<p>I need some help here. Can someone please explain the whole process of this exam?</p>
<p>Apparently if i have to enroll in College Writing R1A i have to sit for this writing exam first. I went to their website and it says if i fail the placement exam I can still enroll for CW R1A. Then what's the point of the whole thing? If i pass i have to take the course, if i don't pass i still have to take it. Doesn't make sense.</p>
<p>Or maybe i'm missing something.</p>
<p>And is it a MUST that i take this course during my freshmen year?</p>
<p>Before you enter the UC system, you need to take the AWPE (actually, you can take it once you arrive at the UC). If you do NOT pass it, you must take college writing R1A, a 6 unit intensive writing course to bring your writing up to college level and allow you to move on to the R1B course.</p>
<p>If you do pass the AWPE, you can then take regular R1A, which can be a variety of different courses, such as Rhetoric R1A, English R1A, then R1B. You can still enroll in college writing R1A even if you pass – say, for example, English is not your first language, or your writing skills need a little weak.</p>
<p>And no, you do not need to take it first semester or your freshman year. NB: if you need to take it, it is best to do it at the beginning, because so many courses require some sort of coherent writing skills to pass the course. Many courses have essays or papers. Without this class and having not passed the AWPE, taking other courses that include writing papers with some sophistication could leave you at a distinct disadvantage.</p>
<p>Can’t i just directly enroll in R1A without sitting for the exam and failing? I want to take it next semester, but i can’t do it if i don’t take the AWPE which is scheduled for february. That basically means i can only take writing courses in my sophomore year.</p>