Ask any upperclassman on campus about the WPE, and you will receive a slew of tips and techniques on how to pass. Personally I have heard, “Write in small, simple sentences. That way it won’t show if you don’t know how to use punctuation properly,” and “Make sure you don’t write tiny, worthless sentences. You will lead the grader to believe you are a horrible writer.” What are you supposed to do?

Should you keep your writing in its most basic form or try to conjugate a complex labyrinth of gerunds, adverbs, and semicolons? What even is the WPE and why do you have to take it?

The WPE is the Writing Proficiency Exam. This test will ensure your writing skills are at the appropriate level for you to go into the world to find, and most importantly keep, a job. Every student who has accumulated at least 57 credits must take it and pass to graduate. What is one way to prepare for such an important test? You can come to one of the WPE seminars hosted by the Center for Learning Resources. All of the seminars are free and no appointment is required, although appreciated for preparation purposes. In these workshops you will learn what to expect during the WPE, receive materials you can use to practice, and learn a few hot tips that can help you along the way. At the end of the seminar, you will have a chance to ask any unanswered questions. If a seminar is not your style, you can make an appointment with a Writing Lab tutor to discuss any problems or concerns you may have.

If you wish to discuss a past WPE test that you have taken and did not pass, an appointment is needed. The CLR keeps all failed tests on file, allowing you to come in and learn how to avoid repeating the mistakes. Make sure to schedule an appointment early, as our tutoring schedule usually fills up early the weeks before the exams are given. Make sure you do not miss out on any of these excellent and FREE opportunities.

WPE
Seminar Schedule

Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2010    2:00 PM – 3:00 PM    CLR – Maxcy 108    Guido
Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2010    6:00 PM – 7:00 PM    CLR – Maxcy 108    Guido
Friday, Feb. 12, 2010    10:30 AM – 11:30 AM    CLR – Maxcy 108    Martin
Saturday, Feb. 13, 2010    11:00 AM – 12:00 PM    CLR – Maxcy 108    Wu York
Monday, Feb. 15, 2010    6:30 PM – 7:30 PM    CLR – Maxcy 108    Martin
Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2010    12:00 PM – 1:00 PM    CLR – Maxcy 108    Wu York
Thursday, Feb. 18, 2010    7:00 PM – 8:00 PM    CLR – Maxcy 108    Lubrano

WPE Exam Dates:
Friday, Feb. 19   2:00    4:00PM    Kaplan
Friday, Feb. 19   7:00    9:00PM    Kaplan
Saturday, Feb. 20  9:00    11:00PM    Kaplan