Undergraduate Placement Information & Dates

This UG ELPE is for undergraduate international students whose first language is not English and who have not yet satisfied the UC Entry Level Writing Requirement (ELWR). Information on ELWR can be found here.

No, if you received confirmation from UCSB records that you have satisfied ELWR, you may enroll in Writing 2 in the Writing Program.

The English for Multilingual Students (EMS) Program will be administering the UG ELPE placement process on Friday, March 13, 2026 and Wednesday, June 3, 2026. Undergraduates will be sent information at their UCSB email account.

For tips on how to prepare for the UG ELPE, please see the "instructions and strategies" pages on the UG ELPE Canvas site once you receive an invitation to join. 

Note on technology: When the UG ELPE is administered online, you will need access to the internet and a computer with microphone and camera capabilities. You will also need a device on which you can compose texts of several paragraphs.

Once you begin the UG ELPE, you will have two hours to complete the writing section. You may not pause or leave/re-enter the site. When required, the oral portion of the UG ELPE takes about 10 minutes.

The UG ELPE consists of three writing tasks and, in some cases, a short speaking task. Two of the writing tasks are connected to a reading passage which will be provided and the third writing task is in response to a prompt question.

Note on GenAI usage: Students are not allowed to use GenAI in any way when completing the UG ELPE placement process. 

For reasons of academic integrity, we cannot release previous samples of the UG ELPE.

Yes, the fee for the UG ELPE is $62, which will be charged to your BARC account. 

No, the UG ELPE can only be taken one time. If you feel that your placement is not appropriate, you may contact the UG ELPE Committee (EMSinfo@linguistics.ucsb.edu) to explain your reasons.

No, if you are an entering international freshman, you should complete the UG ELPE and not the Collaborative Writing Placement (CWP). If your writing proficiency indicates that you would be better placed into a Writing Program course than an EMS Program course, we will then refer you to the Writing Program for further consultation.

All international undergraduate students whose first language is not English should participate in the UG ELPE. If you took the Collaborative Writing Placement (CWP), that placement will not be counted. In most cases, the Writing Program notified students about this. 

After you have completed the UG ELPE, you will receive an email with your placement within a month. You will either be placed into one of four writing courses in the EMS Program, or you will be referred to the Writing Program for further placement instructions. You can enroll in the EMS course in the same way as you do your other courses, using the GOLD online course registration system.

Several levels of our writing courses are offered online; in those courses, scheduling will not be a problem since classes will be asynchronous. But if you are unable to enroll for other reasons, you can enroll in your required course during the next available quarter.

You should not delay your EMS courses for more than one quarter. The university expects undergraduate students to complete all their required writing courses leading up to Writing 2 within their first year at UCSB. If you cannot complete all your writing courses during your first year, you should show that you are making progress by completing a course every quarter.

You can visit our website https://www.ems.ucsb.edu/undergrad for more information about our courses or email us questions at EMSinfo@linguistics.ucsb.edu.