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ACCUPLACER: WRITEPLACER OVERVIEW - NEXT GENERATION TESTS

The WritePlacer essay must be completed in one sitting. You will not be allowed to stop and finish your essay later.  Please see your Proctor if you have questions regarding timing.

Test Name

ACCUPLACER WritePlacer.

Format and length

Typed-essay, generally 300 - 600 words long.

Scoring

Scores on the WritePlacer range from 1 to 8. An essay will be given a score of zero if it is too short to be evaluated, written on a topic other than the one presented, or written in a language other than English.

  • Students with a score of 5, 6, 7, or 8 are placed into ENG 100.
  • Students with a score of 4 are placed into ENG 100S.
  • Students with a score of 3 are placed into ENG 97.
  • Students scoring 2 or below should re-take the test. A re-test fee of $25 applies.
  • If English is not your native language, you should consider taking the ESL Reading and WritePlacer ESL test instead.

Overview

At Kapiʻolani Community College, we use the ACCUPLACER WritePlacer test to determine your placement into your initial English course. This test is geared mainly for native speakers of English.

The essay gives you an opportunity to show how effectively you can develop and express your ideas in writing.

You will read a short-passage and an assignment question that are focused on an important issue. You will then write an essay in which you develop your own point of view on the issue. You should support your position with appropriate reasoning and examples. The position you take will not influence your score.

Your essay will be given a holistic score that represents how clearly and effectively you expressed your position. The following six characteristics of writing will be considered:

  • Purpose and Focus - The extent to which you present information in a unified and coherent manner, clearly addressing the issue.
  • Organization and Structure - The extent to which you order and connect ideas.
  • Development and Support - The extent to which you develop and support ideas.
  • Sentence Variety and Style - The extent to which you craft sentences and paragraphs demonstration control of vocabulary, voice, and structure.
  • Mechanical Conventions - The extent to which you express ideas using standard written English.
  • Critical Thinking - The extent to which you communicate a point of view and demonstrate reasoned relationships among ideas.

Last Reviewed: 9/13/2022