The CUNY Proficiency Exam &
CPE Strategies for Success
The City University of New York (CUNY) Proficiency Exam (CPE) is designed to resemble assignments common to college level courses. The explicit goal of the exam is for students to demonstrate their competence in academic analysis and writing. In an effort to cover a range of academic skills from various disciplines, the exam is divided into two parts: a lengthy essay question focused on comparing and contrasting written materials and a shorter essay question focused on analyzing data in graphic form.
Two weeks prior to the exam, students receive a reading to study (Reading Selection A). This selection is designed to resemble materials often assigned to students in college courses or materials for a more general audience. On the day of the exam, students receive an additional reading (Reading Selection B). This is a shorter reading that relates to the first one in some way.
In the first part of the CPE, students are required to write an essay in relation to the two readings. They are instructed to respond to four specific tasks. First, they must summarize the longer article that they received two weeks prior to the exam. Second, they are asked to compare the two articles in relation to a specific issue. Third, they must discuss how the article does or does not relate to their own experience. Finally, they must use specific references from the texts to support their argument, demonstrating their ability to incorporate quotes and cite references appropriately.
In the second part of the exam, students are asked to compose a shorter essay that compares a reading selection to two different charts or graphs. In this section of the exam, they must first identify the main claims made in the reading selection and then explain how each set of data supports and/or contradicts those claims.
CPE Grading Criteria
Task I: Analytical Reading and Writing
Two readers grade your test. Each reader assigns your test a score for four different categories. Your combined score on Task one is made up of eight scores: four by each reader.
In each of the four categories, you are awarded a score from 1-6 (1 being poor, and 6 being excellent). "Threes" and "fours" are considered adequate grades. The four grading criteria have been taken directly from the CPE booklet and are in italics. Underneath the italicized criteria, you will find an explanation of what it takes to get a four for each category. Please note that grammar is only one of the criteria.
A. Develops an essay that presents a focused response to the writing assignment, making appropriate and coherent connections among all parts of the assignment.
· the goal here is completely fulfill all four of the tasks. You must remember to summarize reading A, draw a relationship between readings A and incorporate your own knowledge, and explain your own opinion.
You must also maintain your focus as you address each task, developing the assigned topic in your summary, comparison, knowledge, and opinion.
B. Demonstrates understanding of the readings through summary and explanation of relevant material.
· on the day of the test you will find out what the topic is that you are to discuss. The goal here is summarize reading A as it relates to this main point.
· You must correctly identify, summarize, and analyze the material in reading A that relates to the assigned topic.
C. Incorporates, as support for own thoughts, references to the readings, identifying the sources formally or informally.
· there are two goals here. The first is to show how the information in the readings relates to your ideas and experiences. When you discuss your experiences and opinions, you must point to the text to show how your knowledge does or does not support the claims in the readings. When you do this, you must correctly identify the information in the readings that is relevant to your experiences and knowledge.
· The second goal is to correctly cite sources. You don't have to use MLA or APA style, but you do have to refer to the authors by their last names, not their first names. For example, if the author is Dan Smith, it would not be acceptable to write the following:
o In the article, Dan talks about ...
You would, however, score points for writing:
o In reading A, Smith states, "...". or according to Smith, "...".
D. Communicates clearly and effectively, using appropriate conventions of language (e.g., grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
· You will not do poorly on this section if you misspell a word or two.
· You will not do poorly on this section if one or two verbs don't agree with their subjects.
· As long as your grammar mistakes do not interfere with the reader’s ability to understand what you mean, you will do well.
Task II: Analyzing and Integrating Information from Text and Graphs
Once again, two readers will grade your exam. The criteria here are not as complex. You earn a score of 1-6 depending on how successfully you complete the assignment. The grading rubric has been taken directly from the CPE booklet and is in italics below. Underneath the italicized criteria, you will find an explanation of what it takes to get a four. Please note that grammar is not even mentioned; it does not count for Task II.
You are also not expected to write an essay. You have to write a response. This means you do not need an introduction, a thesis, or a conclusion. You simply need to complete the task, which is as follows:
· Accurately identify two claims from the reading selection and adequately explain the relationship of figure 1 to one of these claims, and Figure 2 to the other.
