Engineering writing test
All undergraduate students at the Gina Cody School of Engineering and Computer Science must satisfy the School's writing skills requirement. There are two ways to fulfill the writing skills requirement:
- Take ENCS 272 and pass with a C- or better
- Take the Engineering Writing Test (EWT) and receive a PASS result.
You must fulfill the writing skills requirement by completing one of the above options before you can register for ENCS 282 – Technical Writing and Communication, which is a required course for all undergraduate engineering students. Students may not register for ENCS 282 until they have fulfilled the writing skills requirement.
The EWT should be taken within the first 30 credits of a student's program, after all required English as a Second Language courses have been completed. Students who have not completed required English as a Second Language courses should not register for the EWT.
Non-engineering students who wish to register for ENCS 282 must also fulfill the writing skills requirement before registering for this course.
Please note: Students cannot register for 400-level courses until all 200-level courses are completed, as per Faculty policy.
What is the Engineering Writing Test?
The EWT is a 90-minute diagnostic test that is offered several times per year. The test assesses a student’s ability to analyze and evaluate complex arguments. It consists of two sections.
Part One: Written Analysis
In this section, you will be given an article or essay of approximately 1,000 words, which you will then analyze in a two-paragraph composition. Each paragraph should be approximately five to eight sentences long, as this length allows you to develop your ideas clearly while staying concise enough to maintain focus and readability.
Preparation Steps for Part One
Take 15 minutes to read, generate ideas and plan before you write:
- Survey the essay by reading the title and guessing the content based on key words.
- Read through the essay, underlining key points and identifying the writer’s thesis.
- Re-read the beginning and end of the essay to confirm the thesis.
- Write down the main idea of each paragraph and how it relates to the thesis.
- Highlight supporting information such as statistics and examples.
Take 30 minutes to write your composition:
- Paragraph 1: Summarize the author’s thesis and key points.
- Begin with a sentence summarizing the thesis (e.g., "Chris Mellon, in his article entitled Why a Geocode is Not an Address, argues that...").
- Add the writer’s key points in support of this idea.
- Paragraph 2: Explain how the author supports their main points.
- Focus on key supporting details and begin with a topic sentence (e.g., "In order to support his ideas, Mellon draws on several examples taken from...").
Take 15 minutes to revise and edit your composition:
- Check for clarity, completeness, and coherence.
- Correct sentence structure, language, and typical errors like subject/verb agreement.
Practice for Part One
Select a short article or opinion piece from a newspaper or magazine. Write a two-paragraph composition in 60 minutes and seek feedback from a Student Success Centre Writing Assistant.
You may find the following resources useful:
Part Two: Data Interpretation
In this section, you will interpret and write about data presented in the form of a pie chart, bar graph, line graph, or diagram. You will answer several questions about the data in two or three sentences each.
Preparation Steps for Part Two
- Find a graph or chart in a newspaper, magazine, or online.
- Analyze the information it provides, identifying trends and drawing conclusions.
- Consider questions such as:
- What trends does the graph demonstrate?
- To whom is this graph important and why?
- What kind of decisions might be made based on this information?
How do I take the EWT?
The EWT is offered several times per year, generally near the beginning and the end of every semester. Upcoming test dates are posted on the EWT registration portal.
You must register in advance to take the test.
If you are a current Gina Cody School undergraduate student:
- Register yourself on the EWT website using your ENCS account and password.
- From outside Concordia, you must use VPN/MFA to access this app.
If you are not a current Gina Cody School undergraduate student or have registration difficulties:
- Contact the test coordinator to register. The test coordinator’s contact information is available on the right-hand side of this page.
Important Notes
- Unexcused absences count as failed attempts. Contact the test coordinator in advance if you cannot attend.
- Results are posted within one week of the test on the registration portal.
- Students who fail the EWT may attempt the test a second time or enroll in ENCS 272. After two failed attempts, registration for the EWT is blocked, and ENCS 272 must be completed.
What can you bring?
Please bring:
- Your student ID card
- Several pens
Do not bring:
- Dictionaries
- Phones
- Calculators
- Other electronic devices
Information for Graduate Students
In most cases, graduate students do not need to take the EWT. However, if you have completed the Concordia University Continuing Education Language Institute (CELI) Intensive English as a Second Language (ESL) program and are seeking admission into the Gina Cody School of Engineering and Computer Science, you may be required to take the EWT. The EWT determines placement in the appropriate graduate writing course in the School.
After successfully completing the Advanced 2 level of the CELI Intensive ESL program with a minimum final grade of 72%, you may take the EWT. Contact the EWT coordinator to register for an upcoming test. Please note that graduate students must contact the test coordinator directly to register for the EWT, as they cannot access the online portal for this purpose.
