Writing Skills Test (WST)
Workshop: Multiple Choice
San Jose State University
Peer Connections
Created by
Manuel Vasquez and Amy Lehman
Adapted by
Pauline Le
Agenda
Introduction
The Multiple Choice Section
Question types
Strategies and practice
Preparation for the WST
Introduction to the WST
GWAR (Graduation Writing
Assessment Requirement)
Taken prior to enrollment in
100W (after passing English 1B)
Two Parts
60 minute Essay
45 minute Multiple Choice test (72
questions; 1 and 3 point
questions)
Score report within 4-5 weeks
Photos from [Link] and [Link]
What do I need?
(Refer to Information Bulletin)
Pens for the essay section (black or blue)
Pencils with eraser top for Multiple Choice section
Paper Dictionary for Essay
Photos from [Link] and [Link]
Scores
Essay Objective Status
12 50 Waiver Eligible
(depending on major)
11 69 Waiver Eligible
(depending on major)
8-11 50 Pass
7 60 Pass
6 63 Pass
All Other Combination of Scores Fail
Objective scores are reported in standard score terms.
Multiple Choice
Punctuation 8%
Grammar 11%
Sentence Structure 25%
Strategy 21%
Organization 14%
Style 21%
(Breakdown as of 5/2009. May be undergoing revision.)
Multiple Choice
Scan
Understand
Eliminate
Pick
Guess
The following questions are
taken from Barron’s CSU
Writing Exams book.
Photo from [Link]
Multiple Choice Question Types: Rhetorical
STRATEGY (21%)
Expression for audience and purpose,
supporting material used for passage
ORGANIZATION (14%)
Order, coherence, and unity of ideas,
statements, and paragraphs
STYLE (21%)
Word choice, economy and clarity in
writing
General Test-Taking Tips
Go through the test passage first
Scan the questions and answer what you know first
Re-read the passage in closer detail to answer more
difficult questions
If it’s taking too long to answer, star it and return
later
Do not leave any questions blank – GUESS if time
runs out
Reading Test-Taking Tips
Cross out answer choices you are certain
are not correct. This will help you narrow
down the correct answer choice.
Remember: Look for the best answer, not
only a correct one.
Underline, highlight, or circle
Key words in the question, important sentences
Rhetorical Style/Strategy
Example question types:
Who is the audience for this passage?
How is this passage arranged?
Which of these sentences would best support the
ideas in paragraph 4?
Suppose the writer wanted to change x, which
sentence would be best?
What kind of details would be best?
Which sentence would be a good introductory
sentence to paragraph 3?
What is the most logical order for the paragraphs in
this passage?
Practice: Rhetorical Strategy
Skim and annotate the passage. Identify the
following elements:
Key words and sentences (What words or
phrases seem important to the passage?)
Main idea of the passage (What is the passage
about?)
Purpose of the passage (What is the passage
trying to do?)
Tone or style of writing (What voice is the
writing using?)
Audience (Who could be reading this?)
Rhetorical Style/Strategy
According to the American Cancer Society, there is a 20% increase in the
number of teen smokers and a similar decrease in the number of anti
smoking programs in middle schools. Therefore there is a great need
to develop these new community and school programs to target teens
at risk for developing a smoking habit. Although costly, such programs
are proven to produce long term benefits.
Readers are most likely to regard the passage as:
a. informative
b. persuasive
c. inspirational
d. pleading
Rhetorical Style/Strategy
According to the American Cancer Society, there is a 20% increase in
the number of teen smokers and a similar decrease in the number of
anti smoking programs in middle schools. Therefore, there is a great
need to develop school programs to target teens at risk for developing
a smoking habit. Although costly, such programs are proven to produce
long term benefits.
The audience of this passage is likely
a. board of education officials
b. teachers
c. parents
d. teens
Rhetorical Style/Strategy
According to the American Cancer Society, there is a 20% increase in
the number of teen smokers and a similar decrease in the number of
anti smoking programs in middle schools. Therefore, there is a great
need to develop these new school programs to target teens at risk for
developing a smoking habit. Although costly, such programs are proven
to produce long term benefits.
Suppose at this point the writer decided to add more information.
Which information would be most logical?
a. a case study of a teen affected by smoking
b. a history of the tobacco industry’s marketing to teens
c. statistics from similar programs in other school districts
d. no information is needed.
