GWE Testing Tips
Student Engagement and Academic Success
Materials
• Required
• Port Pass
• Admission ticket
• Pen or pencil
• Provided
• Bluebook
• Optional (Recommended)
• Dictionary
• Thesaurus
Scoring
• 60 minutes to read and respond to an article
• Papers are read independently by two readers
• Readers score between 1 and 6
• 4 or higher passes
• 3 or lower fails; one retake allowed
• Blind and combined scoring
• Receive scores in 4-6 weeks
Criteria
• Competent use of language
• Expresses ideas clearly
• Demonstrates basic competency in grammar, diction, usage,
sentence structure, punctuation, and spelling
• Adequate organization
• Uses correct paragraph form
• Smooth transitions between paragraphs
• Adequate Development
• Adequately addresses the topic and utilizes the prompt questions
• Focuses on issues relevant to the assignment
• Supports generalizations
Reading THE ARTICLE
• Read the prompt completely first
• Underline directly relative information
• Focus on/return to key words and phrases
• Glance back to text while writing to stay on-topic
Reading the prompt
Analyze
Divide the subject into its component parts and explain how each part
relates to the whole
Compare/Contrast
Identify the similarities and/or differences between two subjects
and explain why they are or are not alike
Define
Tell what the subject is by differentiating it from other closely
related subjects (similarly, tell the reader what the subject is not)
Describe
Paint a word picture using sensory details (e.g., sight, smell, taste)
Reading the prompt
Discuss
Literally, “talk about” the subject, creating a precise thesis and
supporting claims with evidence/details
Evaluate
Use relevant criteria to judge the value or worth of the subject
Explain
“Show” or clarify; establish connections; tell why, how, or what
Identify
Distinguish and list the various parts of the subject
Reading the prompt
Illustrate
Explain by example and provide details
Interpret
Share your personal understanding of the subject, explaining the
significance of the idea, event, or process in order to explain its meaning
Summarize
Explain the subject briefly in your own words, demonstrating your
command of certain facts or ideas
WRITING
• Plan your essay – don’t just start writing!
• Follow a simple structure:
•
•
•
•
•
Topic sentence: Asks question/makes general statement
Previews: Subtopics (for body paragraphs)
Thesis statement: Clearly-stated claim or central idea
Body paragraphs: Subtopics, specific supporting details
Conclusion: Restatement of thesis, summary
• Subdivide your main topic into component parts
EXERCISE #1
Identify the topic sentence, previews, and thesis statement below:
Prompt: Create a short essay illustrating significant differences between
writing in high school and college. Evaluate whether the writing taught
in high school is sufficient for college-level coursework.
Response: Many students make rough transitions from the types of
writing they did in their high school classes to writing for college.
College writing tasks often disallow anything but third-person
perspective and active voice, topics are more controversial, and
professors’ research expectations are greater than those of high school
teachers. Therefore, in order to prepare their students for the rigors of
college writing, high school English teachers should teach the kinds of
advanced writing expected of college students.
Exercise #2
• Imagine the prompt addresses the topic of impacts
made to society by artists and scientists.
• You are to compare and evaluate which is more valued.
• How might you subdivide the topic?
Contributors
Contributions
Pros/Cons
Evaluation
Artists
Graphic/visual arts, music, sculpture,
poetry, acting/theatre, literature
Inspires,
subjective
?
Scientists
Medicine, more and better consumer
products, exploration, warfare
Objective,
controversial
?
Revising
• Have you answered all questions completely?
• Return to and refine unclear or rough areas.
• Avoid using unfamiliar vocabulary.
• Words/Phrases which sound good, but you are uncertain
of their meaning or appropriate usage
• Add whatever supporting details might be missing.
• Carefully proofread sentence-by-sentence, checking
for misspellings and grammatical errors.
CONCLUSION
Thank you for attending our workshop!
Please feel free to ask questions, offer feedback, and share
your own helpful tips with us at this time.