The Writing Proficiency Exam
(continued)
Once I pay the fee, may I get a refund? You will receive a full
refund only if you request one before the deadline to sign up - the Friday
of the second week of the quarter. Otherwise, you will only receive a
partial refund between the sign up deadline and the administration of the
test. If, for some reason, you miss the admininstration of the WPE, only
half credit will be refunded.
What will the exam be like?
The WPE contains a reading passage of about 350-500 words and a question
for you to consider. Generally, you will be asked to summarize the
passage, consider its argument and respond to it, taking into
consideration opposing viewpoints. The WPE will draw upon your
background as an
upper-division student, your life experience, and your knowledge. You do not need to learn any new
information to respond to the topic; however, you should be aware of
general and news-worthy events. You
will have two hours to plan your essay and answer the question.
When you go to take the exam you will want to have the following with you:
- Two black pens
- Your Cal Poly ID and another signed photo ID -usually your driver’s license
- Your WPE receipt
You may not bring any sort of aids with you (dictionary, grammar book, etc.). All paper for
notes and outlining will be provided at the time of the exam.
What type of topic may I expect to write on?
WPE reading passages cover general topics or news-worthy events. The
writing prompts ask a student to argue for a position, clearly showing the
readers how s/he thinks. All students receive the same topic; off-topic
essays receive no credit.
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