EPE Exam

At this time of the year seniors are counting down the days until graduation. Making sure they complete all their credits, forms for commencement, and planning for their immediate future after college.

Those are just some of the major things on a senior's to do list. Before graduating, seniors' at Menlo College are required to take an English Proficiency Exam (EPE). In order to graduate students must successfully pass the exam.

The exam consists of two parts. There are two multiple choice sections, as well as two essays to be written. It takes about three to four hours to complete the exam. Each section in the exam is timed. Your overall score is a combination from the multiple choice and essay sections.

The last EPE exams were given on Wednesday, February 17^th and Saturday, February 20^th. Students are allowed to take the exam any year while attending Menlo College. Most students take the exam during their senior year.

One downfall of taking the exam in the last year is that it takes a while to get the results back. The exams are sent away to be checked and graded based on a point system. Students are supposed to be notified of their scores within five to seven weeks of taking the exam. Participants in the February exam are still waiting for exam results.

As a senior I am still waiting for my results of the test. It would help if students could be notified faster of their exam scores. This way a student can look for the next exam date as soon as possible if they happened to not pass the exam.

I have mixed feelings towards the exam. On one hand students take at least two years of English classes at Menlo College. Students need to pass the classes to graduate anyways. That could be why some students feel that the exam is unnecessary. However, the school needs to know what level their students are at. Before graduating Menlo College wants to make sure a student has efficient writing, reading, and grammar skills.

A good way to prepare for this exam is to plan ahead. Underclassmen should look for the exam dates and take the test, the sooner the better. The exam is timed, which mean students have to work productively and quickly. It's a good idea to go to the writing center on campus to take a practice exam before the real thing. Having a strategy before you take the exam will help your time management.