WPE HANDOUT/ESSAY WRITING TIPS

THE EXAM

The two hour essay exam asks students to respond to a specific topic based on a short reading. Usually, students are asked to explain the extent to which they agree with the argument or position that the author posits in the reading. All students receive the same topic. No dictionaries are allowed.

Students are expected to write an essay of at least 500 words. Most students write from three to four pages of single-spaced prose.

The fee for the exam is $25. Pay the fee at the University Cashier's Office in the Administration Building at least one week before the exam, and you will receive a sheet of information about the WPE at that time: where to take it, what to bring, what the previous topic was, etc. In addition, you will receive information about WPE workshops that precede the exam. Generally, the WPE is offered on a Saturday early in the quarter with the exception of summer. Results are mailed at the end of the 6th week of the quarter.

SAMPLE TOPICS and STUDENT ESSAYS

SCORING PROCESS AND SCORING GUIDE

Each essay is read by at least two faculty members representing all colleges at Cal Poly. The exams are read holistically: the score that an essay earns is based on the assumption that an essay conveys a total impression. Readers do not mark on the exams. Holistic scoring attempts to address the paper as a whole--its organization, development, and expression. One of the most important aspects of holistic scoring is that the faculty readers are encouraged to note what students have done well rather than what they have failed to do. Readers do not mark on the exam.

The essays are scored on a six-point scale: 1 is the lowest score, 6 the highest, and 4 is a minimal pass. After two faculty have read and scored the essay, the scores are totaled; therefore, you receive the total score. An 8 is a passing score.

The same scoring standards apply for the students for whom English is a second language. Because these students have certain difficulties mastering some of the idiosyncrasies of written English, expert ESL faculty read ESL exams. However, ESL students must master English verb forms and must have adequate control over expression. The scoring guide refers to the three most important areas of writing: organization, development and expression.

1. A well-organized essay has clarity both at the paragraph and essay level. Ideas flow logically through the essay and connections between ideas are made for the reader.

2. A well-developed essay has appropriate examples which support, amplify and clarify points made. Ideas are explored rather than repeated.

3. A well-expressed essay has not only sentence control and sentence variety but adequate control of grammar, punctuation, spelling and vocabulary.

WPE SCORING GUIDE

6--Exemplary Paper
*Comprehension: demonstrates a thorough understanding of the article in developing an insightful response.

*Organization: answers all the parts of the question thoroughly; demonstrates strong essay and paragraph organization.

*Development: strongly develops the topic through specific and appropriate detail; logical, intelligent, and thoughtful; may be creative or imaginative.

*Expression: exhibits proficient sentence structure and usage, but may have a few minor slips (e.g. an occasional misused or misspelled word, or a comma fault); may show stylistic flair.
5--Proficient Paper

*Comprehension: Demonstrates a sound understanding of the article in developing a well-reasoned response.

*Organization: displays effective paragraph and essay organization and answers all parts of the question.

*Development: skillfully and logically employs specific and appropriate detail, but may lack the level of insight or intelligence found in an exemplary paper.

*Expression: structures sentences effectively, but may lack stylistic flair; keeps diction appropriate, but may waver in tone; maintains sound grammar though may err occasionally.
4--Acceptable Paper (competent but flawed)
*Comprehension: Demonstrates (sometimes by implication) a generally accurate understanding of the article in developing a sensible response.

*Organization: shows adequate paragraphing and essay organization, but may give disporportionate attention to some parts of the question.

*Development: shows adequate logical development of the topic but may not be as fully and specifically developed as a superior essay or may respond in a way which is somewhat simplistic or repetitive.

*Expression: shows adequate command of sentence structure, using appropriate diction, but may contain some minor problems in grammar, punctuation, or usage (problems which might annoy a reader but will not lead to confusion or misunderstanding).
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3--Failing Paper (clearly inadequate in one major category or marginally inadequate in more than one category)
*Comprehension: Demonstrates some understanding of the article but may misconstrue parts of it or make limited use of it in developing a weak response.

*Organization: does not address major aspects of the topic; presents a predominantly narrative response; is deficient in organization at the essay or praragraph level; lacks focus; or wanders from the controlling idea.

*Development: consistently generalizes without adequate support; presents conclusions which do not logically follow from the premises or the evidence; or consistently repeats rather than explores ideas.

*Expression: shows deficient sentence structure; uses a primer style; or contains errors in mechanics (including spelling) which are serious or frequent enough to affect understanding.

2--Seriously Flawed Paper
2 * Demonstrates poor understanding of the main points of the article, does not use the article appropriately in developing a response, or may not use the article at all.

*Shows serious flaws in more than one important area of writing (organization, development, or expression).

*Sentence level error is so severe and pervasive that other strengths of the paper become obscured.

*Clarity may exist only on the level of the sentence.

1--Ineffectual
1 *Demonstrates little or no ability to understand the article or to use it in developing a response.

*Shows virtually no ability to handle the topic.

*Reveals inability to handle the basic elements of prose.

