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English Placement Exam Policy (revised February 8, 2008)
The English placement exam is used to determine the best level at which to begin studying composition at IU South Bend. Students taking the exam are placed as follows:
|
Level |
Composition course in which to enroll |
| 20 |
English W031 – Pre-Composition
(does not count for college credit and is graded satisfactory/fail) |
| 30 |
English W130 – Principles of Composition
(graded course, counts as elective credit) |
| 40 |
English W131 – Elementary Composition
(graded course, required for all majors at IU South Bend) |
The following criteria also applies:
- Student did not take the SAT or their score is more than two years old:
English placement exam required
- Student took the SAT within the last two years:
If the
combined score on the Critical Reading and Writing sections is
equal to or less than 950, the English placement exam is required.
If the
combined score on the Critical Reading and Writing sections is
equal to or greater than 960, the English placement exam is highly encouraged, especially for students who wish to place directly into English W131.
OR
Student may opt for automatic placement at Level 30
and enroll in English W130
Other information about the English placement exam:
- Students are responsible for knowing their SAT scores and determining if the exam is required based on the above criteria.
- The ACT cannot be used to waive the English placement exam.
- Students majoring in education,
nursing,
dental hygiene, or
radiography are highly encouraged to take the exam because English W130 does not count toward degree requirements in those majors.
- If you are required by the
Office of Admissions to take the English placement exam as a basis of being admitted to the university, you must take it. You do not have the option to waive the exam based on your SAT score.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the format of the exam?
The exam consists of two reading passages. You are asked to write
an essay based on one of the two passages (you
select which one). You may handwrite your essay in a
composition book or type it on a computer.
Who evaluates the English placement exam?
Two experienced composition instructors read and evaluate each student's exam.
What are the criteria for evaluating the exam?
Your exam is evaluated for:
- Full development of your own ideas and opinions, supported by sound reasoning and relevant examples
- Careful organization of paragraphs and varied sentence structure
- Evidence of good reading comprehension
- Correct grammar, spelling, word usage, and syntax
- You have 60 minutes to plan, write, and proofread your work. What matters most is how thoroughly you respond to the topic. A substantial and fully-developed response to the topic can improve your score, so use all the time to get your ideas and examples into the essay.
Which English courses can I take, based on my results?
| Level 2 |
If you place at Level 2, you must successfully complete W031 Pre-Composition to advance to Level 3. W031
focuses on the fundamentals of effective written communication, is graded "satisfactory/fail," and does
not count toward graduation.
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| Level 3 |
If you place at Level 3, you must first successfully complete W130 Principles of Composition with a grade
of C or higher to advance to Level 4. W130 offers a semester of preparation in college-level reading,
critical thinking, and essay-writing skills. W130 is a 3 credit hour, graded, course.
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| Level 4 |
If you place at Level 4, you may enroll in W131 Elementary Composition. W131, which is a requirement for
all degree programs, is an intensive introduction to the many forms of reading, thinking, writing, and
research that take place in the university. It is a 3 credit hour, graded, course.
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How can I prepare for the English placement exam?
The English placement exam is designed to allow you to demonstrate skills you have already developed, so you do not
need to study for it as you might for another type of exam. However, because you do want your effort to reflect your
best abilities, we encourage you to review the practice exam question below.
English Placement Exam Practice Question
Here is a passage about an incident in the history of American public education. Read the passage and then write an
essay addressing the questions listed below.
James Moffett is an educator who influenced many American teachers and schools in the last third of this century.
He wrote about traveling to West Virginia in the 1970s to talk with people there who had recently voted to remove from
their local public schools a set of textbooks he had designed. Moffett tried to assure the people he spoke with that
the goal of his textbooks was not to promote any one set of beliefs or attitudes but to present students with a variety
of ways of seeing their world. From the conversations he learned, however, that the local people understood his aims
well enough, and in fact his effort to allow students a choice among competing values was precisely what they most
disliked. Moffet's texts supported the values of self-criticism and tolerance, but his vocal critics wanted texts that
supported continuity with the past and the preservation of particular values. Moffet's texts supported classroom
practices that made students evaluate knowledge while his critics wanted their children to absorb knowledge. Everyone
involved saw that much more was at stake here than the sale of certain textbooks.
What do you believe is at stake in the controversy between Moffett and his critics? Use some of the terms or ideas
from the passage to discuss in detail one or more of your own school experiences, and use those experiences to show
what you think is at stake in this dispute. What difference does it make when a community chooses one of these
educational paths? With the help of the examples you have chosen, explain where you stand on the conflicting views of
education you find in this passage.
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Questions
If you have any questions, please
contact the Office of Student Services.
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