Welcome to the NEW Online format for the English Composition Assessment for incoming AU students. Students are placed in English Composition classes by standardized test scores (either the ACT or SAT) and the student's high school GPA. The English Assessment is designed to make sure incoming students are placed in the correct English Composition course to ensure student success throughout college.
Students will be prompted to take the Online English Assessment after they receive their user name and student ID number in the mail from the Academic Advising Office the week of June 16th. This letter will contain your AU email account username (which will serve as your login) and your new password which will be your student ID/Eaglecard number preceded by 'au-', for example: If your student ID/Eaglecard ID is 0012345, your new email password will be au-0012345.
English Composition Assessment: Purpose & Evaluation
This writing will not be graded, but it will be used to confirm or adjust your placement in English Composition courses. The committee that will read it looks at your ideas, examples, and organization in addition to your punctuation, grammar, usage, and spelling. This essay will also be the first writing of yours that your English instructor sees, so do your best work. A well-written essay will explore both the meaning of the quotation and your response to it, using specific, concrete details and examples to support your ideas. The well-written essay will also be clearly organized with well-structured paragraphs and clear sentences. It will have been carefully edited and proofread.
The English Composition Assessment
For the English Assessment, you will be instructed to select one of two quotes (writing prompts) and write an essay with a minimum of 500 words. Your essay should be organized and developed to explain both the meaning of the quotation and your response to it, using specific, concrete details, and examples to support your ideas. These ideas must be your original thoughts; no outside resources! Once you enter the English Composition Assessment, you will have 72 hours to complete your essay and submit your writing sample for review.
Instructions
- Log in to the Writing Assessment program with your username and password
- Select one writing prompt out of the two provided
- Open a Microsoft Word document or other word processing application
- Type your essay (minimum of 500 words)
- Save your essay for your records
- When finished, log back in to the Writing Assessment program
- Copy & paste your essay into the textbox provided
- When you are ready, click the "Finished, Submit My Essay" button
Prewriting: Once you have selected a quote, take some time to think about the topic before you begin writing. You may want to make some notes about the meanings and implications of what seem to be the crucial words in the quotation. You may also want to make an outline of your ideas.
Writing: Using the ideas and examples that seem useful, begin drafting your essay. Your essay should develop the quotation, not merely restate it. Remember to use specific examples to explain your ideas.
Editing: Re-read your essay for content and clarity.
Integrity Guidelines
This placement essay will represent my own work and no one else's. I will not consult with an outside person, such as a parent, sibling, or friend, nor will I have anyone edit or proofread this essay. I understand that the purpose of this essay is to verify my placement in the appropriate composition course at Ashland University. An essay that is better than I am able to write myself will result in my being placed in course that is probably too difficult, where I will most likely receive a poor grade.
Questions: Please contact the Office of Orientation at 419-289-5312