Berkeley Writing Assessment: Exams

Will my Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) course I completed in high school satisfy the Entry Level Writing Requirement if I haven't taken the exam?

No, an AP or IB course alone will not satisfy the ELWR. You must have an acceptable score on these exams to meet the ELWR. You can view acceptable exam scores on the University of California ELWR website.

Can I use my Smarter Balanced score to satisfy ELWR?

No. The Smarter Balanced score is used by some campuses as an additional piece of information for placement into courses. UC Berkeley does not currently use the Smarter Balanced Assessment.

Can I use scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), or Duolingo English Test (DET) to satisfy the ELWR?

No, not for the Entry Level Writing Requirement. TOEFL, IELTS, or DET scores may be used to demonstrate English language proficiency, but are not acceptable for the ELWR.

You can see which exams may be used to satisfy the ELWR on the UC ELWR website.

I am waiting on an AP or IB score - why should I consider taking the Assessment in May?

If you are interested in enrolling in an Reading and Composition course during the fall semester, then satisfaction of Entry Level Writing must be confirmed before the start of enrollment in mid-July. It may be to your advantage to take the Assessment in the annual May date as a back up in case you do not receive the minimum score needed on your AP or IB exam.

If you decide not to take the Assessment in May, and you do not receive a qualifying AP or IB exam score, you can still take a make-up Assessment during the fall or spring semester...

How and where do I send my exam scores to satisfy the Entry Level Writing Requirement (ELWR)?

If you intend to use an exam score to satisfy the ELWR, you must request that your official scores be sent to Berkeley via the testing agency's website as soon as all of your scores are available to make sure they're received in time. Be sure to use the college code 0444 for the ACT and 4833 for the SAT.

I am confused about ACT Scores. How do they count?

On the ELWR webpage, it says the following: “Score 30 or better on ACT English Language Arts, or 63 or better on ACT English + Reading” in order to satisfy the ELWR. But in the next section, it also says that “The ACT English alone will not fulfill the ELWR.” What does that mean?

There are two types of ACT scores: a score on English Language Arts (ELA) which is given if you complete the optional Writing test; and another score on English + Reading if you do not complete the optional Writing test.

If you have an ELA score, you will need a 30 or better to meet the ELWR.

If you have an English + Reading score, you will need a combined score (a sum of the English and Reading scores) of 63 or better to meet the ELWR. The combined score must be from a single sitting, in other words, from the same exam. You cannot combine scores from multiple exam...

Is the digital SAT approved to meet the Entry Level Writing Requirement (ELWR)?

No, unfortunately the digital SAT has not yet been approved to meet the Entry Level Writing Requirement (ELWR).