clep college composition essays

CLEP College Composition Practice Test

Prepare for your test with realistic questions.

The College Board administers the College-Level Examination Program (CLEP), which offers affordable exams to help students across the country receive college credits. This article covers the CLEP College Composition exam, which tests your writing skills and general English knowledge.

Click “Start Test” above to take a free CLEP College Composition practice test!

What is the CLEP College Composition Exam?

As mentioned previously, if you are already familiar with a particular subject without having a college education, CLEP exams can be taken to earn college credits for those subjects. If you have learned the exam material through life experience, previous studies, or on-the-job training, you can take this one exam and receive college credit as if you took the one-semester course!

By taking and passing the CLEP College Composition exam, you can skip the composition class at college, which could potentially result in the following:

• Save you money because the test is cheaper than a semester at college
• Allow you to earn three or more college credits
• Add flexibility to your degree program
• Allow you to graduate on time or possibly to graduate ahead of schedule

It is important that you check with your college before taking this exam to make sure it is an exam they will accept.

CLEP College Composition Exam Eligibility

There are no eligibility requirements to take this exam! CLEP exams are available for anyone to take at any time, regardless of age or formal education.

Generally, you will see the following groups of people taking the CLEP College Composition exam:

• Homeschool students
• High school students who are preparing to graduate
• College students
• Adults who are returning to school
• Professionals who want to use the exam results to help advance their careers
• Applicants to master’s degree programs that still have undergraduate prerequisites they need to fulfill

CLEP College Composition Exam Outline

The CLEP College Composition exam contains 50 multiple-choice questions and two essays. The multiple-choice questions have a time limit of 55 minutes, while the essays are timed at 70 minutes.

The multiple-choice questions are split into four categories:

Conventions of Standard Written English (10%)

The knowledge and skills tested in this section include:

• Logical comparison
• Punctuation
• Identification of correctly written sentences
• Logical agreement
• Sentence boundaries
• Passive and active voice

Revision Skills (40%)

• Sentence structure
• Transitions
• Evaluation of evidence
• Use of language
• Organization
• Consistency of point of view
• Main idea and thesis statements
• Topic sentences
• Level of detail
• Author’s appeal
• Rhetorical effects
• Awareness of audience

Ability to Use Source Materials (25%)

• Reference materials
• Source evaluation
• Integration of resource material
• Source documentation

Rhetoric Analysis (25%)

In this section, you will be asked to write two essays.

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CLEP College Composition Exam Registration

The CLEP College Composition exam is administered year-round on a very flexible schedule, and you can register via the College Board website.

First, you must create a College Board account. This will allow you to register, and you will be able to see any exams you have taken and view the grades of the exams you have taken. You can also request a transcript from this page.

During the registration process, you will need to pay the $90 exam fee and choose whether to take the exam at a testing center or from home via an online proctor.

Testing In-person

Once you have selected the testing center, date, and time that works best for you, you will need to print your exam ticket. You will not be admitted into the testing center without this printed ticket (a screenshot of the ticket will not be accepted).

Testing Remotely

Before you register, you should ensure that you meet the system requirements:

• You must have a PC desktop or laptop (Macs, Chromebooks, and tablets are not supported).
• Your computer must be using the Windows 10 operating system (Windows 11 is not supported).
• Your computer must have the most recent version of Google Chrome installed.
• You must have a speaker of some kind, internal or external (headphones are not allowed).
• You must have a camera and microphone, internal or external.
• You must have a reliable internet connection.

Once you have selected the date and time that works best for you, you will need to download the ETS Online Test desktop application. This app is what allows you to take the exam on your computer at home.

In-person Testing

On the day of your exam, you should arrive at the testing center 15-30 minutes earlier than the scheduled time. Once you arrive, you will be asked to provide a valid, government-issued photo ID, as well as your printed registration ticket.

Before you enter the testing room, you will be asked to leave all personal items (cell phone, bag, coat, notes, food, etc.) in a secure locker outside the testing area. Since you are not allowed to bring your own calculator, a TI-30XS MultiView scientific calculator will be made available within the testing software:

Remote Testing

On the day of your exam, you will need to log in to your CLEP account 15-30 minutes prior to your scheduled exam time. Once you have logged in, you will need to download and install the Proctortrack desktop application. Within this app, you will be asked to verify your identity with a face scan, and you will need to scan your photo ID. You will also be asked to scan your testing room using your webcam.

