Differences between California State University, Fresno, students eligible to enroll in freshman composition and those who appeared to need reading and writing remediation were studied. Attention was directed to differences between students scoring below the first quartile on the English Placement Test (EPT) reading subscore and those scoring at or above this point. Of concern were demographic factors, persistence to the end of the freshman year, cumulative units completed in the first year, grade point average in the first year, grades in English 1, and entrance examination scores. Differences in EPT subscores related to student's sex, ethnicity, self-reported English as a second language status, and decision about a major at college entrance were also investigated. The EPT reading subscore was not a better predictor of persistence and academic progress than other objective components of the EPT. However, the fact that the EPT essay subscore was more highly related to persistence strongly supports the accuracy and consistency of essay testing. Significantly less variability existed in the EPT essay subscore than in three objective test subscores on the basis of ethnicity and English as a second language status. Additional findings are discussed. A 154-item selected bibliography concludes the document. (SW)