Writing Assessment and Placement Tests
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Writing Assessment
The Writing Assessment opens up on Friday, July 22, 2022, at 8 a.m. PDT and must be completed by midnight PDT on Thursday, July 28.
ACCESS THE ASSESSMENT
Please note: The assessment is not open at this time, but you can test your access. Choose the "Whitman College" login option. If you can't access the Writing Assessment page, contact canvas_help@whitman.edu for assistance.
Once you begin the assessment, you’ll have up to 24 hours to consider the prompt, write, revise, proofread and submit. Plan ahead and give yourself focused time for this important activity.
About the Assessment
All new Whitman students are expected to complete the Summer Writing Assessment online as part of the registration process. Students compose a 250-word writing sample in response to a prompt, and Whitman writing faculty review each sample, at least twice, in an anonymized evaluation process.
You’ve been admitted to Whitman, so we recognize that you’re already a capable writer. The assessment’s goal is to determine how each student will fulfill the college’s requirement in writing proficiency in a manner that best prepares them to write skillfully at the college level. Some students will have transfer or equivalency credit that fulfills this college requirement. Many students will join the Writing Program of the Rhetoric, Writing and Public Discourse (RWPD) department by enrolling in RWPD 170.
RWPD 170 supports entering students and strengthens their writing skills for success across Whitman’s academic programs. Students will join an award-winning program taught by faculty dedicated to teaching, writing, student relationships, and first-year students in particular. Historical data shows students who take RWPD 170 double their improvement in college-level writing skills in comparison with students who do not take RWPD 170.
Students who do not complete the Summer Writing Assessment will be designated as not having started the College’s requirement in writing proficiency.
Note: Reminders and instructions for the Summer Writing Assessment will be sent to your Whitman email.
Placement Tests
Students interested in taking calculus, chemistry and foreign language courses at Whitman College are advised to take a placement exam in order to register for the correct course. These tests are available online and should be taken by July 15. Please review requirements and access the placement exam links below.
If you need accommodations for a placement exam, please contact the Academic Resource Center by email at arc@whitman.edu or call 509-527-5213.