Once the check-in process is complete, you will need to open the ETS Online Test desktop app, and the proctor will get you set up and start the exam.

During the exam, you must ensure that no one enters your testing area. If someone comes into your room, you must immediately ask them to leave, and you cannot say anything else.

How the CLEP College Composition Exam is Scored

CLEP exams are scored with one point for each correct answer, and you will not have points removed for any incorrect answers or skipped questions. The number of correct answers you have will be your raw score.

Your raw score is converted into a scaled score, which is typically in numeric form ranging from 20 to about 80.

An unofficial score report will appear on the screen as soon as you finish the exam, and an official report will be made available the day after the exam when you log in to your CLEP account.

Passing Score

Each college has its own CLEP score requirements, so there is no universal passing score. You can usually find this score requirement on your college’s website or course catalog.

According to the American Council on Education, a scaled score of 50 or higher is often what colleges require.

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How to Study for the CLEP College Composition Exam

How to study effectively.

Your success on CLEP test day depends not only on how many hours you put into preparing but also on whether you prepared the right way. It’s good to check along the way to see whether your studying is paying off. One of the most effective ways to do this is by taking CLEP College Composition practice tests to evaluate your progress. Practice tests are useful because they show exactly where you need to improve. Every time you take a free CLEP College Composition exam practice test, pay special attention to these three groups of questions:

• The questions you got wrong
• The ones you had to guess on, even if you guessed right
• The ones you found difficult or slow to work through

This will show you exactly what your weak areas are and where you need to devote more study time. Ask yourself why each of these questions gave you trouble. Was it because you didn’t understand the material? Was it because you didn’t remember the vocabulary? Do you need more repetitions on this type of question to build speed and confidence? Dig into those questions and figure out how you can strengthen your weak areas as you go back to review the material.

Answer Explanations

Additionally, many CLEP College Composition practice tests have a section explaining the answer choices. It can be tempting to read the explanation and think that you now have a good understanding of the concept. However, an explanation likely only covers part of the question’s broader context. Even if the explanation makes sense, go back and investigate every concept related to the question until you’re positive you have a thorough understanding.

Comprehend Each Topic

As you go along, keep in mind that the CLEP practice test is just that: practice. Memorizing these questions and answers will not be very helpful on the actual test because it is unlikely to have any of the same exact questions. If you only know the right answers to the sample questions, you won’t be prepared for the real thing. Study the concepts until you understand them fully, and then you’ll be able to answer any question that shows up on the test.

Strategy for CLEP College Composition Practice

When you’re ready to start taking practice tests, follow this strategy:

• Remove Limitations. Take the first test with no time constraints and with your notes and CLEP study guide handy. Take your time and focus on applying the strategies you’ve learned.
• Time Yourself. Take the second practice test “open book” as well, but set a timer and practice pacing yourself to finish in time.
• Simulate Test Day. Take any other practice tests as if it were test day. Set a timer and put away your study materials. Sit at a table or desk in a quiet room, imagine yourself at the testing center, and answer questions as quickly and accurately as possible.
• Keep Practicing. Keep taking practice tests on a regular basis until you run out of practice tests or it’s time for the actual test. Your mind will be ready for the schedule and stress of test day, and you’ll be able to focus on recalling the material you’ve learned.

How many questions are on the CLEP College Composition exam?

There are 50 multiple-choice questions and two essays on the exam.

How long is the CLEP College Composition exam?

The total time limit for the exam is about 2 hours; the multiple-choice questions are timed at 55 minutes, and the essays are timed at 70 minutes.

What is the passing score for the CLEP College Composition exam?

There is no set passing score for the exam, but a scaled score of 50 is recommended.

How much does the CLEP College Composition exam cost?

The exam fee is $90.

By Peter Rench

Peter Rench joined Mometrix in 2009 and serves as Vice President of Product Development, responsible for overseeing all new product development and quality improvements. Mr. Rench, a National Merit Scholar, graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and a minor in mathematics from Texas A&M University.

