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Meeting Literature and Writing Requirements by Testing

For information on the Freshmen Writing Exam, see this page.

Students may potentially waive or receive credit in literature or writing courses based on test scores. To learn more about the option to waive some or all of the writing requirement with academic credit with an AP score of 3, 4, or 5, please click here.

Literature (4 hours)
General Education Requirements
Testing program SAT II AP
Test name (code) LR Lit/Comp
Score Below 660 660+ 3 4 or 5
Credit Hours Granted 0 0 2 4
Requirement Completed? No No Student Chooses** Student Chooses**
Hours needed to complete requirement 4 2 Student Chooses** Student Chooses**
Wheaton's courses normally taken to complete the requirement Any literature course except 326 or 327 Most students take ENGL 101 or 105 but any literature course(s) (including 2 hour courses) may be taken except 326 or 327 Any lit courses except 326 or 327 Most students take ENGL 101 or 105 but any literature course(s) (including 2 hr courses) may be taken except 326 or 327

** Student chooses writing or literature credit.
If literature is chosen, the student will also need to take ENGW 104.
If 4 hours of credit is granted, it may be split: student waives 2 hours of writing and receives credit for 2 hours of ENGW 104. Student also receives 2 hours of credit in literature and must take an additional 2 hours in literature, excluding 326 and 327.
Notify Registrar's Office of preference during first year at Wheaton.

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Writing Competency (4 hours)

Students should fulfill this requirement in their first year so that they will be introduced to ideas and skills that will be crucial for their progress through their liberal arts education.   All students must complete the writing requirement by the end of their sophomore year.  Since writing is a life-long skill, students are encouraged to take additional writing courses beyond Composition and Research.  Successful completion of the freshman writing requirement is a prerequisite for enrollment in any upper division writing course.

Meeting the Writing Requirement
You may satisfy the writing requirement by taking ENGW 103 (4 hours). 

You may satisfy the writing requirement by taking ENGW 104 (2 hours) if:

  1. You score a 3 on the LANGUAGE/Composition Advanced Placement.
  2. You score a 10, 11, or 12 on the SAT Essay or ACT Writing Test subscore.

Options to Waive the Requirement with Academic Credit

  1. If you score a 4 or 5 on the LANGUAGE/Composition Advanced Placement exam, you earn 4 semester hours of writing credit and have completed the writing requirement.
  2. If you score a 3 on the LANGUAGE/Composition Advanced Placement exam, you earn 2 semester hours of writing credit.  You may complete the 4-hour requirement by taking ENGW 104 (2 hours) or passing the Writing Competency Exam ($30 charge for the exam; no credit awarded) that is given during the fall semester to first-time freshmen or transfers only.  No academic credit is given for passing the exam.

Option to Waive the Requirement without Academic Credit
The Writing Competency Exam is given only during the fall semester (on a date to be announced in the Broadcaster) and is open only to freshmen and to transfer students during their first year at Wheaton.

Students must pass the first part of the exam (Grammar and Library Research Skills) to qualify to take the second part of the exam (Research Essay). Students must pass both parts of the exam to waive the writing requirement. The total cost of the exam is $30. If students do not qualify to waive the requirement, they will be placed in ENGW 103 or ENGW 104 (no credit awarded) based on their score.

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