tips for essay portion of ENG LIT CLEP TEST

[md152]

Anyone have any tips on how to prepare for the Essay portion of the English Literature ClEP test. It's required by my school and I can't find much in the way of study tips.


Thanks!

[BIPolarGuy]

I suggest, you have someone give you a topic and write for 30 minutes. Time yourself. The Official Clep guide has examples of good and bad essays along with topics to write about. Write for 30 minutes on those topics and compare your essays to those in the book. There are also good examples on the Petersons test site(search Petersons) . It gives you a topic to write about for both the regular essay and citing essay. I found those really helpful. Another thing to do, when your taking the multiple choice test, is to write down alot of transition phrases and adjectives used in the esays you read. That will help kickstart your brain when its time to write. Good luck!

[NAP]

I'm not sure if the two of you are talking about the same exam. If it is the English Literature CLEP, the essay section is not usually required. Be sure to check the info at the College Board site.

[md152]

The university that I attend requires the "English Literature with essay" test according to the the school's website.

[af2012]

If the essay portion for your English Lit is anything like the essay for the English Comp, then I would suggest keeping to the 5x5 format (5 paragraphs, 5 sentences for each paragraph). Whatever topic they give you, just pick a side for or against, it doesn't matter if you really agree or not, just pick the side that you know you can get 3 points to support your claim. First paragraph will explain why you are for or against the topic, next three paragraphs will support your claim, last paragraph just wrap everything up.

Good luck!

Amy

[BGSU_Alum_86]

Please make note that the description on the CLEP website of the English Lit optional essays says the following:
This optional section requires candidates to demonstrate their ability to write clearly and effectively. Candidates respond to two of three essay topics. An essay on the first topic, a persuasive analysis of a poem, is required, and candidates are advised to spend 35 to 40 minutes on it. For the second essay, candidates choose one of two topics that presents a specific observation, position, or theme. Depending on the topic chosen, candidates choose any work by a particular author to appropriately support the claim or select works from a designated list provided. Candidates should plan to spend 50 to 55 minutes on the essay. All essays are scored by faculty at the school(s) where candidates send their reports.

As you can see, these essays are completely different than those that candidates complete in the College Composition exam! The 2 handwritten essays are given in another 90-minute appointment -- some candidates like to do it right after the multiple-choice portion of the exam and others like to return for a separate appointment date.

If you are taking the optional essay section, your test center has to order the essay topics from CLEP, so I do hope you have already given notice to your test center. These are not supposed to be stocked and there is an extra $10 fee for this extra part of the exam.

[md152]

Passed the regular part of the test with a 68. Any other tips for the essay? Also, does anyone know how it is graded. Thanks.

[OE800_85]

There are many commonalities among essays. They're primarily concerned with your writing style and analysis

Important tips: Always remember your audience. Choose an appropriate audience and be consistent! In formal essays one should avoid the use of personal pronouns (I,me,you)
Follow appropriate structure. Figure this out in advance. Do an outline first, include all the points you want to cover, THEN write it out in paragraphs.
Avoid common grammatical mistakes. Know the difference between who's and whose, their and they're, your and you're, you'd be shocked how often people do this.
Make your thesis clear. The reader should know the purpose and direction of your essay in the introduction. You don't need to divert from this course and go off on tangents.


I think if you can accomplish those goals, you can write any essay (given you have the requisite subject knowledge)

[BGSU_Alum_86]

These optional essays are not graded by CLEP, nor will they ever be reflected in your CLEP English Lit score. They will be forwarded to your university along with your official score from the multiple-choice section of the exam. I suggest you speak with your university to see if they can provide any direction for you.