Writing Assessment FAQs

When should The Writing Class Placement Questionnaire be completed?

The Writing Class Placement Questionnaire needs to be completed before you attend your scheduled Summer Orientation event. You will use the writing course recommendation offered at the end of The Writing Class Placement Questionnaire when registering for your first writing course at APU. Please note that completion of The Writing Class Placement Questionnaire is required before you are able to register for your first writing course.

How long does The Writing Class Placement Questionnaire take?

This process usually takes 20-30 minutes. Please be sure you have the time to answer all questions before beginning.

What will I need to complete The Writing Class Placement Questionnaire?

Have your high school GPA, as well as your SAT or ACT scores, handy when you sit down to complete The Writing Class Placement Questionnaire; you’ll be asked for this information along the way. You will also need your APU student ID number and your APU student email address.

I’m not a first-year student. Is The Writing Class Placement Questionnaire right for me?

Even if you’re not entering your first semester of college, The Writing Class Placement Questionnaire is probably still right for you. All students who have not yet fulfilled the General Education Writing 2 requirement need to complete The Writing Class Placement Questionnaire. That means you need to take The Writing Class Placement Questionnaire even if you have credit for Writing 1 via transfer work or AP credit. The Writing Class Placement Questionnaire will offer you valuable information about multiple General Education writing courses at APU, as well as help you understand the best first writing course for you!

I already have credit for WRIT 110 or ENGL 110. Do I have to complete The Writing Class Placement Questionnaire?

Yes. Even if you already have credit for Writing 1 via transfer work or AP credit, you will still need to take The Writing Class Placement Questionnaire. At the end of the process, you will receive a personalized writing course recommendation based on the information you submit.

What can I do if I have further questions about the course recommendation I was given? Can I talk to someone?

At the end of the process, you will receive a writing course recommendation to use when you register for your first APU writing course. If you have questions about your course recommendation, contact the Academic Success Center to speak with an academic success coach.

What happens if I do not complete The Writing Class Placement Questionnaire before my Summer Orientation event?

The Writing Class Placement Questionnaire must be completed before you will be able to register for your first APU writing course. So if you do not complete The Writing Class Placement Questionnaire before Summer Orientation, you may miss out on the opportunity to register for the writing class of your choice.

If I don’t like the suggested course, can I complete The Writing Class Placement Questionnaire again?

No, you will not be able to complete The Writing Class Placement Questionnaire again. The Writing Class Placement Questionnaire is an online placement tool, and it does not allow for multiple attempts. Take this process seriously and respond as accurately as possible the first time.

What course options are available to me after I complete The Writing Class Placement Questionnaire?

Writing 1: The Art and Craft of Writing (WRIT 110)

Writing 1 is a one-semester college writing course focused on writing studies. In this course, writing is the subject and the practiced skill. You will engage with the fields of writing studies and rhetoric by analyzing writing theory, studying the art and craft of writing, and improving your skills by producing your own written work.

The purposes of Writing 1 are for you to:

become familiar with writing process theory and development of improved writing processes.
engage with complex arguments and research in order to improve critical thinking skills.
learn to recognize elements of writing such as audience, message, purpose, and medium.
transition from high school to college writing expectations.
learn a lexicon of writing and rhetoric terms.

In this course you will:

write weekly responses, blog posts, or journal entries.
closely analyze writing studies texts.
participate in a peer writing group for workshops in and/or outside of class.
write an original writing-studies-based argument that is supported by researched evidence, among other assignments.
write approximately 7,000+ words of drafts, including 3,000 words of final products.

Writing 1 (WRIT 110) + Lab (WRIT 120)

This is a 4-unit experience that combines a Writing 1 class (WRIT 110, 3 units) with an additional Writing 1 Lab class (WRIT 120, 1 unit). Typically, the additional unit fits into your 12–17-unit load and doesn’t cost an additional tuition fee. The lab is made up of a group of 5–6 students and a writing instructor. The lab meets once a week for 55 minutes and offers small-group support to any students who feel they would benefit from some extra guidance.

In addition to all of the benefits and challenges of Writing 1, you’ll also receive the following:

individualized support from a writing instructor
support from a small group of student writers
additional time for questions and comments
connections to on-campus opportunities and resources

Writing 2: Genre, Evidence, and Persuasion

Writing 2 is a one-semester college writing course that builds on the skills learned and practices employed in Writing 1 by moving you into an exploration of writing within the wider field in which you plan to study. Students in Writing 2 critically assess the rhetorical strategies of their larger field in order to begin to enter into it themselves.

The purposes of Writing 2 are for you to:

practice critical thinking skills by engaging with a range of complex writing and research within your discipline and wider area of study.
assess the questions being asked in related fields and explore how researchers and scholars attempt to answer those questions.
build upon the writing skills gained in Writing 1: The Art and Craft of Writing by further encouraging recognition of rhetorical elements such as audience, message, and purpose, and how these elements shift depending on the discipline.
familiarize yourself with the academic writing styles of your individual field(s) of study.

In Writing 2, you will:

strengthen and reinforce your use of strong writing processes through structured assignments, feedback, and multiple drafts.
meet with your instructor for one-on-one conferences about your writing.
participate in a peer writing group for workshops in and/or outside of class.
receive instruction in research practices and conventions pertinent to your wider field of study, as well as in at least one documentation style (MLA, APA, Chicago, etc.).
write a source analysis assignment such as an annotated bibliography or a literature review.
write an assessment of an argument or debate in your field of study.
write an extended argument as it relates to your field of study, drawing on the kind of knowledge that is persuasive to the field and using an appropriate documentation style.