As a requirement to graduate, UC Davis makes all candidates either take an upper division writing class or pass a competency exam. As an English major, I have written many essays in my career here. However, this was a different kind. As I read through the passage, I immediately started noting alliteration and other stylistic devices, only to realize that they won't care. This exam is more of the university's way of asking the following questions:
- Can you read?
- Can you understand what you read?
- Can you form coherent sentences that show you can understand what you read?
- Will you be an embarrassment to our institution if we give you a degree?
I realized this as I was reviewing my final work. Noticing many areas where flow could have been improved or other points tied in better, I had to stop before my mind got bored. I asked myself, "Would this essay pass a competency exam?" Then I folded down my desk and turned in the essay.
