GUIDELINES FOR THE ENGLISH PLACEMENT EXAM

The English Placement Test assesses students' grasp of the following skills related to writing
expository and argumentative essays. The exam will be evaluated according to these guidelines by
two or three members of the English Dept. faculty. Based on the faculty recommendation,
students may be placed into ENG 99 Basic Writing or ENG 110 College Writing or ENG 110H
College Writing - Honors.

1. To narrow a broad subject to a topic that is manageable in a short essay, and to advance
a thesis idea that is supported and developed logically throughout the essay;

2. To write in a style appropriate to one's purpose and audience using context-sensitive

language;

3. To develop coherent and unified paragraphs with supporting detail, including an effective
introduction and satisfying conclusion;

4. To compose sentences that demonstrate attentiveness to clear expression and the logical
relationship of ideas, correct sentence structure, grammar and punctuation;

5. To use words correctly and persuasively, showing sensitivity to connotation, and to spell
correctly.

The examination takes an hour to complete and is composed of an essay that tests ability to write in
an organized and effective way on a given topic. A reading will be given to students who register for
the test. Students will be asked to write an essay on the topic of the reading. The reading changes
each time the test is given.

Students may bring a dictionary to the examination, but may not bring any papers, writing, or notes;
however, to prepare for the essay, students should do some careful thinking about the reading and
pre-writing as follows:

* identify the writer's main point (thesis), and analyze how the writer develops the argument;
* summarize the reading, then sketch out your response to the writer's point of view by
developing your own thesis.

For a review of principles of expository and argumentative writing and sample essays, students may
consult a recent handbook of English (some are available on Reserve at Edgewood’s library under
“English Placement Test” and for sale at the bookstore), such as:

Lynn Quitman Troyka, Simon and Schuster Handbook for Writers.

Andrea Lunsford, The Everyday Writer.
Maxine Hairston/John Ruszkiewicz, Scott Foresman Handbook for Writers.

Students must bring their copy of the reading to the testing room; no notes may be written on it.
Students must also be prepared to show a photo ID card prior to taking their test.

Office of the Academic Dean 7/2007