The writing composition placement exam is optional for all students. The online exam consists of a one-hour writing exercise. You may only take the exam once.
If you excelled in writing in high school, we encourage you to take the exam. To help you decide, consider what English course you’ll be placed in if you don’t take the test. This placement is based on the high school GPA reported at the time of your admission:
If you do well enough, you could get placed into a higher-level English course than your initial placement, allowing you to meet graduation requirements faster.
If you need testing accommodations, contact the Disability Resource Center at 815-753-1303 or by email at drc@niu.edu several weeks before you plan to test.
English faculty members will review your exam. You’ll receive your results in your NIU email account. It can take several weeks for your results to arrive. Your outcome will be one of the following:
Part two of the exam involves reading an argumentative essay and using conclusions drawn from it to write your own essay. There is a two-and-a-half-hour time limit.
Passing parts one and two of the writing composition exam is one of the ways you can meet the Foundational Studies writing requirement for graduation. Learn more about Foundational Studies competency exams.
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