COLLEGE OF MANAGEMENT WRITING ASSESSMENT
The College of Management Writing Assessment (CMWA) is required before a student can register for a BC 230 or BC 290 in the College of Management. Both courses address the integration of written managerial communication and critical analysis. BC 230 is a more intensive preparation for the challenges of BC 290.
Prerequisites for BC 230 are: ENGL 101, 30 credits, and a qualifying score on the CMWA
Prerequisites for BC 290 are: ENGL 101 and ENGL 102, 30 credits, and a qualifying score on the CMWA
The CMWA is not required to enroll into BC 295.
SIGNING UP FOR A CMWA
The assessment will take place on Blackboard Learn (the new UMB Blackboard system) therefore you must be enrolled into the CMWA Blackboard Learn course to sign up for a test date/time. It is the students’ responsibility to request enrollment via the online registration form (not in person, over the phone or via email), to take the CMWA exam. To get started with the sign up process:
- Please complete this online CMWA registration form. After you have completed the Registration Form, an email confirmation will be sent to your UMB email account.
- In order to use Blackboard Learn, students must have an active umb.edu email account. If you are experiencing problems with your UMB email account, please contact the IT Service Desk by emailing itservicedesk@umb.edu or calling 617-287-5220 (8 AM – 6 PM, Mon. – Fri.).
- Once you are enrolled into the CMWA Blackboard Learn course, you MUST log on to Blackboard Learn and visit the CMWA course. On the homepage are located the CMWA exam sign-up sheets for the current testing period. Test dates and seat availability for each exam are on a first come, first serve basis. Select a test date to sign-up.
- You must sign yourself up on the sign-up sheet for a particular test date in Blackboard Learn to be able to sit for the exam at the University Testing Center.
- YOU CANNOT JUST SHOW UP AT A TEST WITHOUT ENROLLING IN BLACKBOARD LEARN FIRST AND WITHOUT SIGNING UP ON A SIGN-UP SHEET.
- This process may take up to 5 business days (Monday – Friday) to complete.
SCHEDULED CMWA TEST DATES
| DATE | TIME | LOCATION |
| Saturday, May 4th | 1:30pm-3:30pm | Testing Center |
| Saturday, May 18th | 1:30pm-3:30pm | Testing Center |
NOTE: This list represents the first available CMWA test dates before the Summer 2013 semester. Additional CMWA dates will be available through August 2013.
- Exams are two hours long and students must arrive at the Testing Center on time with the proper photo identification in order to take the test.
- There will be a VERY limited number of test dates available during the semester. IT IS STRONGLY RECOMMENDED THAT YOU TAKE A TEST NOW!
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Students enrolled in the CMWA Blackboard course will only be able to access the exam in the Testing Center on the day and time that they have previously signed up for.
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THIS IS A PROCTORED EXAM. STUDENTS WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO TAKE THE EXAM UNDER NON-PROCTORED CONDITIONS OR WITHOUT HAVING SIGNED UP ON A SIGN-UP SHEET IN BLACKBOARD PRIOR TO THE EXAM.
REGISTERING FOR BC 230 AND BC 290 ONCE YOU HAVE COMPLETED THE CMWA
College of Management Students
Once you have successfully earned placement into BC 230 or BC 290 by completing the CMWA, you will be able to register for that respective course in WISER based on your Registration Appointment time. You will only be able to register yourself in WISER if it is during your Registration Appointment time and you have cleared any registration holds from your account.
Non-CM Students Currently Enrolled at UMass Boston
Once you have successfully earned placement into BC 230 or BC290 by completing the CMWA, you will need to submit a request to enroll in that course. As a non-College of Management student, you will need to follow the correct deadlines and registration request procedures outlined here.
Non-Degree Seeking Students
Once you have successfully earned placement into BC 230 or BC290 by completing the CMWA, you will need to submit a request to enroll in that course. As a Non-Degree Seeking student, you will need to follow the correct deadlines and registration request procedures outlined here.
SAMPLE CMWA AND GRADING
The assessment test has been updated to identify those students who may need more time to review and develop English grammar and fundamental writing skills.
The exam will consist of 50 multiple-choice questions (1 point each) and one (1) mini business case paragraph response worth ten points.
SAMPLE QUESTIONS
Example multiple-choice questions:
1. As she gained more experience, she began to work with the people coming to the shelter to consider adopting one of ____ dogs or cats.
a. their b. there c. its* d. it’s
2. Do you really want to give ________ the money that you earned?
a. Jim and her* b. Jim and she c. them two d. she and Jim
3. I pulled two _________ at the same time.
a. cat’s tails b. cats tail’s c. cat’s tails’ d. cats’ tails*
The mini business case:
Your client, SleekDesign, wants an analysis of and recommendations for possible expansion into new markets in Canada and Mexico. You have recently completed a very similar analysis for a different client, ArtForAll. The two clients, SleekDesign and ArtForAll, provide very similar services, and are fierce competitors. You could simply take the analysis you developed for ArtForAll and change it around to fit the specific situation of SleekDesign. In this case, you’d be recommending that both companies target more or less the same new markets, using more or less the same new strategies. Alternatively, you could try to develop a different strategy for SleekDesign, in which case you would not be pitting the two companies directly against each other as competitors in these new markets. If you pursue the former approach, your job will be easier. If you pursue the latter approach, your job will be harder, but you will be helping maintain the competitive positions of both your clients. As a business professional, what should you do, and why?
PARAGRAPH GRADING STANDARDS:
10= Paragraph demonstrates excellent composition skills including a clear and thought-provoking thesis, appropriate and effective organization, lively and convincing supporting materials, effective diction and sentence skills, and perfect or near perfect mechanics including spelling and punctuation. The writing perfectly accomplishes the objectives of the assignment.
9 = Paragraph contains strong composition skills including a clear and thought-provoking thesis, although development, diction, and sentence style may suffer minor flaws. Shows careful and acceptable use of mechanics. The writing effectively accomplishes the goals of the assignment.
8 = Paragraph contains above average composition skills, including a clear, insightful thesis, although development may be insufficient in one area and organization and style may not be consistently clear and effective. Shows competence in the use of mechanics. Paragraph contains few errors in grammar, syntax and mechanics.
7=Paragraph demonstrates competent composition skills including adequate development and organization, although the assumptions may be unsupported in more than one area. Paragraph contains some errors in grammar, syntax and mechanics.
Below 7=Composition skills may be flawed in two or more areas. Grammar, syntax, and mechanics are excessively flawed. Fails to accomplish the goals of the assignment.
SCORES AND REGISTRATION
Placement into BC 290 is based on BOTH a score of at least 40 on the multiple choice AND at least an 8/10 on the written paragraph. (Note: students who score above a 40 on the multiple choice portion of the exam but DO NOT SCORE AN 8, 9, or 10 on the written essay will not be placed into BC 290.) In order to be eligible to register for the BC 230 class, students must score at least 35/50 on the multiple choice section AND students must score a 7/10 or higher on the written paragraph. (Note: students who score above a 35 on the multiple choice portion of the exam but DO NOT SCORE A 7 on the written essay will not be placed into BC 230.) Students who score below a 7 on the written paragraph will be allowed to re-take the exam with permission from the Writing Program Director.
CONTACT INFORMATION FOR QUESTIONS
For questions regarding reservations, email:
The CMWA Program at CMWA@umb.edu
For questions regarding the CMWA and placement process, contact:
Kathryn Archard, CM Writing Program Director: kathryn.archard@umb.edu
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