Maryland English Writing Test

Only graduate students take the Maryland English Writing Test (MEWT). Undergraduate students do not take this test. You must take the MEWT if you are a graduate student and meet one of the following criteria:

• You have not submitted a TOEFL writing score
• You have submitted a TOEFL writing score lower than 4
  
• You have submitted an IBT writing score lower than 25

Please note that IBT TOEFL and IELTS admissions requirements for both graduate and undergraduate students will change, effective for spring 2009 admissions.

Graduate students who have received a degree from an institution in the U.S., United Kingdom, Anglophone Africa, Anglophone Canada, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and the Commonwealth Caribbean are not required to take the MEIPE. Students who have a performance degree from a U.S. institution must submit a TWE score or a TOEFL writing score. Those with a performance degree who do not submit a satisfactory TWE or TOEFL writing score must take the MEWT. In some cases, students who are citizens or permanent residents may be required to take the MEWT. Please contact the Office of International Education Services (IES) to find out if you are required to take the test.
UM tuition remission cannot be applied to MEI courses.

Description of the MEWT

The Maryland English Institute Writing Test (MEWT) consists of two essays and is given in pencil-and-paper format. Students are given two topics and are asked to write an essay on each topic. Each essay takes 30 minutes. Students should plan on spending a total of at least 90 minutes for the exam: 30 minutes for checking in, 30 minutes for essay 1 and 30 minutes for essay 2. Two readers rate each composition and rate it on a scale of 0 - 4. The two scores are added together to obtain the total score on the composition. The examinee must obtain a total score of 5 on both compositions in order to pass this exam. Those who do not pass the MEWT are placed into UMEI007 and must successfully complete the course in their first semester as a student at UMCP.

Test Fees

There is no charge for the MEWT for examinees who have submitted official TOEFL (or IELTS) scores. For all others, the cost is $90.

What Score Must I get

Each essay is scored on a scale of 0-8. The minimum score required on each essay is 5.

Appealing Results of the MEWT

The grounds for appeal of a MEWT result and placement decision are limited to (1) a procedural consideration (e.g., the examinee was not allowed the full time to complete the exam, was not able to complete the exam due to an interruption at the exam site, etc.), and (2) a concern that a placement decision was arbitrary or capricious (e.g., the decision is based on erroneous information, is inconsistent with scores reported, and/or is inconsistent with clearance and placement policies). A placement decision may not be appealed on the grounds that an examinee's advisor or department believes the student's English is adequate.

A student who believes there is a legitimate basis for an appeal of a placement decision must submit a written appeal within ten work days after taking the exam. The appeal must be in writing and must include the name of the exam in question, the date of the exam, the student's name and UID, and an explanation of the basis for the appeal. The appeal may be submitted in an email message addressed to lsahin@umd.edu. The appeal will be reviewed within three work days of being received to determine whether the basis for the appeal is legitimate, and, if so, what action will be taken.

Requests for Deferral

Examinees who have placed into UMEI007 on the basis of the results of their MEWT score are required to enroll in and successfully complete the designated course in their first semester on campus. Requests to defer this requirement are seldom granted. A schedule conflict with another course or the student's inability to pay for the required course may not be used as a basis for deferring the requirement