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First Year Writing Placement: Students below the state cut scores on the SAT or ACT English sections (or students that have no ACT or SAT scores on record) may place with the First Year Writing (FYW) placement. All students that complete the First Year Writing placement will be eligible for a college-level First Year Writing course.
Questions regarding FYW placement? Please reach out to the English department at [email protected]. Please use your MSU Denver email and include your student ID number (900 number).
Testing at home for English placement:
The MSU Denver English Department allows students to complete the First Year Writing placement at home.
To request the First Year Writing Assessment to complete at home please fill out the form available at this link: Request First Year Writing Placement.
Testing on campus for English placement:
First Year Writing placements are available on campus in Tivoli Room 347. Drop-in testing is available Monday through Friday from 9am to 3pm. Please bring a photo ID and your student ID number.
Do I need to take a placement test for First Year Writing?
Students with SAT or ACT scores over State of Colorado requirements may enroll directly into English 1010. The required SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing Section Score is 470 or higher. The required ACT English Subject score is 18 or higher. Students with ACT or SAT sub-scores below these scores should complete the First Year Writing placement. See this link for for instructions on how to find your ACT or SAT scores in the student hub.
ACT and SAT scores are valid for five years. Students with expired ACT or SAT scores or no ACT or SAT scores should complete the First Year Writing placement.
Transfer Students or Students with Previous College-level English Credit:
Students must transfer completed courses equivalent to ENG 1010 (or prerequisite ENG courses) from other institutions to MSU Denver. This includes completed classes from other colleges, Concurrent Enrollment credit completed while in High School, CLEP credit, AP credit, etc. Consult with Transfer Services for details on this process. Consult with an Academic Advisor for placement options based on transfer credit.
FYW Placement Process:
The MSU Denver English Department offers college-level, credit-bearing First Year Writing courses for all admitted students regardless of standardized test scores. English Department faculty will determine placement based on the First Year Writing (FYW) placement, a writing sample that English faculty will personally review.
There is no time limit for the writing sample, though the average time is under 60 minutes. The placement requires no outside resources or references. Once scored, the English Department will contact students via email regarding placement based on the writing sample. Students must respond to the email message in order to register. For questions please contact the English Department.
New, first-time freshman students: Please complete the FYW placement prior to attending New Student Orientation!