing Proficiency Assessment Scores. Students who achieve a score of 10 or above on the WPA satisfy the statewide Graduation Writing Requirement and do not have to take a writing course unless an upper division writing course is required by their major.
Students who achieve a score of 8 or 9 are required to satisfy the Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement by completing an approved upper division writing course with a grade of C or higher. SEE LIST BELOW.
Students who earn a score of 7 or lower are required to complete Rhetoric and Writing Studies 280 (or Rhetoric and Writing Studies 281 or Linguistics 281 if English is your second language) with a grade of C or higher before enrolling in one of the approved upper division writing courses. The SDSU registration system will require students who earn a 7 or below to register for the required course in the semester following the testing time frame.
D. Students who transfer from another California State University campus having fulfilled the Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement will not be required to repeat it. However, a course listed below may be required for the major. Contact the Academic Advising Center if you believe you have fulfilled this requirement at another CSU.
E. Students are allowed to attempt the WPA twice within the timeframes and restrictions described above. Students may not drop a course in which they are registered if test results are received after the schedule adjustment deadline. Students must pay the required fees for the examination each time it is taken.
Anthropology 396W
Chicana and Chicano Studies 396W
Communication 310W
English 306W
English 308W
English 508W
English 581W
English 584W
History 400W
History 450W
Information and Decision Systems 390W
Information and Decisions Systems 396W
Linguistics 305W
Linguistics 396W
Recreation 396W
Rhetoric and Writing Studies 305W
Rhetoric and Writing Studies 500W
Rhetoric and Writing Studies 503W
Rhetoric and Writing 508W
(Note: Several of these courses are limited to majors in the indicated department or have additional prerequisite requirements. Courses required for the major must be taken for a letter grade.)
Prior Catalog Provisions
If you have maintained continuous enrollment at San Diego State University from Fall, 2003 or earlier, you may come provisions of earlier SDSU catalogs with respect to the Graduate Writing Assessment Requirement. Please consult the following document, Advising GWAR21.pdf , to determine if different provisions apply to you. The document requires Adobe Acrobat to display the checklist; a free copy of that program can be downloaded here .
Preparation for the Writing Proficiency Assessment
Students are strongly urged to prepare in advance for attempting the Writing Proficiency Assessment. In addition to the general testing information found here, a WPA Prep Information website has been created with study materials, test-taking strategies, and sample essays.
Free writing workshops are also offered prior to each exam.
The Office of Student Testing, Assessment and Research offers a limited number of appointments to review a test taken in the prior six months. To schedule an appointment, please call (619) 594-5216.
Writing Proficiency Assessment (WPA) Registration Procedures:
Come to the SDSU Imperial Valley Cashiers Office during business hours (M-F 8:30 am - 4:30pm)
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