The Writing and Rhetoric Program
The Writing and Rhetoric Program

FWR Placement

First Writing Requirement Placement For Incoming Students
Fall 2025 / Spring 2026

Incoming students are placed into the appropriate FWR Pathway before the start of their first year. During the summer before their first year, incoming students will complete UVA’s FWR Placement process by way of an online placement module. All incoming students (except for Echols Scholars) should have completed the FWR placement in their online New Student Portal Tasklist.

For more info about the FWR Courses and the three FWR pathways, check on the FWR Requirements page here.

In the FWR Placement module, students can self-report SAT or ACT scores for placement. A student’s FWR placement using only test scores follows this system:
 

  1. ENWR 1505 & ENWR 1506: Take this two-semester course sequence if you scored 560 or below on the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing section of the SAT or a 21 or below on the ACT English test. All students in this pathway should enroll in ENWR 1505 in the fall, to be followed by ENWR 1506 in the spring.
  2. ENWR 1510/ENWR 1520/ENWR 1530: Take this single semester option if you scored between 570 and 740 on the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing portion of the SAT or between 22 and 35 on the English portion of the ACT.  
  3. FWR+ Pathway: The FWR+ pathway is available only to students scoring a 750 or above on the SAT's Evidence-Based Reading and Writing test or a 36 on the ACT English test. Students in this pathway can satisfy the FWR using ENWR 2510, a 2000-level ENGL, a 2000-level ENCW, or ENWR 1510/1520/1530. Students who fulfill the FWR using a 2000-level ENGL or ENCW course must complete the FWR-Plus form here. Students in Pathway #2 should enroll in according to our last name policy.

Students who do not report test scores in the FWR Placement module will complete a writing and reflection exercise as part of the module, which will be used to place them in an FWR pathway. Students who did report scores have the choice to complete the entire FWR Placement module for a potentially more accurate placement.

Scores will be available in SIS by the end of June. After the placement process has concluded, students can view their placement score in their SIS account. After signing into SIS, students can view your placement score by clicking the "Academics" tab and choosing the "Test Scores" tab. The FWR Placement corresponds to the following scores:

1 = ENWR 1505/1506 stretch sequence
2 = ENWR 1510, 1520, or 1530
3 = FWR+ pathway

Students who did not complete the FWR Placement module will be automatically placed into the ENWR 1510/1520/1530 pathway. Students in that pathway may still apply to FWR+ via a portfolio review process.

For More Information

See our FWR Requirements webpage HERE for more information about the FWR pathways.

You can find out more about the common goals and practices of FWR courses here: https://writingrhetoric.as.virginia.edu/first-year-writing-courses-uva-goals-practices

For questions about the online placement module, please email Brian Paljug, Education & Outreach Specialist, bjp4qd@virginia.edu

For questions about first-year writing, please email T. Kenny Fountain, Director of Writing & Rhetoric Program, tkf3bb@virginia.edu or Dylan Kellum, Academic Administrative Assistant, Writing & Rhetoric Program, dck4bqc@virginia.edu