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by Mometrix Test Preparation | This Page Last Updated: January 3, 2024

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CLEP / College Composition (+ Modular)

Free Practice Test: CLEP College Composition (+ Modular)

Rea clep college composition.

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• Exam Study Guide
• Free Practice Test
• Recommended Study Tools

No one wants to do it . . . but everyone has to! Passing freshman composition is a degree requirement for nearly all college students. But why sit in a classroom for fifteen weeks when you can prepare for and take the CLEP Composition Modular test!

The CLEP Composition Modular test assesses what would be covered in a first-year writing class in college. The test is divided into two parts: 90 multiple choice questions in 90 minutes and 2 essays written in 70 minutes.

The multiple-choice section covers basic concepts like The Conventions of Standard Written English (grammar, voice, punctuation, subject-verb agreement, etc), Revision Skills (organization, transitions, evaluation of author, point of view, etc.), Ability to Use Source Materials (evaluating sources, research, and documentation, including MLA, APA, and CMS), and Rhetorical Analysis (appeals, tone, use of language, evaluation of evidence, structure).

The essay section will give students the choice of prompts to write about. Each college has their own way of presenting this section of the test, so make sure you do your research about what the process is for your college.

Fast College Composition (+ Modular) Study Guide

Whether you have been an English scholar or not, remember that you have been speaking English your whole life! You undoubtedly know more than you think you do. And remember, there is no literature on this test. This is strictly about writing, how to write using research, and how to analyze writing.

The Multiple-Choice portion is divided into four areas:

Conventions of Standard Written English (10%)

This section will assess your skills in writing sentences, recognizing fragments and run-ons, agreement (pronouns, subject-verb, case and number), and recognizing things like active versus passive voice and idioms or figures of speech. You will also need to brush up on your punctuation! The two areas most students make mistakes on are in using commas (which have about 50 rules!) and using semi-colons. There are hundreds of interactive grammar quizzes and tests available online if you need some practice.

Revision Skills, Including Sentence-Level Skills (40%)

Here is where the test assesses how well you can proofread and revise a draft. It measures your ability to organize logically, evaluate evidence, your awareness of audience and purpose, your ability to recognize appropriate tone, main ideas, thesis statements, topic sentences, point of view, and sentence-level errors. This test is designed to see how well you pay attention when you are reading a draft. Are you able to see all the errors? Can you correct them properly? Try finding some drafts online to read through or go over some of your high school work and determine what mistakes you tend to make – then you will be more aware of what you are looking for.

Ability to Use Source Materials (25%)

How are your research and reference skills? This is where the test will assess how thoroughly you can integrate research, evaluate research, identify what references are the best, and how thoroughly you document sources (works cited, bibliography, in-text citations). There will be single questions to answer as well as passages where you will have to demonstrate the above skills. If you have never written a research essay before, which is happening more and more, it is in your best interest to read some researched essays and become familiar with documentation formats MLA, APA, and CMS.

Rhetorical Analysis (25%)

When we read literature and write about it, we are usually summarizing. In freshman composition, students move from summarizing to analyzing. This section of the test has reading passages where you will demonstrate your ability to think critically, identify style and purpose, analyze your audience, and identify the context of the writing. These passages will contain the rhetorical appeals, rhetorical effects, evaluation of evidence, and evaluation of language used.

Essay Section (Modular Only)

The Essay Section requires students to respond to two essay prompts; however, the topics are not known to the test taker beforehand. Be prepared to write about just about anything! Each school has its own method for applying this portion of the test. It could be completed on a computer, or it could be written by hand.

College Composition (+ Modular) Free Practice Test

Question 1: which sentence has a consistent point of view.

• After the movie, Joe and I went to visit our friends.
• As the kids walked away from recess, we were sa
• As the musicians finished the concert, you could tell the audience wanted more.
• When Lucy got her dog, you could tell it was mean.

CLICK FOR ANSWER

Correct Answer: A. After the movie, Joe and I went to visit our friends.

Explanation: “Joe and I” matches the use of the pronoun “our”. The other sentences use a mix of different points of view, making them inconsistent. For example, a) should be “she could tell it was mean”, not “you could tell it was mean.”

Question 2: Which of the following is a rhetorical appeal?

