Those who pass receive our promise:

By the time you finish our course, you will complete at least one manuscript suitable for submission to an editor or publisher; we’ll show you how to sell your work to them; and we’ll teach you how to continue on your own as a freelance writer.

It distinguishes between those who do and those who do not have the potential, in our opinion, to learn how to write for children and teenagers.

Since we promise every person accepted for enrollment that he or she will complete at least one manuscript suitable to submit to an editor or a publisher by the time he or she graduates, we must be certain that those we accept have the necessary potential to achieve this goal.

Our instructors are all well-established, highly regarded professionals. Their good will is extremely important to our success. Never, under any circumstance, would we ask an instructor to take on an underqualified student. It would not be fair to the student, and it would not be fair to the instructor.

The successful applicant’s level of performance in this test also reveals skills and strengths, as well as weaknesses, that the instructor will take into account in developing his or her individual teaching plan. Quite naturally, there are differences in age and life experience, education, access to children and teenagers, reading and writing levels, and other factors among those who are accepted for enrollment.

Our course is designed to deal with individual differences through its one-on-one method of instruction. If we accept you for enrollment, regardless of your beginning level . . .

you’ll complete a character study, a descriptive sketch, professional query letters to editors, five story or article manuscripts, and the opening chapters of a book—all by the time you graduate.

You are under no obligation

Remember, you will not be under any obligation when you return this test to us for review. It is a free service. Your test will be read by professional evaluators and treated with respect and in confidence.

The test is designed to be enjoyable—to give you the chance to experiment with words and ideas and to exercise your writing ability. Relax and write in pen or pencil at a comfortable pace, or use a typewriter or computer. There are no right or wrong answers. We’re looking for the way you express yourself naturally.

NOTE: If you pass this test and decide to enroll, we will dedicate ourselves to your satisfaction, and you will receive our guarantee: If you are not satisfied that you’ve become a better writer and learned how to market your writing to publishers by the time you’ve completed our course, you can obtain a full refund.
 

Good luck—and have fun!

Approved by the Connecticut Commissioner of Higher Education and recommended for college credits by the Connecticut Board for State Academic Awards.

This Writing Aptitude Test can be read in about five minutes.

To fill it out completely, including the essay at the end, could require an hour, up to several hours. To get started, you can print this Aptitude Test and work on it at your leisure.

Once it is completed, you can print it out and mail it to us, or you can return to this site and transfer your responses to the interactive aptitude test before submission. It’s your choice, whatever you’re the most comfortable with.