Taking College English Composition next Friday

[lina]

how many essays do you think that I need to write per day from now on?


I am so nervous now. I made 78% on peterson test. But the essay are driving me crazy. poor me. I guess I have already failed before even taking the test. If I did, I would take it again. Fight! Fight!Fight!

[rhapsodyinblue]

If you score high enough on the tests, do the essays really matter? Just curious if this was like the Public Speaking DSST where you have to pass both parts to receive credit for the exam?

[Merlin]

If you score high enough on the tests, do the essays really matter? Just curious if this was like the Public Speaking DSST where you have to pass both parts to receive credit for the exam?

Yes, you need to pass both parts to get a passing score on the exam. However, if your school doesn't require the essay part (most do), you can just take College Composition Modular which doesn't include the essay.

[lina]

If you score high enough on the tests, do the essays really matter? Just curious if this was like the Public Speaking DSST where you have to pass both parts to receive credit for the exam?

In my school, I have to make 50 out of 80 on the m/c in order to take the essay. On the essay part, I have to make 13 out of 16 to gain 3 credits, or 14 out of 16 to gain 6 credits. So the essay does matter. If I make less than 13 on the essay, I will not get any credits.

[LaterBloomer]

I took it last Saturday, and I'm STILL not over the hyperventilating! Writing is my bete noire. My suggestion is to do a quick outline when you see the topic, make simple points, and stick to the outline. (Folks in this forum talk about 5x5 essays. You might want to search the forum.) I was all over the place. My writing was the written equivalent of a two-year old's finger painting. Don't try to impress with really involved thinking. Keep it simple, organized, and coherent. Good luck. I'm not normally an empathic person, but, trust me, I FEEL your pain.

[lina]

I took it last Saturday, and I'm STILL not over the hyperventilating! Writing is my bete noire. My suggestion is to do a quick outline when you see the topic, make simple points, and stick to the outline. (Folks in this forum talk about 5x5 essays. You might want to search the forum.) I was all over the place. My writing was the written equivalent of a two-year old's finger painting. Don't try to impress with really involved thinking. Keep it simple, organized, and coherent. Good luck. I'm not normally an empathic person, but, trust me, I FEEL your pain.

Thank you for your suggestions. That is very helpful.My essays will be graded by a computer, so I don't think the artificial intelligence can really understand the "involved thinking". hilarious But I maybe underestimate what a computer can actually do. Good luck for both of us. I hope that we both can pass!

[Merlin]

My essays will be graded by a computer, so I don't think the artificial intelligence can really understand the "involved thinking"

How is that? I know the CLEP essays are graded by academic review not by computer. I wouldn't think that a computer could do much more than analyze the form to make sure you're sticking to the "rules" of grammar and good writing style.

[lina]

How is that? I know the CLEP essays are graded by academic review not by computer. I wouldn't think that a computer could do much more than analyze the form to make sure you're sticking to the "rules" of grammar and good writing style.

I have no idea which really scares me. All I know is that they follow the rules of COMPASS e-Write and I will know my score right after finishing the test.

[lina]

Here is what I found on their website:

Your essay will be evaluated according to how well you:

* Formulate a clear and focused position on the issue defined in the prompt
* Support that position with reasons and evidence appropriate to the position taken and the concerns of the reader/audience
* Develop the argument in a coherent and logical manner
* Express ideas using clear, effective language

[Merlin]

Here is what I found on their website:

Your essay will be evaluated according to how well you:

* Formulate a clear and focused position on the issue defined in the prompt
* Support that position with reasons and evidence appropriate to the position taken and the concerns of the reader/audience
* Develop the argument in a coherent and logical manner
* Express ideas using clear, effective language

Pretty sure they'll need a human evaluator for those criteria. In the CLEP College Composition exam, it is one of the few tests that do not give you a score immediately, as they have to account for the human reviews. That generally means it takes a few weeks to get your result. The modular version you do get your score immediately, but it doesn't have an essay component.

I'd love to see a sophisticated AI that could properly interpret an essay. I know there are AI driven lexical analysis parsers that can do a pretty good critique of structure and grammar, but I'd be amazed to see one that can actually interpret arguments and understand rhetoric.