Writing Resource Center

Please log in to your tutoring account (or register for a new one) and make an appointment with a tutor listed for Google Meet.

• Your tutor will invite you (using your SVA email) to join them on Google Meet, at your appointed time.
• Share your essay with your tutor on Google Docs after they ask for it (tutor emails will be provided on the tutoring schedule).

Please log in to your tutoring account (or register for a new one) and make an appointment with a tutor listed for Zoom.

• Your tutor will invite you (using your SVA email) to join them in a Zoom meeting at your appointed time. Please have your essay open on your computer screen in an editable form (Microsoft Word, Pages, Google Docs, etc)
• After joining, you will use the Share Screen tool to share your document with the tutor.

The next Proficiency Exam (PE) will be on Saturday, November 20, 2021 at 9AM (ET). Registration will open on October 18th. 

The November PE is open to the following students ONLY:

• 2nd, 3rd, and 4th-year students who have not yet passed the PE
• Students in all Honors Programs
• Transfer students who are exempted from HCD-1020 Writing and Thinking and need to take Humanities & Sciences courses

All other students will be able to take the PE during the Spring 2022 Semester.

The PE will be conducted online through Canvas and Zoom and will last 90 minutes. Before the exam, you will receive an invitation to participate in the Canvas Course November_PE. 

PLEASE NOTE: If you have taken the PE and did not pass, you must take three tutoring sessions before retaking the exam. Tutoring appointments can be made by clicking on Tutor Online Reservation (TOR) located at the top of this Web site. You will only be able to sign up for one tutoring session per week, so please plan accordingly.

If you have questions about the PE or tutoring, please contact Leslie Haller, Office Coordinator at: lhaller@sva.edu

What is the Proficiency Exam (PE)?

The PE is an SVA-generated exam which tests reading comprehension and writing ability and may be used to place students in writing courses. Passing the exam is a requirement for graduation from SVA unless in rare circumstances a transfer student is admitted with all 30 Humanities and Sciences credits. Exams from other institutions cannot be substituted for the SVA Proficiency Exam.

What is the format of the exam?

Students are asked to read a short essay question and to respond with a 350–400 word essay that demonstrates an understanding of the topic, a solid understanding of the mechanics of attribution, sentence and paragraph logic, as well as good grammar and spelling.

How long is the exam?

The PE is 90 minutes long.

What does a PE prompt look like?

Here is a sample: "What are the qualities that make for a successful or unsuccessful class? Discuss using your own classroom experiences."

When is it given?

It is given either in first semester First-Year Writing classes or on independent dates throughout the year. The exam may be taken as many times as necessary until the student successfully passes. 

What happens if a student doesn’t pass?

Failing the exam has no effect on a student’s GPA or transcript. However, students who have not passed the PE cannot continue to take Humanities and Sciences courses until they pass. Students who do not pass the PE will be required to attend a minimum of three tutoring sessions during one semester at the Writing Resource Center before retaking the PE. 

Accessing your PE grade

To view your PE result, go to myservices.sva.edu. Select GRADES, then ACADEMICS, then TEST SUMMARY. A score of 1 = PASS and 2 = FAIL.