Western Governors University (WGU) Readiness Assessment
The Western Governors University (WGU) Readiness Assessment is a pre-entrance exam that assesses a prospective student's preparedness for university-level coursework. This piece is intended to serve as a guide on what an individual can reasonably expect to encounter while taking this assessment.
Western Governors University (WGU) is an increasingly popular online school because it offers various features that appeal to adult learners. Some of these appealing features include very affordable tuition, nonprofit status, multiple choices of majors and concentrations, legitimate accreditation, and an innovative competency-based model that facilitates swift degree completion.
Since WGU is designed for the adult learner who already possesses some experience with coursework at the college level, prospective students are not required to take the traditional collegiate entrance exams such as the SAT or ACT. Instead, the school requires all applicants to take and pass the WGU Readiness Assessment, which is an unproctored online exam that assesses a potential student's academic preparedness for university-level coursework. This assessment should not be taken lightly because applicants who do not pass it will not be admitted. The WGU Readiness Assessment is broken up into four separate sections. Prospective students may start with any section they choose.
Language Test
The language portion is a multiple choice exam that determines the applicant's skill level in essential topics such as reading comprehension, grammatical usage and writing. The test taker will need to answer questions after reading paragraph-long passages, select the one grammatically correct sentence out of four or five selections, and know the difference between passive and active voice. This portion contained about 30 questions and had a two hour time limit.
Math Test
The math portion is a multiple choice exam that assesses the applicant's skill level in basic topics such as arithmetic, estimation, and graphs. The test contains several word problems and perhaps one or two elementary algebraic questions. The test taker will need to be familiar with topics such as fractions, decimals, percentages, probability, absolute value, integers, plotting lines on graphs, answering word problems, symbols, the order of operations, and prealgebra. This portion contained about 20 questions and had a two hour time limit.
Admissions Inventory
This portion has an assortment of questions to help assess whether online learning is a suitable option for the prospective student. Some people learn independently with ease while others desperately need the structure of a brick-and-mortar classroom with a professor directly in front of them for guidance. This section of the WGU Readiness Assessment assists in determining if the prospective student has the self-motivation, tools and prior experiences to perform satisfactorily in online learning.
Essay Exam
Prospective students must write an essay on a randomly selected topic. Since WGU's academic programs involve numerous essay submissions, this portion of the readiness assessment examines the applicant's writing skills. Essays with less than 200 words or more than 800 words are disallowed, so the test taker must carefully monitor this aspect while writing. It is permissible to type the paper elsewhere before pasting it onto the exam. The benefit of copying/pasting is that it allows the test taker to run a spell check and word count before submitting. WGU's website advises applicants to set aside up to one hour to type and submit their essays.
I finished taking my pre-assessment for the DPV1 course (a.k.a. Care of the Older Adult). The passing cut score was 70% and I scored 72% on my first attempt!
So I will be reinforcing my weak areas this weekend and all next week. My mentor wants me to finish all lessons in the entire course just for this one class to give me an idea of how to complete WGU coursework, so I will fulfill her request. However, I want to schedule the exam at beginning of May, or as soon as I am allowed.
Commuter, how did you take the preassessment? I didn't think we had access to that stuff until May 1st. I know I can get in and look at COS's but didn't know we could do preassessment.
Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
Commuter, how did you take the preassessment? I didn't think we had access to that stuff until May 1st. I know I can get in and look at COS's but didn't know we could do preassessment.
thanks
I had my first conversation with my program mentor yesterday afternoon, and she 'unlocked' the first course two weeks early so I could get a head start with studying. If you have not had your first conversation with your program mentor, schedule it ASAP so he/she can grant you early access and set up your first term's schedule of courses.
Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
Oh okay! So they will not pressure me to start right away??
Nope! An investor-owned school such as Kaplan would hound you incessantly with phone calls because they want that $35,000+ tuition. But the folks at WGU have been low-pressure and mostly professional. They only call when you and the enrollment counselor have scheduled a phone appointment.
Specializes in Med-Surge, Tele, PCU, CVICU, NSICU.
Nope! An investor-owned school such as Kaplan would hound you incessantly with phone calls because they want that $35,000+ tuition. But the folks at WGU have been low-pressure and mostly professional. They only call when you and the enrollment counselor have scheduled a phone appointment.
You are awesome!! Thanks for all your info!! I emailed my enrollment counselor I've been emailing and asked her to call me Monday night.
