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Analytical Writing Program Analytical Writing Program
  1. AWP
  2. Placement

Writing Placement Process

If you have not met the UC Entry Level Writing Requirement (ELWR), you must complete the Writing Placement Process (WPP) offered through the UC San Diego Analytical Writing Program before the beginning of your first quarter at UC San Diego.  

WPP Overview

The UC San Diego Writing Placement Process is a collaborative process, which means that you can participate in determining which writing course best positions you for success. You do not need to prepare for the WPP as there is no right or wrong result.

On the day of your scheduled WPP, you will log in to the WPP website a few minutes early, and click the "Start the Process" button to enter the WPP page at the scheduled time. You will have 3.5 hours to complete the process, and all students will start at the same time. You should aim to complete and submit your answers five minutes before the time is up to ensure a successful submission.

The WPP consists of five parts: You will first be asked to complete the Writing Background Reflection, which is a survey to help you reflect on your high school writing experience that you have done in English. Then you will be asked to write about two short readings—one chosen by the Analytical Writing Program and one chosen by your College Writing Program. After that, you will learn about the expectations of different writing courses, and you will declare and explain your placement preference. 

The faculty readers will carefully assess your writings and your placement preference, and make the final decision of your course placement. Your answers to the Writing Background Reflection will not factor into your placement.

During the placement process, we require that you only use the reading material that we provide without soliciting or accepting any forms of help from any people, sources, or tools. Your browser should only have the WPP website opened, with your other mobile devices put away. Adhering to the academic integrity standards will ensure that you are creating a fair and accurate placement process for yourself and for your UC San Diego classmates. 

Students may only complete the WPP once. 

ELWR Survey & WPP Registration

All incoming first-year students must complete an ELWR Survey on the Applicant Portal as soon as they accept the admission offer from UC San Diego. This ELWR Survey asks you whether you have fulfilled the ELWR. Your answer will be one of the following three possibilities: 

  1. YES. You have a qualifying test score or have passed a college composition course that fulfills the ELWR. 
  2. NO. You do not have any ways to fulfill the ELWR and must complete the Writing Placement Process (WPP) in summer. 
  3. PENDING. You are waiting for test results (e.g. some AP and IB results are released in early July) or you are completing or plan to complete a college composition course in a community college in summer. You must return to the Applicant Portal to fill out the ELWR Survey for the second time once you receive your test or course outcome. 

The students who answer NO must sign up for a WPP date at the end of the ELWR Survey. You will receive more instructions one week before your scheduled WPP. 

WPP Dates

We only offer two remote sessions of WPP in summer. You will complete the process online using your computer, complying with UC San Diego's Academic Integrity policy. 

1st Session: Saturday, May 17, 2025, 9:00 am to 12:30 pm, Pacific Time. 

2nd Session: Saturday, July 19, 2025, 6:00 pm to 9:30 pm, Pacific Time. 

(Use the Time Zone converter to mark the correct date and time on your calendar. Note that the time difference shifts after March 9, 2025 when California enters Day Light Saving.)

Who should take the WPP in May?

  • If you answer NO in the ELWR Survey, you should sign up for the May WPP. Most students sign up for this session.
  • Only when it is absolutely impossible for you to take the WPP in May will you sign up for the July date. For example, if the May WPP time is after midnight in your time zone. 

Who should take the WPP in July?

  • If you answer PENDING when you fill out the ELWR Survey for the first time, and after you receive your test or course result later in summer, you find that you do not earn enough score to fulfill the ELWR and answer NO when you fill out the ELWR Survey for the second time, you should sign up for the July WPP. 
  • This is the last remote WPP available. 

Accommodation

Please contact the Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) as early as possible. The Authorization for Accommodation (AFA) letter must be received by the AWP office three business days prior to the scheduled WPP for you to receive accommodation. 

Technical Requirements

First, you must activate your UCSD account (TritonLink Active Directory Account). You will need to use your UCSD account to enter the WPP website. 

To complete the WPP, we strongly advise you to use a desktop or laptop with reliable internet and avoid using smartphones, tablets, or other mobile devices because you will be asked to do significant amount of reading and writing. We also recommend that you use the latest version of one of the following browsers: Firefox, Google Chrome, Safari, or Microsoft Edge. Do NOT use Internet Explorer. 

The day before your scheduled WPP, you can clear your browsing history and restart your desktop or laptop to help clear out temporary files and free up computing power. The link of the WPP site will be emailed to you a few days early so you can log in to make sure you have access. 

WPP Results

You will find your writing placement results on the WPP site before the fall quarter starts. A result notification will be sent to your UCSD account. 

  • If you take the WPP in May, the results will be available by late-July.
  • If you take the WPP in July, the results will be available by mid-August, before freshmen enrollment period begins. 

You will be placed in College Writing, AWP 3, or AWP 4A-4B. 

  • If you are placed in College Writing, you will have fulfilled the ELWR and can proceed with your College Writing sequence. 
  • If you are placed in an AWP course, you must enroll in the course you are placed into during the first quarter it is offered at UC San Diego. You should take this course very seriously as you have limited quarters of eligibility to pass the course and fulfill the ELWR. Students who enroll in AWP 4A are required to enroll in AWP 4B in the subsequent quarter with the same instructor and cohort. Earning a grade of C or higher in AWP 3 or AWP 4B fulfills the ELWR. If you miss enrolling in the AWP course you are placed into while enrolling at UC San Diego, you will lose one of your quarters of eligibility. 

If you are placed in an AWP course by the WPP but later realize that you actually have an ELWR-fulfilling test score or composition course received prior to your enrollment at UC San Diego, you can submit the official score/college transcript to meet the ELWR so you do not have to take the AWP course. Visit the ELWR page for detailed instructions. 

Updated 4/17/2025

Email awp@ucsd.edu if you have any questions.

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