• All of the above

Correct Answer: A. All of the above

Explanation: The rhetorical appeals are based on an old, Greek dude named Aristotle. He identified them as ways to persuade or argue when using writing. Ethos is the credibility of the person writing the piece, pathos is an emotional appeal to the reader, and logos is the logic of facts and evidence.

Question 3: Which of the following is a method of formal documentation?

Correct Answer: A. APA

Explanation: APA stands for American Psychological Association format. This format is used primarily in the sciences and political/historical studies. MLA, Modern Language Association, is used in the humanities. CMS, Chicago Manual Style, is used in journalism. Answers b-d are just made up ??

Question 4: Before you begin writing an essay, you have to consider three things

• Diction, audience, and purpose
• Audience, tone, and format
• Vocabulary, diction, and tone
• Audience, tone, and purpose

Correct Answer: D. Audience, tone, and purpose

Explanation: Anytime you are getting ready to write an essay, you really have to think about who it is you are writing for (audience) because you want to use the right tone (conversational or formal). If you are writing for friends or family, you can have that informal, conversational tone, where you don't have to worry about being too serious?? For academic writing, you need to write to your teachers and peers – so, a formal tone would be better. You also need to figure out why you are writing the essay – what is your purpose? Is it to inform, persuade, entertain, compare, or argue?

Question 5: Choose which of the following would be the best search engine to use for reliable research

• Google Scholar

Correct Answer: A. EBSCO Host

Explanation: EBSCO Host is a database of scholarly, peer-reviewed journals and book reviews. The next best choice would be Google Scholar as it has similar resources. Google and Wikipedia are never a good option because their search returns are not always considered reliable.

Question 6: Choose the sentence that is written correctly.

• The teacher gave each student a printed handout, a printed worksheet, and the story.
• He wanted to race to the gym, climb the rock wall, and swim in the pool.
• Josey needed to have her teeth clean, her hair brushed, and her breakfast cooke
• Bobby had to collect rock, leaf, and weeds.

Correct Answer: B. He wanted to race to the gym, climb the rock wall, and swim in the pool.

Explanation: The correct sentence shows a parallel construction. The verbs are all written in the same tense and are followed by a prepositional phrase. The other sentences do not have adequate parallel structure.

Question 7: Choose the sentence that is written correctly.

• Hailey never wanted to see that horrible show so she said no.
• But Camren did want to see it and went.
• There were terrible reviews about that show from lots of critics.
• However, Camren never listened to the critics.

Correct Answer: D. However, Camren never listened to the critics.

Explanation: When you start a sentence with a subordinating conjunction, you must place a comma after it. There must also be commas between conjunctions and independent clauses (which is just a complete simple sentence). The remaining sentences are missing commas or are written in passive voice.

Question 8: Choose the sentence that is written correctly.

• Lucy's meeting with her father was cancelled.
• Fred and Ginger goes to the movie together.
• Tony and he brother are very close.
• Colby drove to the house and eat dinner with his girlfriend.

Correct Answer: A. Lucy's meeting with her father was cancelled.

Explanation: Here we have pronoun agreement between “Lucy” and “her”. The remaining sentences had errors in pronoun use, verb inconsistency, and subject-verb agreement.

Question 9: Which of these sentences would be a good thesis statement for the following essay prompt?

• Prompt: Write a 5-7 page argument on whether you agree or disagree with standardized testing in public schools.; Standardized testing in public schools is bad for kids because it takes too long.
• Standardized testing in public schools should not be allowed because students lose class time, the tests are expensive for the schools, and the tests often have errors in them.
• Students should take standardized tests because that's the way it's always been.
• Kids shouldn't have to take standardized tests because it takes away from learning.

Correct Answer: B. Standardized testing in public schools should not be allowed because students lose class time, the tests are expensive for the schools, and the tests often have errors in them.

Explanation: A good thesis statement has three parts: the topic (standardized testing in public schools), the writer's opinion (agree or disagree), and at least three arguable points to discuss in the essay (claims). Standardized testing in public schools (topic) should not be allowed (opinion) because students lose class time, the tests are expensive for the schools, and the tests often have errors in them (claims).

Question 10: Which of the following is the best example of using proper formal language in a paper?

