The English Placement Exam is an essay and reading comprehension test designed to place students at their appropriate level in their first-year Writing courses at CCA. All students are required to take the English Placement Exam prior to their first semester at the college unless they meet one of the following criteria:

SAT

  • Students who received SAT scores of 440 or below on either the critical reading or writing sections of the SAT: these students will be registered directly into the Writing Skills Workshop (WSW).
  • Students who received SAT scores of 450 or above on both the critical reading and writing sections of the SAT: these students will be registered directly into Writing 1.
  • Students who received SAT scores of 620 or above on both the critical reading and writing sections of the SAT: these students will be registered directly into Writing 2. Students placing into Writing 2 in this manner will not receive academic credit for waiving Writing 1; they must take an additional 3 units of Humanities and Science Electives to earn the 3 units that comprise their Writing 1 waiver.

ACT

  • Students who received ACT scores of 17 or below on either the reading or English sections of the ACT: these students will be registered directly into the Writing Skills Workshop (WSW).
  • Students who received ACT scores between 18 and 26 on the reading and English sections alike of the ACT: these students will be registered directly into Writing 1.
  • Students who received ACT scores of 27 or above on both the reading and English sections of the ACT: these students will be registered directly into Writing 2. Students placing into Writing 2 in this manner will not receive academic credit for waiving Writing 1; they must take an additional 3 units of Humanities and Science Electives to earn the 3 units that comprise their Writing 1 waiver.

English Placement Criteria

  • SAT less than 440 (critical reading or writing); Or ACT less than 17 (reading or English): Writing Skills Workshop

  • SAT 450+ (critical reading and writing); ACT = 18–26 (reading and English); standard-level 1B English = 4+; Or higher-level 1B English (language A) = 3+: Writing 1

  • SAT = 620+ (critical reading and writing); ACT = 27+ (reading and English); standard-level 1B English = 6; Or higher-level 1B English (language A) = 4+: Writing 2

Advanced Placement (AP) Exams

Students who scored 3 or higher on the Advanced Placement exam in either English Language or English Literature earn 3 units of transfer credit for Writing 1.

Students who scored 3 or higher on both Advanced Placement exams (English Language and English Literature) earn 3 units of transfer credit for Writing 1 and 3 units of transfer credit for Writing 2.

Official AP scores must be sent directly to CCA for credit to be transferred.

International Baccalaureate (IB) & English Placement

Students will be placed directly into Writing 1 without having to take the CCA English Placement Exam if their IB scores are:

  • Standard-Level IB English Exam = 4 or higher
  • Higher-Level IB English Exam (Language A) = 3 or higher

Students will receive transfer credit for Writing 1 and be placed directly into Writing 2 if their IB scores are:

  • Standard-Level IB English Exam = 6
  • Higher-Level IB English Exam (Language A) = 4 or higher

Transfer Students

  • Transfer students must provide evidence of their completion of the equivalent to Writing 1 or 2 through an official college transcript in order to waive the English requirement and/or English Placement Exam.
  • Transfer students not possessing transferable Writing 1 or 2 coursework will be required to take the English Placement Exam.
    Transfer students placing directly into Writing 2 as a result of the English Placement Exam will not receive academic credit for Humanities and Science Electives to earn the 3 units that comprise their Writing 1 waiver.

English Placement Exam results will be reviewed by CCA Writing and Literature faculty, after which students will be placed into one of the following four categories:

  • Writing Skills Workshop – ESL (for international students)
  • Writing Skills Workshop
  • Writing 1
  • Writing 2

Writing Skills Workshop

Students who place into either the Writing Skills Workshop – ESL (WSW-ESL) or the Writing Skills Workshop (WSW) will be restricted to a 12-unit course load. Students who place into wither WSW but do not register for the course in their first semester at CCA will have a hold placed on their registration for the following term. The hold will not be removed until the student enrolls in the correct WSW section or meets one of the following criteria:

  • By passing the English Placement Exam (which is held during Orientation prior to the start of every semester)
  • By recommendation of a WSW instructor who feels the student is ready to advance to Writing 1 (two additional Writing and Literature faculty members must also review and approve the student's advancement to Writing 1
  • By seeking tutoring or courses outside of CCA to improve their reading and writing skills in lieu of taking WSW. (Theses students must get prior approval from the Chair of the Writing and Literature department and must pass the English Placement Exam by the end of their second semester at CCA.)

Exam Grading

Grading for the WSW is on a Pass/Not Pass basis. A maximum of 3 units from WSW may be applied toward the BA, BFA, or BArch degree requirements: these units do not count toward the required units necessary in Writing, but can be counted as Humanities and Science Elective units.

Students who pass the Writing Skills Workshop may then advance to register for Writing. Students who do not pass must repeat the course in the following semester. Students are given one additional opportunity to pass Writing Skills Workshop. Students who do not pass the Writing Skills Workshop a second time are subject to dismissal from the college.

Students who do not pass the Writing Skills Workshop a second time may appeal directly to the program coordinator for Humanities and Sciences to be permitted to take WSW for a third time. If approved, the program coordinator for Humanities and Sciences will notify the Student Records Office of this decision. Students will not be permitted to take Writing Skills Workshop for a fourth time under any circumstances.

Students who place into and register for a Writing Skills Workshop section cannot drop Writing Skills Workshop without the written authorization of the director of International Student Affairs. This written authorization should be obtained by having the director sign a Drop Form, which is then submitted to the Student Records Office.

Share This Page