Test Center: We're with you from start to finish!Exemptions from this requirement are granted only to students who (1) do not plan to receive a degree at Cal Poly (e.g., enrollment in a credential or certificate program) or (2) submit documentation certifying the student has passed an equivalent writing-competence exam at another CSU campus to the Test Officer for approval.
Although you may not register for the test until you become a junior (90 quarter units completed), we recommend that you take the test after you reach junior status. You must register for the GWT by the quarter following your completion of 120 quarter units. If you are a graduate student (classified or unclassified), you are advised to register for the GWT upon admission to the university. You must register for the GWT by the quarter following your completion of 8 units.
A hold will be placed on the records of all continuing students who have failed to take the GWT as required. While the students' record is on hold, registration may not be allowed, nor will transcripts be released. To have the hold removed, you must register for the next GWT in person at the Test Center before the registration deadline. Bring (Cal Poly Photo ID, California Driver's License, or California State ID).
Yes, an $18 fee is required at registration. If you have to take the GWT more than once, you must pay each time you register for the test. The fee covers cost of developing the essay question, administering the test, and scoring your paper.
The GWT is given once each quarter, including summer. Test dates are posted in the Test Center, Class Schedule, and website www.csupomona.edu/~academic/testcenter.
You may register for the GWT at any time after you earn 90 units, but there is a registration deadline for each test date. As soon as the registration period for one test date closes, you may sign up for the next scheduled test date. To register, come to the Test Center, CLA Building (98-P2-004), and be sure to bring your CAL POLY PHOTO ID, CALIFORNIA DRIVER'S LICENSE, OR CALIFORNIA STATE ID. You will complete a registration card and take it with your fee payment to the Cashier's Office. Then you will return to the Test Center to receive an admission ticket. Lost tickets will not be replaced. Test fees will not be refunded except for university-recognized emergencies that can be offically documented (serious accident, serious illness, death in family, etc.).
Your essay will be independently read by two faculty members trained in reliable essay scoring, and they will use the following set of standards.
6 |
A superior response will address itself to all aspects of the question. Though it may have occasional faults, it will be well organized, detailed, and generally well written. |
5-4 |
These scores will be useful for a well-handled paper that is weak in some aspects of the superior response; for example, it may slight one of the parts of the question; it may not be as clearly organized as the superior response; it may have some minor grammatical inconsistencies. Otherwise, the paper should be competently written. |
3 |
This score will be useful for the following kinds of paper: This score will also be useful for papers that are developed with some specificity and detail but are marred by more than a few minor grammatical inconsistencies. |
2 |
This score is to be used for papers that exhibit serious weaknesses in structure, syntax, diction, and/or development. |
1 |
This score is to be used for papers that show very little understanding of the question or suggest incompetence in structure, syntax, and diction. |
The highest score possible is 12 (a score of 6 from each reader), and the lowest possible score is 2. To pass the GWT, you must receive a total score of 7 or higher. Please see the GWT Study Guide for an explanation of the scoring criteria and sample passing and failing essays.
Yes, you may request a copy of your essay at the Test Center any time during the four-week period after test results are posted. No corrective marks or notes will be made on your paper, because the holistic scoring model used by the readers does not permit marking the essay. Essay books will be held in storage for one year and then destroyed.
If your disability would in any way affect your ability to test under normal conditions, the Test Center, in consultation with the Disability Resource Center (DRC), will arrange for special test conditions. Register in person at the Test Center for the available test date. Please note that accommodations are not provided on Saturday. To receive accommodations, you must notify the Disability Resource Center at (909) 869-3333 no later than the registration deadline. Click website link www.dsa.csupomona.edu/drc for additional information.
If your religious convictions prevent you from taking the GWT on the scheduled test dates, you must request special arrangements by providing a letter on official letterhead from an appropriate religious authority to the Test Officer.
Each campus has its own method of assessing writing competence. If you pass the GWT and then transfer to another CSU campus, you will not have to meet the writing requirement at that campus. Cal Poly will not accept any certification of writing competence isssued by another campus unless documentation is submitted and approved by Test Officer.
Your score will be available on Bronco Direct (view test summary) four weeks from the date of the test.
