ELWR

All undergraduate students in the University of California system need to meet the Entry-Level Writing Requirement (ELWR). ELWR has taken many forms over the decades it has existed, including a placement exam. At UCSC, ELWR is a support system that makes sure that all students are prepared for their college writing careers.

ALL incoming UCSC students must complete the DSP, regardless of ELWR status. UCSC students should NOT take the Analytical Writing Placement Exam (AWPE) to meet ELWR. Read FAQs about testing.

This is five cartoon hands, of different colors, each holding the other one by the wrist.

More than half of  UCSC students meet the ELWR requirement by taking Writing 1 or Writing 1E (after College 1). Some students also take multilingual courses (Writing 25 and/or Writing 26) prior to meeting the ELWR requirement by taking Writing 1 or Writing 1E. A handful of students meet the ELWR requirement by taking a college course somewhere other than UCSC. (For more details, see Pathways.)

There are also some students who arrive at UCSC having already met the ELWR. (These students are sometimes referred to as “ELWR-satisfied.”) These students meet ELWR by having certain scores on standardized tests (these scores are also at the bottom of this page), and these students go straight from College 1 to Writing 2.  These test scores are determined by the University of California (not by UCSC). (For more details, see Pathways.)

The Writing Program at UCSC recognizes standardized tests are often not equitable. Many students do not have the opportunity to obtain these scores (if they did not have opportunities to take AP courses or tests, for example). This is an equity issue, and at this time, if you have the test scores to satisfy ELWR, you cannot take Writing 1 or 1E.

Note that Writing 1 and Writing 1E are NOT remedial courses. In fact, UCSC requires comparatively less writing than many universities, which often require two quarters – if not two semesters – of writing courses for all students. (For example, Stanford requires all students to take two semesters of writing with no test-out options.)

As noted on the UC ELWR site, here are the scores that meet the ELWR requirement, meaning a student goes directly to Writing 2:

    • Score 30 or better on ACT English Language Arts, or 63 or better on ACT English + Reading.
    • Score 680 or higher on the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing section of the SAT. Please note: The digital SAT Reading and Writing section score has not been approved to meet the ELWR.
    • Score 3 or higher on the College Board Advanced Placement Examination in English (Language or Literature).
    • Score of 3 or higher on the College Board Advanced Placement assessment in Research.
    • Score 3 or higher on the College Board Advanced Placement Examination in Seminar.
    • Score 5 or higher on an International Baccalaureate Higher Level Examination in English (Language A only) or 6 or higher on a Standard Level Examination in English (Language A only).
    • Complete with a grade of C or better a UC-transferable college course in English composition (worth 4 quarter or 3 semester units) prior to UC matriculation

NEXT: You can browse Writing Program courses, pathways, or FAQs.