|
English 100 and English 101 courses at this college have required an ENGLISH PROFICIENCY EXAM. It is a timed, written essay in which the student responds DIRECTLY to an essay (100) or short fiction piece (101) in 80 minutes. The purpose of this exercise is to have the student demonstrate his or her ability to write an intelligent, cohesive essay under timed conditions. To this end, there will be an exit exam given in the ENGL 100 and 101 courses. These exit exams are not a final, nor are they given during finals week. Traditionally, the test is given during one of the last two weeks of the semester. Most students who are still enrolled in the course by that time in the semester will pass the exam... in both 100 and 101 courses, there will have been plenty of practice during the semester in taking time essays. For online courses, THE STUDENT MUST MAKE ARRANGEMENTS TO PICK UP THE STORY OR ESSAY (also called a prompt) AS WELL AS MAKING THE TIME TO TAKE THE EXAM DURING THE PRESCRIBED PERIOD. For on-campus and split delivery courses, the prompt delivery and the exam itself will take place during regular class time. The essays may be graded by the instructor in whose class the student is enrolled, but also by another instructor who also teaches that course. This is to ensure lack of bias in the grading and also to ensure the likelihood that any student who passes this exit exam is fully ready to move on to the next level. The reader grades these essays PASS/FAIL, so a C- is the benchmark. Generally, if the student has been passing in-class timed essays, then there is no need to worry about this exam. However, be prepared for it and don't miss it. FAILURE TO TAKE THE EXAM WILL LIKELY RESULT IN FAILURE OF THE COURSE AND A D GRADE. FAILURE TO PASS THE EXAM, WILL RESULT IN A REDUCED FINAL GRADE OF A FULL GRADE, AND THUS POSSIBLE FAILURE OF THE COURSE. © T. T. Eiland, January 1998 |
