Dutton Hall

Fulfilling ELWR before UC Davis

Fulfilling ELWR prior to enrolling in classes at UC Davis

Prior to enrolling in classes at UC Davis, students can fulfill the Entry Level Writing Requirement (ELWR) in several different ways explained below.

All of these ways of fulfilling ELWR before enrolling in classes at UC Davis involve a process that takes time to be completed. Students should follow these steps to make sure their scores or transferable course credit are properly documented:

  1. Request that official scores/transcripts be reported to Admissions by the organization involved with your ELWR fulfilling event (College Board, the college where you took a course, etc.). 
  2. Wait for Admissions to process those official scores or transcripts once they are received. Processing time varies depending upon when the scores are reported to Admissions. The sooner the scores are reported, the faster ELWR status will be updated.
  3. Check student records in Oasis to determine if official scores have been reported, received, and processed by Admissions. You can view your ELWR status on OASIS > Academic Record > Exams & Events. 

Note: Students become ELWR fulfilled before enrollment at UC Davis only once the OASIS record lists them as ELWR fulfilled. If OASIS lists a student as ELWR required but the student expected to see that they had fulfilled ELWR via a score or transferable course credit, the student should check that their official score/transcript was sent (by College Board, etc.) and received (by checking OASIS). The Entry Level Writing office does not receive or process official scores or transcripts.

UC Davis Writing Placement Survey

Incoming students can satisfy the Entry Level Writing Requirement (ELWR) by receiving a placement in the English Composition Pathway (PATH4) on the UC Davis Writing Placement Survey

Standardized test scores (SAT, ACT)

The following standardized test scores fulfill the ELWR used for admissions:

  • 30 or better on the ACT, English Language Arts; or
  • 63 or better on the ACT English exam + the ACT Reading exam; or
  • 680 or better on the SAT, Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (beginning with Fall 2018 admits)*

*UC is accepting a score of 680 or better on the SAT, Evidenced-Based Reading and Writing to satisfy the Entry Level Writing Requirement on a pilot basis, beginning with new students entering the UC in Fall 2018. The pilot will remain in effect until a new policy is adopted by the Academic Senate.

Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) test scores

The following Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) test scores fulfill the ELWR:

  • 3 or above on either Advanced Placement Examination in English (Language and Composition or Literature and Composition); or
  • 3 or above on Advanced Placement Seminar exam; or
  • 3 or above on Advanced Placement Research; or
  • 5 or above on an International Baccalaureate Higher Level English A: Literature exam (formerly known as Higher Level English A1 exam); or
  • 6 or above on an International Baccalaureate Standard Level English A: Literature exam (formerly known as Standard Level English A1 exam); or
  • 5 or above on an International Baccalaureate Higher Level English A: Language and Literature exam; or
  • 6 or above on an International Baccalaureate Standard Level English A: Language and Literature exam

Transferable Courses

Credit earned before entering UCD can be transferred to fulfill the ELWR if there is a grade of C or higher in an acceptable 3 semester-unit or 4 quarter-unit English composition course. If you are transferring credit from a California community college, the course must be listed in Area UC-E under "UC Transfer Admission Eligibility Courses" on http://www.assist.org/ and must be completed before you enter into UCD. English composition courses completed at both in-state and out of-state institutions are evaluated by Admissions for ELWR fulfillment.