• The lion unceremoniously dove from the craggy edge of the precipice.
• Witnesses reported that the lion fell from a stony cliff.
• The beast fell precipitously from the jagged and moory cliff.
• A giant cat, in a dramatic swoon, lunged to its death in the abyss.

Correct Answer: B. Witnesses reported that the lion fell from a stony cliff.

Explanation: When you are using formal language, it is important to remember NOT to sound like a thesaurus! Using words like “witnesses” instead of people or “reported” instead of “saw” give your writing a formal tone without overusing pretentious words ??

Question 11: Example of Essay Writing Section (see context for prompt)

• Many possible answers

CLICK FOR QUESTION CONTEXT

Let’s say you were given a prompt like this: For many years, there has a been a debate over whether or not students should be allowed to have their cell phones on during class. Choose a side and write your point of view.

Correct Answer: A. Many possible answers

Explanation: This question doesn't have one single correct answer, but should demonstrate your ability to think logically and structure a grammatically correct answer. "Students should not use cell phones in class because they are distracting. When a student is using a cell phone, he or she is not paying attention to the teacher. They also may be distracting their neighbors through their cell phone use. In both cases, the student is not learning about the lesson being taught. Texting on a cell phone may seem acceptable because it doesn't make a lot of noise, but when a teacher is trying to teach a lesson, he or she is looking around the classroom to make sure everyone is paying attention. When a teacher has to stop the lesson to tell someone to put away a cell phone, that is very distracting to everyone."

More CLEP College Composition (+ Modular) Study Resources

Official clep study guide.

While quite short on the study side of things, the official CLEP book is the go-to final practice test. Since this is the only official practice test available, I normally use it as my final spot check before taking the test.

REA offers a great combination of study guide and practice questions. This book functions well as the central pillar of a strong CLEP prep strategy, with resources like the Official CLEP Study Guide (above) providing a great final practice test at the end.

InstantCert Academy

The website looks like it was made before the internet, but it’s legitimately the single most useful study guide I’ve found yet. Basically it’s a series of flashcards that help you study in a fast paced and fun way.

Writing a Stellar CLEP Essay

Welcome back to our third and final installment of our CLEP essay tips! In our first and second blog , we talked about lots of things you can do to prepare, and now is the time to discuss how to write a stellar essay when you take the exam.

It can be challenging to remember how to write an essay, especially if you haven’t written one in awhile. While our CLEP exam review materials don’t include resources for writing an essay, we’re here to give you some informal guidance in our blog. Take a look at how to break down your essay, and find the best in CLEP test prep courses from SpeedyPrep!

Getting Set Up

We’ve mentioned this in a previous blog, but it’s really important that, first and foremost, you fully understand exactly what the essay prompt is asking. For this example we’re going to use a sample prompt from CLEP College Board , for the American Literature exam.

“For the first essay, a common theme in American literature and a list of major American authors are provided. Test takers are asked to write a well organized essay discussing the way that theme is handled in works by any two of those authors.”

As an example, let’s use two popular pieces of American literature: The Grapes of Wrath and Harlem . This book and poem, respectively, are famous examples of 20th century American literature, by contemporary writers John Steinbeck and Langston Hughes.

To start, note that the prompt says “ discussing the way that theme is handled in works by any two of those authors. ” We have bolded the key words. Identify the keywords in your essay prompt because your success depends on fulfilling these tasks.

This tells us we need to write an essay where we talk about how theme is used by two authors. It will probably be easiest to compare the similarities between the works, remembering to always come back to the stylistic choices of the authors .

Paragraph 1: The Intro

Before you write, come up with a cohesive thesis statement. A thesis statement is the sentence that states your point of view on the topic. It serves as the summary of the argument you will make in your essay. We could go into a full blog post about writing a great thesis statement, but for the sake of time, here’s a general formula for this prompt:

(Author 1) and (Author 2) (do what the prompt is asking) to show (theme).

Our practice thesis for this essay is as follows: Both Steinbeck and Hughes use the concept of unfulfilled dreams as a theme to show hardships faced by Americans.

Your intro should be about five sentences, with the final sentence explaining what your thesis is. The first few sentences should cover some of the basics of the two works, similar to this (though you very well might want to expand more on your own essay).

