Skip to main content
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 facilitate your learning. 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. First, you will be asked to complete the Writing Background Reflection, which is a survey to help you reflect on your high school writing experiences. In the next two parts, you will write about two short readings—one chosen by the Analytical Writing Program and one chosen by your College Writing Program. Last, you will learn about the expectations of different writing courses and then 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

The 2025 ELWR Survey on the Applicant Portal is now closed. If you have not reported your ELWR status, fill out this form immediately. (Access with your UCSD credentials.) 

All incoming first-year students must complete an Entry Level Writing Requirement (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 a few days before your scheduled WPP. 

WPP Dates

We typically 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. Students who could not complete the WPP remotely must do it in-person at the UC San Diego Triton Testing Center (TTC) Computer-Based Testing Facility (CBTF) in August or September. 

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

2nd Remote Session: Saturday, May 31, 2025, 9:00 am to 12:30 pm, Pacific Time. 

3rd Remote Session: Saturday, July 19, 2025, 6:00 pm to 9:30 pm, Pacific Time. 

In-person Sessions at the TTC: August 4, 2025 to September 23, 2025. 

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. 

Who should take the WPP in July?

  • If you answered PENDING when you filled out the ELWR Survey for the first time, and later received scores or grades that do not fulfill the ELWR, then answer NO when you fill out the ELWR Survey for the second time so you can sign up for the July WPP. 
  • The July WPP is the last remote session available. 

How to schedule an in-person WPP session with the TTC? 

  • To request an in-person WPP, email awp@ucsd.edu. You will receive detailed instructions to schedule an in-person session with the TTC by yourself on the PraireTest portal.  

Technical Requirements for Remote WPP Sessions

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

WPP requires significant amount of reading and writing, so we strongly advise you to use a desktop or laptop with a keyboard and with reliable internet and avoid using smartphones, tablets, or other mobile devices. 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 your UCSD account the afternoon before your scheduled WPP date so you can log in to make sure you have access. 

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 at least three business days prior to the scheduled WPP for you to receive accommodation. 

WPP Results Release Schedule

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 mid-July.
  • If you take the WPP in July, the results will be available by mid-August, before the freshmen enrollment period begins. 
  • If you take the WPP in August or September, the results will be available before the first day of class. 

Writing Placement Challenge Exam

If you took the remote WPP in May or July, and if you are not satisfied with your writing placement and would like us consider changing your placement, you must take a 45-minute Writing Placement Challenge Exam in person at the UC San Diego Triton Testing Center before the fall quarter starts. We will not accept placement challenge requests after the first day of class. Note that your Challenge Exam result will overwrite your WPP result, which means that your Challenge Exam result will be final.

If you take the WPP in-person at the Triton Testing Center, your WPP result is final and you cannot take the Challenge Exam. 

Contact awp@ucsd.edu to request a Challenge Exam. 

Writing Course Enrollment

Writing Course Options

The Writing Placement Process will place you in one of the three course options: 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. Please contact your college academic advisors for enrollment questions, including preauthorization requests. 

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. 

  • If you are placed in AWP 3: You must enroll in the course in Fall 2025. We strongly advise students not to enroll in more than 16 units in total when they are taking AWP 3.
  • If you are placed in AWP 4A-4B: We do not offer AWP 4A in Fall 2025. You must plan to enroll in AWP 4A in Winter 2026 and AWP 4B in Spring 2026. 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.
  • You have limited quarters of eligibility to pass the course and fulfill the ELWR, so it is important to take this requirement seriously. If you do not enroll in the AWP course you are placed into during the first quarter it is offered, you will lose one of your quarters of eligibility. 

Freshmen Enrollment Period

If you have received your placement result before your enrollment period starts, you can enroll in the AWP course you are placed into in your second pass. 

If you plan to take the WPP in late August or in September, you most likely will not be able to enroll in any writing courses during the enrollment period, but you can enroll in other courses at the time. After you complete the WPP and receive your placement result, you can then enroll in the writing course you are placed into and adjust your class schedule if needed. We have saved 114 seats in AWP 3 Monday/Wednesday sections so you won't miss any classes if you are placed in AWP 3. 

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 score submission page for detailed instructions. 

Updated 08/20/2025

Email awp@ucsd.edu from your UCSD account if you have any questions.

Contact Us