Welcome to the procedure and preparation suggestions for the English Composition I (ENL111) Credit By Examination.

If you are attempting to earn ENL111 Credit By Examination (CBE), you must demonstrate competency in the skills listed in the ENL111 syllabus—including library and research skills. Students who have already had extensive instruction and practice in source-based argument writing in a rigorous high school program are encouraged to apply for the CBE, but the application process is open for any student who has not already attended 20% of a semester of ENL111.

Once approved, applicants are scheduled for a 3-hour written exam in which they use the sources provided to produce a short source-based argument in MLA or APA style. If successful at meeting the minimum passing score, students are enrolled in a self-paced online library research unit to familiarize themselves with the research resources they will be using throughout their Penn College careers.

The essay test demonstrates the student’s skills in argument, composition, source incorporation, and citation, while the post-test library course ensures that students can apply good research skills to Penn College resources with confidence.

The evaluation of this exam is rigorous; be prepared. You should be comfortable with the basics of source incorporation (quotation, paraphrase, summary), source citation (in-text citation and formatted list of sources), paragraphing skills, clear style, and the rhetorical mode of argument. See below for objectives and resources.

• Define a topic or issue to write about
• Compose, develop, and support thesis and topic sentences
• Plan, organize, and draft essays
• Revise and proofread writing
• Locate, evaluate, use, and cite sources using current MLA or APA guidelines

Upon completion of this unit, you should be able to:

• Use the library efficiently as a result of your understanding the organization of basic library collections: circulation, reference, reserve, and periodicals.
• Identify and limit an appropriate topic for the research paper.
• Organize your research work.
• Identify author, title, and subject fields on the catalog record and interpret publication data given.
• Interpret entries in databases and use information to locate specific periodical articles.
• Describe the types of plagiarism and use appropriate documentation to avoid each type.

Step 1 – Fill out a written application at the School of Business, Arts & Sciences (BAS), located in the ACC, Rm. 102. If eligible, you may be asked to meet with a dean or department head for a consultation before approval. If approved, you must pay an evaluation fee to the Bursar’s Office. No examination will be prepared or administered until the student presents the evaluation fee receipt to the BAS office. The office will then assist you in scheduling your proctored exam.

Step 2 – Before the scheduled exam, review your knowledge of the skills and content listed in the ENL111 Required Student Outcomes (RSOs), using reliable library sources such as a college English handbook, the most recent edition of the MLA or APA research handbooks, and/or the Online Writing Lab at Purdue, which has self-paced content and quizzes.

Step 3 – Take your scheduled CBE test, prepared to do your best. You will be notified with the results within ten days of completing the test.

Step 4 - If you successfully passed the test portion, go to the Madigan Library and talk with a librarian to arrange access to the computer-based library tutorial. Complete the tutorial within the given time period to complete your test-out process.

*If you take the CBE as part of a beginning-semester cohort identified in ENL111, follow the directions given to you after the test.

• Contact a librarian. View Madigan Library hours.
• Contact a tutor in Tutoring Services, or review your work with a Tutoring Services staff member.