Rhetorical Style/Strategy
Modern literary criticism is a literary specialty composed of
many different and dissonant parts. There are, however, five
major trends in contemporary criticism that take into account
almost every significant critical essay written in the twentieth
century. It is the critics’ differing opinions on the purpose of
literature that create the division or schools of modern criticism.
1. Readers are most likely to regard the passage as:
a. informative
b. persuasive
c. inspirational
d. pleading
Rhetorical Style/Strategy
Modern literary criticism is a literary specialty composed of
many different and dissonant parts. There are, however, five
major trends in contemporary criticism that take into account
almost every significant critical essay written in the twentieth
century. It is the critics’ differing opinions on the purpose of
literature that create the division or schools of modern criticism.
The audience of this passage is likely
a. college or college-bound literature students.
b. remedial readers who require supplemental materials.
c. students interested in the scientific method.
d. foreign students preparing for an English proficiency test.
Rhetorical Style/Strategy
Modern literary criticism is a literary specialty composed of many
different and dissonant parts. There are, however, five major trends
in contemporary criticism that take into account almost every
significant critical essay written in the twentieth century. It is the
critics’ differing opinions on the purpose of literature that create the
division or schools of modern criticism.
Suppose at this point the writer decided to add more information.
Which information would be most logical?
a. the names of several famous modern literature critics.
b. a list of the five major schools of literature criticism.
c. a list of significant critical essays written in the 20th century.
d. a definition of modern literature.
Putting Paragraphs In Order
Clues to Putting Paragraphs Together
Introduction or Conclusion
General/Specific
Specific/General
Topic Sentences
Transitions
Days, Months, Years
Proper Names
Putting Paragraphs In Order
1. “It will have a big impact,” Macaulay said concerning the strike going to next year. “Mainly
for the safety of ourselves as well as guests that we have over at our house,” he said
regarding inspections.
2. A strike of San José building inspectors could affect off-campus SJSU residents, said Tom
Briam, president of the Association of Building, Mechanical, and Electrical Inspectors.
3. Macaulay said if the strike continues the fraternity will have to rely on its alumni to find a
way to get the house inspected.
4. Tyler Macaulay, a senior business management major and president of Beta Theta Pi, said
his fraternity is not highly affected by the strikes now because they just had inspections a
couple of months ago, but they will be affected if the strike continues next year.
A) 2,1,3,4
B) 1,2,4,3
C) 2,4,1,3
D) 1,3,4,2
Passage taken from The Spartan Daily. December, 2007.
Putting Paragraphs In Order
1. “It will have a big impact,” Macaulay said concerning the strike going to next year.
“Mainly for the safety of ourselves as well as guests that we have over at our house,” he
said regarding inspections.
2. A strike of San José building inspectors could affect off-campus SJSU residents, said Tom
Briam, president of the Association of Building, Mechanical, and Electrical Inspectors.
3. Macaulay said if the strike continues the fraternity will have to rely on its alumni to find
a way to get the house inspected.
4. Tyler Macaulay, a senior business management major and president of Beta Theta Pi,
said his fraternity is not highly affected by the strikes now because they just had
inspections a couple of months ago, but they will be affected if the strike continues next
year.
A) 2,1,3,4
B) 1,2,4,3
C) 2,4,1,3
D) 1,3,4,2
Putting Paragraphs In Order
1. More flowed at Concord, and much more along the route of the British as they retreated to
Boston, harassed most of the way by an aroused citizenry.
2. About 77 militiamen confronted the redcoats when they plodded into Lexington at dawn.
3. What once had been merely protest had evolved into open warfare; the American War of
Independence had begun.
4. After some tense moments, as the sorely outnumbered colonial were dispersing, some
blood was shed.
A) 2,1,3,4
B) 1,2,4,3
C) 2,4,1,3
D) 1,3,4,2
Putting Paragraphs In Order
1. More flowed at Concord, and much more along the route of the British as they retreated
to Boston, harassed most of the way by an aroused citizenry.
2. About 77 militiamen confronted the redcoats when they plodded into Lexington at dawn.
3. What once had been merely protest had evolved into open warfare; the American War of
Independence had begun.
4. After some tense moments, as the sorely outnumbered colonial were dispersing, some
blood was shed.