“The Grapes of Wrath” and “Harlem” are exceptional examples of 20th century American literature. While written at different points in time, they cover some similar topics, which provide a voice for American people across a span of several decades. Both Steinbeck and Hughes use the concept of unfulfilled dreams as a theme to show hardships faced by Americans.

Paragraphs 2-4: The Body

The body paragraphs are like the bullet points of your essay, but going into more detail. These three paragraphs will present evidence on three topics you plan to cover to support your thesis. When planning your essay, it is helpful to write out some bullet points for yourself to follow in writing the body paragraphs.

For your body paragraphs, you want to bring in a solid piece of evidence that backs up your thesis statement — more specifically, a new piece of evidence every time. After stating your evidence, you use the rest of the space in each paragraph to explain what you mean. We can’t stress this enough: every single thing that you’re writing should have some connection back to your thesis, and back to the prompt itself.

Here’s an example of a good body paragraph:

The wording choices used by both Hughes and Steinbeck represent the overarching theme of unfulfilled dreams and hardships faced by Americans in the 20th century. In “The Grapes of Wrath,” Steinbeck writes “… in the eyes of the people there is the failure; and in the eyes of the hungry there is a growing wrath.” Steinbeck wrote this book about the Joad family during the Great Depression. When he uses the word “failure,” he’s referring to this theme of dreams that could not come true, and the consistent letdowns that came from such a period of economic hardship. Similarly, Hughes speaks in vivid imagery of “what happens to a dream deferred,” or a dream that does not come true. He talks of it “festering like a sore,” continuing with the theme of the pain that comes from an unfulfilled dream, more so in the context of the inequities faced by African Americans. Both authors focus on their wording to convey this theme of hardships faced by Americans, and how this led to many dreams that couldn’t be pursued.

Paragraph 5: The Closing

Closing paragraphs are gratifying to write, because it feels good to finish up a well-written essay. Your closing paragraph pulls everything together. Make sure you bring it back to the thesis and prompt once more, and provide a brief summary of some of your points (but worded in a different way). Use three to five sentences to close out your essay, and restate your thesis in a slightly altered way. For this essay good closing sentences could be “The theme of unfulfilled dreams was used by both Steinbeck and Hughes to represent the trials faced by the American people. This theme still serves as a relevant topic in today’s literature — as well as society as a whole.”

Writing an essay can seem challenging, but it’s like anything in life: the more you do it, the more comfortable you feel with it. Practice responding to prompts, reference our other two blogs for tips on getting set up for the big day, and make sure you feel confident on how to write a well-organized and well-structured essay — all of these components will help you feel more prepared for the test. In the meantime, remember that you can rely on SpeedyPrep for incredible CLEP exam review courses and resources — get started today!

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To qualify for a bachelor’s degree from the University of Colorado Colorado Springs, a student must complete two Compass core writing requirements and demonstrate writing portfolio competency.

ESL or ELL Students

The First-Year Rhetoric and Writing Program advises ESL students to enroll in sections with faculty who are qualified for writing instruction for speakers whose first language is not English. Contact the First-Year Rhetoric and Writing Program Director, Ann Amicucci, at (719) 255-4040 or [email protected] for ESL placement and enrollment consultations and advising.

Students may meet the Compass core writing requirements in the following ways: 

1.   Successfully complete ENGL 1300 + ENGL 1305 Stretch, ENGL 1308, or ENGL 1310 and then successfully complete ENGL 1410 or TCID 2080 or 2090 or INOV 2100 at UCCS and then demonstrate writing portfolio competency.

       a.  Any student admitted to the university is eligible to register for ENGL 1300 ENGL 1308, or ENGL 1310. Students are required to complete the Writing Placement Survey prior to registering in their first English course. Contact [email protected] with questions.

       b.  To be admitted to ENGL 1305 Stretch, students must complete ENGL 1300 Stretch with a C- or better.

       c.   To be admitted to ENGL 1410, TCID 2080 or 2090, or INOV 2100; students must meet one of the following requirements:

