The Analytical Writing Placement Exam at UCSC

Home General Education Requirements in Writing at UCSC The Analytical Writing Placement Exam at UCSC

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Upcoming AWPE for New Students

FAQ for Incoming Frosh

Upcoming AWPE for Current Students

The UC Analytical Writing Placement Exam (AWPE) allows individual UC campuses to place students in writing classes appropriate to their college writing skills. It is only for students who have already been accepted at UC and only used for placement.

The results will not affect your acceptance to any University of California campus. The results of your exam simply will ensure that you are placed in a class that will teach the writing strategies and skills you need to succeed in college and beyond.

The AWPE is one of many pathways to satisfying the systemwide Entry Level Writing Requirement (ELWR).

For a full explanation of the AWPE (complete with sample examinations, scoring guide, and Frequently Asked Questions), please see the UCOP AWPE SITE.

Writing Placement at UCSC

Like all UC campuses, UCSC uses the AWPE to determine whether a student has satisfied the ELWR, which is a first step in satisfying UCSC's lower-division writing requirements (known by the General Education codes C1 and C2). The AWPE also helps UCSC determine whether a student has satisfied the C1 writing requirement prior to starting first-year classes.

Accurate placement in an appropriate section of your college's Core course (part of UCSC's required first-year writing sequence) generally depends on your AWPE score, and having your score prior to enrollment in July will in most cases help you solidify your course enrollment and fall class schedule earlier. We therefore strongly recommend that incoming frosh take the May systemwide AWPE. (Click here for answers to questions frequently asked by incoming frosh). You will receive information from the college you are assigned to in late May regarding enrollment in your Core course and other fall classes.

Incoming frosh who are unable to take the systemwide exam in May (and who do not satisfy the Entry Level Writing Requirement by other means) will have the opportunity to take the exam during UCSC's Welcome Week in September. As an incoming first-year student, no matter when you take the exam, you are assured a space in your college's Core course. However, taking the exam before September will likely provide you with more options for enrollent in desired class times.