A) 2,1,3,4
B) 1,2,4,3
C) 2,4,1,3
D) 1,3,4,2
Multiple Choice Question
Type: Usage / Mechanics
GRAMMAR (11%)
Adjectives and adverbs, conjunctions,
subject-verb agreement, pronouns
PUNCTUATION (8%)
Commas, colons, semicolons, dashes,
parentheses, apostrophes, quotation marks
STRUCTURE (25%)
Modifying clauses, modifiers, and shifts in
construction
Multiple Choice:
Grammar Questions
Identify the type of grammar question (subject-verb,
pronoun, verb tense, adjective & adverbs, conjunction)
Hint: Note the differences in the answers.
Identify the core sentence and eliminate non-essential
information
Identify the main subject, noun, or clause being modified
Use process of elimination to narrow down the best option
Subject/Verb, Verb Tense
The very idea of a community among 1. A. NO CHANGE
nations are unique. From the city- B. had been
states C. is
1 D. were
of ancient Greece to the modern
nations of our era, communities have 2. F. NO CHANGE
2 G. had
to join forces to defend their H. will have had
individual interests. J. have had
Passage taken from the WST Information Bulletin
Subject/Verb, Verb Tense
The president of the Board of 1. A. NO CHANGE
Trustees are making a decision about B. has
1 C. is
tuition increases tomorrow. D. has been
The school will have had
2 2. F. NO CHANGE
severe financial problems in the past G. has had
few years and needs to raise money H. had
so that each student is properly J. has
supported.
Passage taken from the WST Information Bulletin
Pronouns
In today’s society, being a woman does not
automatically mean exclusion from certain jobs;
studies show that women are more likely to be
considered for physically demanding jobs today,
especially if she is between the ages of 25-39.
A. NO CHANGE
B. they are between
C. she’s between
D. he or she is between
Pronouns
Smoking for an extended period of time can
negatively affect a person’s lung and heart function
and ultimately prevent them from achieving their
optimum health.
A. NO CHANGE
B. Prevent one from achieving their optimum health.
C. Prevent one from achieving his or her optimum
health.
D. Prevent him or her from achieving their optimum
health.
Multiple Choice: Punctuation
Try to fill in the correct punctuation first
without looking at the options
Eliminate the options that do not
demonstrate the proper usage of the
punctuation
Identify whether the sentence is
complete (independent) or a fragment
(dependant)
Punctuation
What lies behind the creative 1. A. No change
genius of our greatest authors B. authors’
has been the subject of C. authors,
speculation over the past two D. author’s
centuries. There is little doubt
2. F. No change
that many of the worlds creative
G. world’s
geniuses experienced miserable
H. worlds’
lives, they suffered a personal
J. world’s,
and extreme brand of deprivation
that profoundly affected the 3. A. no change
quality of their lives. B. lives:
C. lives;
D. lives,
How to Prepare
Barron’s
How to Prepare for the California State University
Writing Proficiency Exams
Time yourself and take the sample multiple choice
tests (A-C).
Correct your answers using the answer keys and
explanations.
Identify what area(s) of writing you want to improve
(i.e. punctuation, tenses).
Practice speed and rhetorical reading strategies with
textbook chapters and news articles.
Photo from [Link]
How to Prepare
Practice WST multiple choice online at
[Link]
The Everyday Writer Exercise Central:
Purdue’s Online Writing Lab: [Link]
How to Study: [Link]
Study Guides & Strategies: [Link]
501 Writing Prompts published by Learning Express
Elements of Style by William Strunk and E.B. White
Rules for Writers by Diana Hacker
The Goof Proofer by Stephan J. Manhard
How to Prepare
Practice test
Practice reading comprehension and
speed reading
Developing rhetorical analysis
Multiple Attempts
You can enroll in ENGL or
LLD 100A, and pass, to meet
the WST requirement.
Continue practicing and
taking writing courses to
assist you in meeting
University writing standards.
Visit tutors to review specific
test taking/writing skills.
Photo from [Link]
Handling Text Anxiety
Review preparation materials for the exam in
advance. Practice online.
Breathe. Taking deep breaths can help calm
anxiety.
Walk by the testing location before the exam day
to know where it will take place
Pre-pack all materials, relax, and sleep well the
day before the exam
The morning of the exam, take 10 minutes to write
down your fears and thoughts to clear your mind
and to focus
Tips adapted from [Link] & Huffington Post. January 2012.
SJSU Campus Resources
Peer Connections
SSC 600: [Link]
Writing Center
Clark 126: [Link]/writingcenter/
Testing Office
IS 228: [Link]
Disability Resource Center
Admin 110: [Link]/
Counseling Services
Admin 201: [Link]/counseling/
Spartan Success Series Workshops
