Writing Sample Placement Test (WSPT)
The WSPT is a 90-minute essay test. The essay should have an introduction, a body of paragraphs supporting the thesis statement, and a conclusion.
The writing will be evaluated for organization and development, word choice, sentence structure, spelling, punctuation and grammar. You are expected to write a 400-500 word expository essay in response to a question concerning basic human rights, television or education.
All entering undergraduate students, with or without transfer credit for freshman composition, must complete and pass Old Dominion University’s Writing Sample Placement Test (WSPT) on-line via Blackboard* before attending orientation. For freshmen, the WSPT must be completed on-line no later than 12 noon, 3 weeks prior to the confirmed orientation date. For transfer students, the WSPT must be completed on-line no later than 12 noon, 1 day prior to the confirmed orientation date.
The WSPT is not offered during the Orientation/PREVIEW program; therefore, it is very important that you follow the testing instructions. Further instructions will be included in the PREVIEW Confirmation Packet. You must register for PREVIEW and activate your MIDAS ID and email account in order to login to Blackboard. Once you complete these steps, please allow two business days for your Blackboard and placement test access to be updated before you attempt to login. If you register for Orientation/PREVIEW on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday, then please wait until Tuesday before you attempt to login to Blackboard.
Do not wait until the last minute to take the WSPT! You will receive an e-mail reminder about this process. Be sure that your e-mail address is accurate when making your PREVIEW reservation.
Practice writing tests are not available.
*The Blackboard Learning System helps professors and students enhance the classroom experience by enabling continued class collaboration, facilitating feedback from peers and instructors, and allowing for unlimited access to course documents, reading assignments, and other supplementary materials. The following easy-to-use tools are available via Blackboard: web pages, e-mail, discussion boards, chat rooms, online quizzes, online grade book, calendar, virtual groups, and document sharing.
Blackboard is a powerful learning environment that accommodates the needs of students and professors alike by supporting a wide variety of electronic media, including PowerPoint handouts, Microsoft Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, video and audio clips in many popular formats, PDF files, and more.
