ENG020 Basic Writing at West Chester University
Frequently Asked Questions
ENG020 Basic Writing
Click here to register for the Basic Writing Challenge Exam (BWCE)
SAT information
Where can I get more information ?
What is Basic Writing?
English 020 Basic Writing is the
developmental writing course, considered preparatory for the more demanding
writing of general-education requirements.
How do I know if I have to take ENG020?
We decide writing placement based on the SAT Writing overall score.
Students with an overall Writing score of less than 500 are placed
automatically into ENG020 Basic Writing.
What are the advantages of taking ENG020?
- Smaller class sizes mean you get more individual attention from your professor and make
it easier for you to participate in class discussions
- More class time is devoted to your writing and more help is available for revision
- A greater focus on grammar and other basic skills will help you build a strong
foundation in writing
- Strong foundations will benefit you in all of your courses that require a high
standard of quality and quantity in written work
- Students who take ENG020 get higher grades in subsequent writing courses than students
who do not take advantage of this academic resource
- Students are challenged to do the kind of thoughtful and interesting work expected in
WRT120, but at a slower pace and with additional support and practice (See our ENGQ20
Guidelines)
Do I get credit for ENG020?
The grade you receive in ENG020 gets calculated into your overall GPA, but the
course credits are not included in the total required for graduation.
Can I challenge my placement in ENG020?
The SAT Writing score is a proven reliable indicator for placement into the most
appropriate writing course. However, we know that sometimes scores don't tell
the whole story. Therefore, the university offers the Basic Writing Challenge
Exam (BWCE) as an opportunity to test out of Basic Writing ENG020 and into
Effective Writing 1 WRT120. Click here to
find out more about the Basic Writing Challenge Exam.
What’s the difference between the SAT Writing and the Critical Reading scores?
Writing placement is based on the SAT
Writing overall score only. The SAT Critical Reading score is used for general
admissions decisions (Click here for Admissions web page: http://www.wcupa.edu/_ADMISSIONS/SCH_ADM/The
Critical Reading score can substitute for the Writing score only if you took
the ACT or an older version of the SAT.
Do you still use the SAT Verbal score?
SAT Verbal is the old term for what is
now called the SAT Critical Reading section. As indicated above, writing
placement is not based on the Critical
Reading score. However, for those students who don’t have a
Writing score because they took an older SAT exam or the ACT exam, their
placement will be based on their Critical Reading or Verbal score.
How does College Board determine the Writing score?
The overall Writing score (200-800)
includes both the multiple choice and the essay subscores.
The raw scores for multiple-choice and writing are converted to scaled subscores (multiple-choice: 20-80; essay 2-12). These
subscores are then weighed according to percentages of the
raw score (multiple-choice: 70%; essay: 30%), which are used to calculate the
200-800 score (2006-2007 SAT Program
Handbook, 24). Also see SAT
Writing Section web page.
Where can I get more information?
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