Writing Readiness Review

The Writing Readiness Review is a self-placement tool that fulfills two purposes:

  1. Satisfies the Entry Level Writing Requirement (ELWR)
  2. Allows you to decide between WRI 1 and WRI 10 for your first writing course at UC Merced

The Writing Readiness Review will open for Fall 2026 students on March 16, 2026.

Here are the steps to complete the Writing Readiness Review:

  1. Look for the WRR invitation sent to your official UC Merced email account – the account that ends in “@ucmerced.edu.” You can access your official UCM email account via this link: http://o365.ucmerced.edu
  2. Open the email, scroll down to the survey link, and click the link to begin the self-placement
  3. There is no time-limit on the self-placement survey; you may save your work and return to it later via the invitation link. The survey usually takes about two hours to complete.
  4. If you are still not sure which writing course to select, you may make an appointment to consult with a member of the Writing Placement team. Instructions for making an appointment are available at the end of the survey.
  5. Once you have made a final course selection, your choice will be recorded with Bobcat Advising Center and you will then be able to enroll in the writing course you have chosen during your enrollment window.

IMPORTANT NOTES:

  • If you are a transfer student, you will not receive a survey invitation because you do not need to take the WRR; you may enroll directly into WRI 10.
  • If you have not already fulfilled ELWR prior to entering UC Merced and you do not complete the Writing Readiness Review, you will be enrolled in WRI 001. 

Please contact writingplacement@ucmerced.edu with any questions