How is the WPE Graded?
To ensure that your essay is carefully evaluated, at least two faculty members will grade it. Faculty members who grade your writing come from across the three colleges, CLA, CSM, and CNHS.Your grade is "pass" or "retake." If two readers consider it proficient, it passes. However, three graders must decide that the exam lacks proficiency to be assessed as a "retake"; so, the exam may be read as many as four times. The graders will reach their decisions without knowledge of either the writer's identity or the other graders' decisions. The evaluation is based on the criteria in the Elements of Writing Proficiency. Your essay must demonstrate that you can perform those criteria..
The WPE Rubric identifies the particular capabilities that are important in the Gen. Ed. program. The specific criteria assessed by the WPE are: to engage in critical reading and analysis; to learn in depth; to reason logically; and, to write effectively. You are not expected to have mastered them all of these capabilities completely; rather, you are expected to "demonstrate intermediate proficiency in writing." Your essay will not be graded as a "retake" merely because it contains a few spelling or punctuation errors. However, it is unlikely that you will pass the exam without demonstrating an intermediate mastery of the higher order thinking criteria outlined in the Elements of Writing Proficiency.
There is no stigma or penalty associated with retaking the WPE. You can retake it as many times as you need to pass as long as you are under 100 credits. if you have more than 75 credits then you are required to take the next available WPE and will be required to sign a learning contract.
Both the timed-essay exam and the portfolio evaluate a student's ability to work independently. Most students who take the four pathway General Education courses, and who prepare conscientiously for the timed-essay exam or the portfolio, pass on the first try.