CLEP Success: English Composition with Essay

Great tips there!

Something I would mention is don't spend too much time formulating a detailed, "perfect" outline. Since you only have 45 minutes, just jot down your three main points along with a couple brief supporting points to help get your thoughts organized and then start writing. In other words, make sure you have at least a fairly clear idea of what you want to say in your essay and how you're going to say it but don't analyze so much that you end up with too little time to actually write the essay.

When I took this exam, I also found it helpful to think of a quote by a well-known person, a brief personal anecdote, a statistic, or an example from a familiar work of literature to support my points and my own opinion.

Finally, practice, practice, practice until you feel comfortable writing a five-paragragph essay in 45 minutes. I spent several days just writing essays with a timer set next to me, getting familiar with the idea of a time limit and learning to calmly pace myself while effectively organizing and communicating my thoughts. The time spent practicing and better developing these writing skills proved invaluable to me not only for the exam but also in nearly all the writing I have done since then.

So anyway, hope that helps somebody out a bit. =)

Blessings and happy writing!

— Cristina Driscoll Tuesday, May 5, 2009 9:58 AM CDT

I am an adult learner (37) and needed to pass the English Comprehension Exam with 2 essays to obtain my bachelor's degree. The Clep exam was the last thing holding me up and I put it off for the past two years.

I am scheduled to graduate this summer so I scheduled the exam at a local college a few weeks back. I did not study or prepare (arrogance) as writing, grammar and comprehension have always been one of my strongest skills. I thought it would be no big deal!

The day of the exam, I realized that I was completely unprepared. I only completed 41 of the 50 multiple choice questions before I ran out of time. I had no idea about the extent of the two essays and I struggled to organize and complete them in the allotted 70 minutes.

I worked diligently to complete the exam but left the testing center with a negative feeling. I have taken hundreds of tests in my life and I felt i didn't do well. I was mad at myself for not properly preparing and assuming the exam would be a cake walk. I also learned that you can only repeat the exam every 6 months. This would throw my graduation plans off track. I was very disappointed in myself.

Anyways, the other day, an envelope arrived in the mail from CLEP. I was so nervous as I opened it. I anxiously waited the past 2 weeks for the results and the anticipation was stressful to say the least.

To my surprise I passed the exam :). My score was not spectacular but it was enough to earn me the 6 units to complete my graduation requirement.

I got lucky and hope my story is a learning lesson to others. Please prepare and use the study and essay example guides available through CLEP and elsewhere. Preparation will save you a lot of stress and you will feel more confident in the exam. Also don't wait until you are about to graduate to take the exam. Give yourself enough time just in case you have to retake it.

I wish you all the best of luck.

— ray Monday, June 6, 2011 12:53 AM CDT