Writing Quick Start: Essay Examinations and Portfolios

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Essay Examinations and Portfolios

IN THIS CHAPTER YOU WILL LEARN TO

  • prepare for and take essay examinations, and
  • create a writing portfolio.

WRITING QUICK START

T

he cartoon on this page humorously comments on the process of taking tests. No doubt you’ve taken tests throughout your school years, and they are an important part of college classes as well. Assume you are taking a short, timed writing test. You have been asked to write about your experiences with taking tests. You might write about how you prepare for exams or share test-taking tips, for example. You have fifteen minutes to complete the writing test.

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© www.Cartoonstock.com

In completing the timed writing test in the Writing Quick Start, did you feel pressured by the fifteen-minute limit? How did you decide what to write about? Did you have as much time as you would have liked to organize, plan, develop, and revise your ideas? Probably not.

You may wonder why instructors give essay exams and other kinds of timed writing assignments. In many college courses, essay exams allow instructors to determine how well students have grasped important concepts and whether they can organize and integrate key concepts with other material. In addition, essay exams require students to use different and more advanced thinking skills than they use when taking a more objective type of exam, such as a multiple-choice test. For instance, an essay exam for a history course might require you to pull ideas together and focus on larger issues, perhaps analyzing historical trends or comparing two political figures.

This chapter will help you prepare for the timed essay exams you will encounter in college. Although the chapter focuses on essay exams, you can also apply the skills you learn here to other kinds of writing assignments you need to complete under time pressure. This chapter will also help you prepare a portfolio of your writing.

TIMED WRITING AND PORTFOLIOS IN COLLEGE AND THE WORKPLACE

  • For the midterm exam in your philosophy of religion course, you have one hour to answer the following essay question: “Contrast the beliefs of Islam with those of either Judaism or Christianity.”
  • For a business communication class, you are asked to assemble a portfolio that illustrates your mastery of the six course objectives.
  • As a freelance artist, you need to prepare a portfolio of your illustration styles to help art directors evaluate your work.