I do not know how to write essays, research papers, etc; I do best by learning by example, wherein I analyze preexisting information. Is there a compendium of nursing essays/research papers that may be purchased? Analyzing 100 papers on 100 subjects would be a dream come true for my kind of learning and I would gladly pay for such a resource.
Because nursing is so specific, I am not content with purchasing 10 books from amazon on this matter.
If anybody has resources on this matter, I would be extremely thankful for your assistance.
I do realize my request may seem 'over-the-top', but I have been like this all of my life; long ago when I was a critical care nurse (I left nursing for 10yrs), I purchased and read about 10 textbooks on the subject within the first few months...as an example.
Therefore, it is unlikely I will be able to break from this form of analysis/preparation.
Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.
I do not know how to write essays, research papers, etc; I do best by learning by example, wherein I analyze preexisting information. Is there a compendium of nursing essays/research papers that may be purchased? Analyzing 100 papers on 100 subjects would be a dream come true for my kind of learning and I would gladly pay for such a resource.
Then I would say that perhaps WGU is not the right program for you. One program cannot be all things to all people. To be successful at WGU, you really need to be incredibly self-motivated and have the ability to find information independently.
I had my first conversation with my program mentor yesterday afternoon, and she 'unlocked' the first course two weeks early so I could get a head start with studying. If you have not had your first conversation with your program mentor, schedule it ASAP so he/she can grant you early access and set up your first term's schedule of courses.
Oh ok thanks. my mentor said I could get in and look around but couldn't submit anything until I officially enrolled on the 1st. I do take notice that I have access to the pre-assessment, wonder if I could take it. I am doing a lot of work for LUT awhile. I plan on having everything ready to submit task 1 on May 1st.
Then I would say that perhaps WGU is not the right program for you. One program cannot be all things to all people. To be successful at WGU, you really need to be incredibly self-motivated and have the ability to find information independently.
Perhaps; perhaps it is; I realize one program is not all things to all ppl; I am self-motivated and I can find information 'independently' but it does not change the situation.
As an example of self-motivation, I will have no problems studying for math on my own in preparation for the assessment exam and/or for testing out for college algebra; the information is available for self-review in video format, ie khan academy.
I graduated valedictorian from my nursing program back in 1-1991 and I studied alone (altho I did tutor many others when requested); On my own, I went to the university to research various topics...back in the day when we used index card catalog system and bound materials on several floors on shelves about 9feet high, along with micro-fiche; the technology has changed quite a bit since 1988 (which is when i did most of my university research).
I have owned hundreds of nursing and medical texts over the past 25 years and have over 200GB of video materials on advanced nursing concepts.......for 'self teaching'.
self motivation and independence is not the issue.
examining 100 nursing research papers written in today's environment; that is the issue in my case as I prefer analysis as a means of mastering a given subject.
Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.
examining 100 nursing research papers written in today's environment; that is the issue in my case as I prefer analysis as a means of mastering a given subject.
Well, entrance into the program does give you access to their library, which includes dozens of databases to peer-reviewed journals.
Perhaps; perhaps it is; I realize one program is not all things to all ppl; I am self-motivated and I can find information 'independently' but it does not change the situation.
As an example of self-motivation, I will have no problems studying for math on my own in preparation for the assessment exam and/or for testing out for college algebra; the information is available for self-review in video format, ie khan academy.
I graduated valedictorian from my nursing program back in 1-1991 and I studied alone (altho I did tutor many others when requested); On my own, I went to the university to research various topics...back in the day when we used index card catalog system and bound materials on several floors on shelves about 9feet high, along with micro-fiche; the technology has changed quite a bit since 1988 (which is when i did most of my university research).
I have owned hundreds of nursing and medical texts over the past 25 years and have over 200GB of video materials on advanced nursing concepts.......for 'self teaching'.
self motivation and independence is not the issue.
examining 100 nursing research papers written in today's environment; that is the issue in my case as I prefer analysis as a means of mastering a given subject.
Have you had a chance to speak to an enrollment counselor from WGU by any chance? I had questions when I was unsure if the program would be a good fit for me. Speaking to an enrollment counselor made making the decision easier and he was also able to answer all of my questions.
Is anyone having trouble calling the university this week? Trying to get in contact with my enrollment counselor and have not had any luck. It does not even recognize his name when I punch in the letters that correspond to his name. Is there a holiday break that I am not aware of?
dabmtcuRN
161 Posts
Commuter, how did you take the preassessment? I didn't think we had access to that stuff until May 1st. I know I can get in and look at COS's but didn't know we could do preassessment.
thanks