Writing Skills Assessment

All applicants* to the Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration are required to take the Writing Skills Assessment (WSA) to be considered for admission to the Milgard School of Business. The WSA must be completed by the application deadline of the quarter admission is sought. The assessment, which is used at the three campuses of the University of Washington, evaluates communication and critical thinking skills. The ability to communicate ideas clearly and concisely in writing is a key skill for success in college and your career.

*Effective Autumn 2011, international applicants with an F-1 Student Visa have the option to submit Proof of English Proficiency in lieu of taking the WSA. Applicants can opt to take the WSA (or submit scores from both the TOEFL and WSA).

Registration

If you are registering for an assessment date on the Tacoma campus, please register online here.

If you are registering for an assessment date on either the Foster School of Business at UW Seattle or the Business Program at UW Bothell, please contact them directly for registration information.

If you are registering for an Out-Of-State Assessment, please fill out the Out-of-State Registration Form and send with the appropriate fee to the address listed on the form.

Key Information

• You must pre-pay to confirm your registration for a Writing Skills Assessment session.

• You will be notified of your assessment results with your admission decision letter.

• Double check that you have typed your e-mail address accurately on the registration form. Your assessment confirmation and electronic receipt are sent to that address.

• Submit your registration electronically and pay in one of the following ways:
  • Pay online with Visa/MasterCard/Discover via PayPal on the registration confirmation page (preferred method)
  • Pay in advance with cash, check, or credit card at the UW Tacoma cashier's office in MAT 354N.
  • Receipt must be delivered to WSA Coordinator in Dougan 401 prior to assessment date to confirm your registration.

• The Writing Skills Assessment can only be taken once per application period. 

• Tools to prepare for the WSA

Please note: Payment will not be accepted at the exam, and the cashier is not open on Saturday.

Forms and Examples

• Out-of-State WSA Registration Form
• WSA Information Sheet (describes the WSA and gives examples)

  Writing Skills Assessment Contact
  If you have questions about the WSA, please e-mail uwtwsa@uw.edu

Cost and Payment

There is a NON-REFUNDABLE $35.00 fee to register for the assessment.

Submit your registration electronically and pay in one of the following ways:

• Pay online with Visa/MasterCard/Discover via PayPal on the registration confirmation page (preferred method)
• Pay in advance with cash, check, or credit card at the UW Tacoma cashier's office in MAT 354N. Receipt must be delivered to WSA Coordinator in Dougan 401 prior to the assessment date to confrim your registration.

Please note: Payment will not be accepted at the exam, and the cashier is not open on Saturday.

Writing Skills Assessment correspondence may be sent to the following address:

Milgard School of Business
ATTN: WSA Registration
1900 Commerce Street, Box 358420
Tacoma, WA 98402-3100

Please include your name and assessment date on any paperwork submitted.

Double check that you have typed your e-mail address accurately on the registration form. Your assessment confirmation and electronic receipt are sent to that address.

We do not confirm your registration if you have not paid in advance. If you decide not to attend the assessment, the assessment fee will NOT be refunded.

Refund Policy

The $35.00 assessment fee is NON-REFUNDABLE. If you register and cannot attend, you may send a request via e-mail to uwtwsa@uw.edu 72 hours prior to your confirmed assessment date to reschedule. The new date must be within two months of your original date, and you may only reschedule once. No refund will be issued if you choose not to reschedule or test on the UW Tacoma campus.

Assessment Format

The assessment lasts for 90 minutes. During that time you are required to plan and write two essays: one based on a statement (called the "Position Task") and one based on a short workplace scenario (called the "Persuasion Task"). No special business knowledge is required or expected for either writing task.

The assessment is given in a proctored setting in which no dictionaries or calculators are allowed. Communication specialists score each of the essays on a six-point scale, and the results are averaged. Evaluation is based on the degree to which each essay:

• addresses the writing task effectively and insightfully, and where appropriate, provides a well-reasoned solution that displays analysis of data (numerical or verbal);
• is well organized, with a clear overall strategy;
• is fully developed, with pertinent support for ideas presented;
• is appropriate in style and tone for the intended reader; and
• displays consistent facility with written English (grammar, syntax, vocabulary, punctuation, and spelling).

Schedule and Voiding Policy

The Writing Skills Assessment can only be taken once per application period.

Students may void their WSA by choosing not to have the assessment scored and registering to take it again. The details of the Void Policy are as follows:

• Students will be allowed to void the WSA only once per academic year.
• Students may NOT void only one part of the two-part test, voiding will apply to both the Persuasion and Position tasks.
• Once the assessment is voided, it will not be scored and cannot be used for admission purposes.
• Students who void their first assessment will NOT receive a refund and will have to pay the full registration fee again for their next assessment.
• Students will have to declare their intent to void the WSA before they depart the room in which the assessment was proctored. They can do so at the time the written tasks are collected.

[top]