Skip to main content
College of Humanities and Social Sciences
Department of English

Placement Guidelines

First-Year Writing Program

Students who submit one of the below test scores will receive credit for ENG 101 as fulfillment of the first-year writing requirement. For SAT, ACT, AP, and IB scores, credit is automatically awarded to students’ degree audits based on scores submitted to Undergraduate Admissions.

Students should consult their academic advisor and check their degree audits before the semester starts to verify if credit is awarded. If credit is awarded, students do not need to enroll in ENG 101 to fulfill the first-year writing requirement. 

Students transferring composition course credit or a degree from another institution should review our transfer credit guidelines.   

TESTRequired Score for ENG 101 Credit
Effective for students entering Fall 2020
SAT – Reading39 – 40
ACT – English 33 or above
AP – English Language & Composition5
International Baccalaureate –
English A2 (Higher Level): Language & Literature		4-7
Note: Only one score is needed from either test to be exempt from the first-year writing requirement.

Students will not to receive credit for ENG 101 if test scores are below the required scores listed and should plan to enroll in ENG 101 to fulfill their first-year writing requirement.
                            
For more details about first-year writing placement, download and review typical placement scenarios. Students with scores below the approved required scores above may be eligible to receive English elective credit. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there an English placement test? 

No. The First-Year Writing program does not require incoming students to complete a placement test. Placement is based on standardized test scores (see above) to Undergraduate Admissions. 

If you would like additional assistance assessing your preparation for ENG 101 and selecting an appropriate course and learning environment, please contact us at firstyearwriting@ncsu.edu. 

What test scores are NOT used for First-Year Writing placement at NC State? 

Scores on the following tests are not used to fulfill NC State’s first-year writing requirement. 

  • CLEP
  • SAT-II Writing 
  • ACT-Reading
  • AP English Literature & Composition 
  • IB English A1 (High or Standard Level) Literature

English Elective Credit Based on Approved Standardized Test Scores

Students who scored below the required scores needed to receive credit for Eng 101 instead can receive 4 hours of elective credit for ENG 100: Reading and Writing Rhetorically. Credit is awarded automatically based on scores submitted to Undergraduate admissions. 

  • Students who score a 3-4 on the AP English Language & Composition exam will receive elective credit. 
  • Students who score a 5-7 on the IB English 2 (Standard Level) Language & Literature exam will receive elective credit. 

Visit Undergraduate Admissions to learm more about other English credit opportunities for AP and IB.