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Program Advising and Student Success

CAF199 Writing Skills Test

About CAF 199

All first year Accounting and Finance students are required to write CAF 199: Writing Skills Test. Students who pass the test will receive a pass in CAF 199 and therefore may enroll in the Lower Level Liberal Studies course of their choice (subject to availability).

Students who do not pass the WST will be required to enroll in one of LNG 111, LNG 112, LNG 113, or LNG 121 as their first-year Lower Level Liberal studies course. LNG courses are designed to help students improve their English reading and writing skills and prepare to retake the WST. Once they have recieved a passing grade in their LNG course, students will be given the opportunity to retake the CAF199 test. 

Students must achieve a B+ (77%) or higher on the Test to pass.

A pass in CAF 199 is required to enroll in all third-year Accounting and Finance courses. 

Frequently asked questions (FAQs) about the CAF 199 test

CAF 199 Writing Skills Test (WST) is held on campus in late September or early October. Starting in 2026, students will write the test on their own devices with Respondus Lockdown Browser installed and enabled.

 All first-year students in the School of Accounting and Finance will be automatically enrolled in CAF 199 Writing Skills Test in D2L Brightspace, as well as any second- or third-year students who have not yet completed or passed the test. 

We highly recommend that you attend the CAF 199 Information Sessions. These sessions are held in mid-September and are designed to help Accounting and Finance students to prepare for the test. During the virtual session, we will provide you with an overview of CAF 199, offer tips on how to login and write the test on D2L and answer your questions.

You will leave the session with strategies to successfully complete the test.

CAF 199 is an English language and writing skills assessment; it is not a course and cannot be transferred for credit. All first-year students in the School of Accounting and Finance will be automatically enrolled in CAF 199 Writing Skills Test in D2L Brightspace.

The programs want to ensure that students have the necessary skills they need to excel in their courses and in their future careers.

CAF199 is graded on 5 criteria. Each criterion is graded out of 4, for a total of 20 marks. A B+, or 16/20, is required to pass the test. 

The grading criteria are:  


Logical Arrangement: Evaluation of the coherence within and between paragraphs in the written response. 

Use of Evidence: Assessment of the incorporation and relevance of evidence and/or examples to support claims or arguments. 

Grammatical Proficiency: Evaluation of the accuracy, flexibility and proficiency in grammar usage, including sentence structure, punctuation, and syntax. 

Sentence Structure: Assessment of the clarity, variety, and effectiveness of sentence structures employed in the written response. 

Lexical Proficiency: Evaluation of the use of vocabulary that is suitable and relevant to the context and purpose of the written response.

If you pass the test, you will recieve a PSD grade for the course, and you can enroll in Lower Liberal courses of your choice.

Typically around 95% of students pass the CAF199 Writing Skills Test.

Students who write the test but do not achieve a B+ or higher will receive an F grade. Students who do not write the test (for any reason) will receive an INP grade. 

In either case, students will be enrolled in one of the following LNG courses: 

See all course descriptions in the Undergraduate Calendar 

Once students have passed their LNG course, they will be given an opportunity to retake the CAF199 test. 

This test is designed to assess your English-communication skills which includes your vocabulary, paragraph and sentence structure, and grammar. Test aids are not permitted.

You are not required to conduct any research prior to the test. The test evaluates your current English-communication skills to determine if you may benefit from additional support in the development of your writing skills.

If you like, you can refer to the online resources on the Student Learning Support website.

Other than dictionaries, thesauruses or spell check, all Accommodations are eligible for CAF199. Since CAF199 tends to take place before the midterm exam season, students are urged to register for Accommodations (opens in new window)  and book the Test Centre (if necessary) as early as possible.  (opens in new window)