Writing Proficiency Exam Information for Transfer Students •
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Passing the Writing Proficiency Exam is a Hofstra University graduation requirement. It is an essay examination intended to ensure that Hofstra students display competence as writers, no matter what their majors are or how many writing courses they have taken at other universities. During the exam you will have two hours to compose a focused and well-‐organized essay (based on two essays on a common topic) that develops your point and incorporates specific references to both authors’ viewpoints as support. Successful essays have an explicit thesis developed through coherent paragraphs that support assertions with quotations from both readings. While your essay should include enough context to enable your readers to follow your points, it should not merely summarize the articles nor should it be a personal narrative. You are making an original argument using support from both of the readings. The essay will be graded on how well you express your argument and support your assertions with evidence from the text. Faculty will evaluate your exam according to the following criteria: o A clear thesis (statement of your position on a key point raised by one or both of the articles) o Coherent paragraphs (each organized around a central idea) that support your thesis o Sufficient evidence to develop those individual paragraphs o Logical organization and coherent flow of ideas o Coherent sentences using a variety of sentence structures o Language (words and sentences, punctuation and grammar) that furthers, rather than interferes with, the reader’s understanding
All transfer students receive an email from the Writing Studies and Composition Department notifying them of the exam given in the Mack Student Center Theater (North Campus) in the fall and spring semesters. The information is also posted on the Hofstra portal (My.Hofstra.edu). There is no need to register for the exam. The exam will be administered at the following times over a two-‐day period: 10 a.m., 2 p.m., and 6 p.m. (thus ensuring no conflict with classes). Students who fail the Writing Proficiency Exam will be instructed to take WSC 002A, a one-‐credit writing workshop. If you have any questions or need further information, please call Eileen Greco at 516-‐463-‐5252. Please note: If you will be taking WSC 002 at Hofstra, you will take the Writing Proficiency Exam at the end of that semester.
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