• Complete ENGL 1300 + 1305 Stretch, ENGL 1308, or ENGL 1310.
• Score 29+ on the English ACT.
• Score 700+ on the Reading+Writing SAT (taken after the SAT redesign of March 2016).
• Score 3 or above on the AP English Language & Composition or score 4 or above on the AP English Literature & Composition exam.
• Score a 4 or 5 on the IB English Literature HL Exam or score a 4 or higher on the IB English Language & Literature HL Exam or the IB English Language & Literature SL Exam.
• Successfully complete an approved equivalent to ENGL 1310 at an accredited college or university with a C- or better.
• Score a 50 on the CLEP College Composition exam or score 50 and receive a ‘pass’ on the essay portion of the CLEP College Composition Modular exam with essay. (Not an option for Engineering majors.)

c.  To demonstrate writing competency after completing the Compass core writing requirements, students must pass the Writing Portfolio Assessment. For more information, email [email protected] .

The second Compass core writing course for each undergraduate program is listed below:              

• ENGL 1410    : College of Letters, Arts & Sciences*, College of Education, School of Public Affairs, and Beth-El College of Nursing & Health Sciences*
• TCID 2080    : College of Business
• TCID 2090    : College of Engineering & Applied Science
• INOV 2100    : Bachelor of Innovation

*Most Beth-El College of Nursing & Health Sciences students and all College of Letters, Arts & Sciences students except Technical Communication and Information Design majors take ENGL 1410. Students should check their degree plan or speak to an academic advisor for information about specific majors.

Students may transfer approved equivalents for required Compass core writing courses by successfully completing one or two semesters of writing at an accredited college or university with a C- or better. Transfer students must also demonstrate writing competency by passing the Writing Portfolio Assessment after completing their second Compass core writing course at UCCS or upon transfer of their complete core writing requirements from an accredited college or university.

The Writing Portfolio Assessment  should be submitted online by registering for PORT 3000 and following the email prompts. Students who choose not to demonstrate competency by earning a ‘pass’ on their writing portfolio may alternately meet the competency requirement by successfully completing ENGL 3010 or TCID 3080 with a grade of C- or better. 

2.  Qualify for a waiver of writing coursework through the CEEB Advanced Placement Examination.

a.  Score 3 or 4 on the AP English Language & Composition exam or score a 4 on the AP English Literature & Composition exam. A score of 3 earns credit in the state-wide Guaranteed Transfer system for CO1 (an ENGL 1310 equivalent), and a score of 4 earns credit for ENGL 1310. Next, successfully complete ENGL 1410, TCID 2080, TCID 2090, or INOV 2100 (depending on degree requirements), then either pass the Writing Portfolio Assessment or take ENGL 3010 or TCID 3080 and earn a C- or better.

b.  Score 5 on the AP English Language & Composition exam to receive credit for both ENGL 1310 and 1410, and then either pass the Writing Portfolio Assessment or take ENGL 3010 or ENGL 3080 and earn a C- or better.

3.   Qualify for a waiver of composition coursework through International Baccalaureate English exams.

a.  Score 4 or 5 on the English Literature HL Exam, score a 4 or higher on the English Language & Literature HL Exam, or score a 4 or higher on the IB Language & Literature SL Exam to receive credit for ENGL 1310, successfully complete ENGL 1410, then pass the Writing Portfolio Assessment or take ENGL 3010 or TCID 3080 and earn a C- or better.

b.  Score 6 or 7 on the English Literature HL Exam to waive the ENGL 1310 requirement and receive credit for ENGL 1410, then pass the Writing Portfolio Assessment or take ENGL 3010 or TCID 3080 and earn a C- or better.

CLEP College Composition Exams

Students who would like to earn CLEP credit for ENGL 1310 may take the College Compositionexam or the College Composition Modular exam with essay. Contact the First-Year Rhetoric and Writing Program Placement Coordinator at [email protected] for guidance. For the College Composition Modular exam, students will first be required to take both the essay portion and the multiple choice portion of the test at the PPCC Testing Center. Not an option for Engineering majors.

Writing Portfolio Assessment

For information and applications, email [email protected] . A $25.00 assessment fee will be billed to all students who submit a portfolio to demonstrate writing competency.

First-Year Rhetoric and Writing Course Fees

• Students are billed $10.00 per course to cover support for computer classrooms and laptop sections of ENGL 1300, 1305, 1308, 1310, and 1410.
• Students are billed $15.00 per course to cover support for programmatic assessment of these courses.