What is the MEWT?
The MEWT is a paper-based test consisting of two 45-minute timed writings. Each timed writing is rated on a scale of 0-8. You must obtain a score of at least 5.0 on one essay and 4.5 on the other to pass. Passing the MEWT at the end of the semester is one of the two criteria for passing UMEI 007.
How is the MEWT graded?
Each composition is rated based on four performance criteria:
Criterion |
What it measures |
| Task Development | How completely you develop your written response through supporting details and well-reasoned examples. |
| Organization | How well you organize your response in terms of paragraph development, cohesion, and unity. |
| Lexical Accuracy | The richness and accuracy of the vocabulary you use. |
| Grammatical Accuracy | The sophistication and accuracy of the sentence structures you use. |
Your written performance in each criterion is rated on a scale of 0-4, then the four scores are summed and the total divided by two to get the final composition score of 0-8.
Can I appeal the test results?
The tests are scored by MEI faculty who have undergone training to rate the MEI writing compositions. This training includes practice sessions immediately before each test administration to ensure that all faculty are scoring tests consistently according to the scoring rubric. Each essay is rated by two evaluators. Essays are read by a third evaluator if the scores of the first two differ by more than a very small margin. This ensures inter-rater reliability for the scoring.
Test results can be appealed only if the student believes the testing conditions were faulty. In those cases, students must send an appeal to mei@umd.edu within 48 hours of the test administration.