THE UNIVERSITY WRITING LAB
The University Writing Lab offers students help in order to pass the WPE. The Lab houses sample topics and sample essays. In addition, the Writing Lab staff will point out your writing strengths and weaknesses and they will offer strategies for passing the exam. The Writing Lab is in the Erhart Agriculture Building (10), room 138, and is open Monday-Friday and one or two evenings beginning the second week of each quarter through dead week.
COUNSELING
Results of the WPE will arrive in the mail. The letter will also announce the availability of free 1/2-hour appointments which will provide writing counseling for those who have failed. Counseling services are available only for a few weeks after the scores are mailed, so calling for an appointment immediately after receiving notification of a failing score is important. The counselors review student exams and give advice and suggestions for passing the WPE.
TIPS ON WRITING THE WPE ESSAY
1. Read the short essay carefully, and be sure that you understand the task. Each short reading contains the vocabulary and terms that a college-educated student is expected to know and understand. Make a few notes in order to help you organize your thoughts--and perhaps a quick outline. Don't spend more than fifteen minutes reading and planning.
2. If you are asked to summarize, do so briefly (no more than one paragraph), or weave your summary into your essay. Do not quote heavily from the article or essay that you're summarizing. Use your own words to show that you understand what you've read.
3. Once you've made a few notes and you have some idea of what you want to say, begin to write. The best writers tend to write quickly (before forgetting their train of thought); they later reread the essay in its entirrety. Don't write too slowly and don't count the number of words. If you write too slowly, it encourages the "critic" who will begin to tell you that what you say is wrong or that some word is misspelled. For drafting, you need the "creator." Bring the "critic" out when you're finished drafting your essay.
4. Respond to the topic with a persuasive essay. The exam tests your ability to think through a problem and explain your position in writing.
5. Remember, a good argument contains reasons that help the reader to understand the writer's conclusions. Always use appropriate examples to clarify an abstraction or generalization:
From my personal experience, if I were to rewind the clock back to my pre-college days, I would not change anything. I didn't exercise any buffer time prior to entering college, and I don't regret it. For me, at my level of maturity and independence, or lack of it, I greatly needed to enter directly into a realm of structure and codependence. Even though at the time I saw entering Abilene Christian University in Texas as a getaway and a breath of freedom, it secretly did possess those underlying supportive traits that I needed--boundaries and rules. If I would have jumped on a plan for a Bosnian mission trip, I would've fallen apart. The timing wouldn't have worked for me, and I would guess that would be the case for many other students with a similar maturity level.

6. Be sure that every paragraph in the body of your argument develops a point and that your points are tied to the essay's overall controlling idea. Occasionally check to see if a paragraph is pertinent to the topic you are addressing or if it goes off track. A good rule to follow is to have each paragraph begin with a general statement describing what the paragraph will be about (topic sentence). Next, give an example to support your topic sentence followed by an explanation of the importance of your evidence. Don't assume that a five-paragraph essay is all you will need; don't let the form drive the content. Instead, use the appropriate number of paragraphs to prove adequately the position you take.
7. Avoid long stories or descriptions. Rather, briefly use your experience to prove a point.
8. The use of first person (I) is acceptable since you are being asked what you think about something.
9. Keep your audience in mind: your professors.
10. Use your own comfortable, educated voice; don't use language of which you are unsure. Focus on clarity and precision.
11. Although humor and satire are difficult to write, humor is welcome if it serves the topic.
12. Often students think that a conclusion to a short persuasive essay needs to repeat all of the main ideas (Tell them what you've just said.). This strategy may be useful for long, technical reports or complicated pieces of writing. However, for short, argumentative essays, don't waste time repeating yourself, and don't insult your readers' intelligence by going over materal that you've already clearly outlined. Instead, use your conclusion for an appropriate closing of your essay; it's the last part of your argument that you give your reader, so leave a good impression: make an appeal, restate your position more clearly, point to the future, etc. Don't sum up the obvious. Be thoughtful.
13. Vocabulary, sentence control and sentence variety are important for a university-educated person to master. Avoid writing exclusively in primer prose:
I think gun control is a good idea. It is a good idea to educate people about their guns. Guns have caused lots of deaths in the U.S. Congress has to do something about gun control.
(Note that each sentence has a certain form--subject, verb, object. There is no variety or complexity.)
14. Always allow time to reread your essay. Everyone makes slips on a first draft, and you probably won't have time to recopy your essay. If you write quickly, you should have at least fifteen minutes to make sure you've used appropriate examples, that your paragraphs are in order, that your facts are accurate, etc. Lastly, check for missing words or endings of words, serious misspellings, grammar slips, etc. Crossing out words is ok, but do try to be as neat as possible.
15. Some errors are spelling errors but some are thinking errors--errors of confusion. For example, "beleif" is a spelling error. However, the following are slips in thinking: advice/advise, who's/whose, conscience/conscious, should of/should have, know/no, loose/lose, chose/choose, to/too/two, they're/their/there, your/you're, whether/weather, were/where, course/coarse, etc. Edit carefully.