It is important to remember while taking this part of the exam that the charts and graphs may contradict information that is in the short reading assignment.
· Be sure to link one claim to one chart, and the other claim to the other chart. don't leave out a chart.
· Don't compare the charts and graphs to each other.
Expected CPE Skills:
1. In order to summarize, students must be able to extract the author's thesis, main points and relevant details.
2. In order to incorporate background ideas, students must be able to distinguish among the author's direct words, a paraphrasing of those words and their own interpretation or reaction to those ideas. They must know how to distinguish these various forms in their writing, through appropriate quotations and references. And finally, they must be able to select relevant materials related to their own ideas.
3. In order to develop a coherent and organized analysis, students must first be able to compare and contrast materials by identifying similarities, differences and other connections, categorizing them and then making connections in an organized manner.
4. To present an argument, as opposed to a summary, not only must they be able to distinguish their viewpoint from that expressed in the text, they must also be able to connect the materials to their own experience and knowledge.
5. Finally, to write in clear prose requires knowledge of the basic rules of academic English.
Our goal [as educators] then should remain what it has always been: To help our students to acquire the academic skills required for college level work and beyond. We, and our students, will all benefit more by focusing more closely on those skills and how best to acquire them, rather than focusing on the specifics of the Proficiency Exam per se.
For more general information on the CPE, see: http://www.cuny.edu/cpe
-- From Making Meaning, Making Sense: A Guide to Writing Across The Curriculum
by Linda Hirsch, et al.CUNY Proficiency Exam Strategies
The CUNY Proficiency Exam is a two part exam that is to be taken by all rising juniors at Hostos who will be graduating in 2003 or later. This is an important exam since it is used to determine whether you will graduate from Hostos or not. The following information can help you to prepare for this exam. You can also check out the official CPE Test web site:
http://www.cuny.edu/cpe
There are many ways students can prepare for the CPE.
1) Sign up for as many workshops as you can. Go to both the Task I and the Task II sessions. Go to more than one of each. Different professors run the workshops. You may learn something new each time you attend.
2) Organize study groups to go over Reading A. When you do, you may want to:
a. Compile a list of questions about the text, and try to answer them as a group
b. Brainstorm about possible areas of connection for Reading B. What issues do you think Reading B might discuss?
3) Acquire two copies of Reading A. You may want to download one version off of the CPE web site, and mark it up with short summaries, marginal notes, definitions, or anything else that helps you to understand the reading. Then use the reading from the test booklet to neatly organize your notes. Bring this version to the exam.
Preparing for the Essay Section of the Exam
1. Obtain and read the first reading selection for the exam. You will be expected to compare this reading with another reading you will be given during the test. Do not be afraid to put notes and questions all over the paper.
2. Re-read this selection as many times as you can.
3. Try making an outline of the reading.
4. Ask yourself the following questions:
a. What is the author's purpose for writing this?
b. Has the author fulfilled that purpose?
c. What did you think about the reading?
d. What was important to you about the reading?
e. Ask at least one question you have about the article.
f. What is something you already knew about this topic and what is something new that you learned from the reading.
5. Write down your answers to all of these questions on the reading itself.
6. After you have finished doing the above steps, attend a CPE workshop for further guidance.
Preparing for the Data Section of the Exam
1. Unlike the essay section of the CPE, you will not be given a chart or graph to study before the exam. Therefore, it is best if you begin to study for this section by first thinking of where you have seen charts or graphs in your classes (hint -- math, biology, chemistry, anatomy, etc.). Look at those graphs and think of what they are trying to tell you.
2. Know the difference between whole numbers and percentages.
3. Compare two different charts/graphs on the same topic in the same chapter or reading and ask yourself the following questions:
a. What is the first chart/graph trying to tell me? How about the second?
b. Are both charts/graphs telling me the same thing or are they contradicting each other?
4. Answer these questions on a piece of paper. Review this information before the test.
5. Write down the "main claims" or "main ideas" that other charts/graphs are illustrating to you.
6. Once you have completed the above steps, attend a CPE workshop for further guidance.
For more information on the CPE Exam go to the following site: http://www.cuny.edu/cpe
