CLEP exam requires you to develop two coherent essays. One is an argumentative essay in which
you must take a stance on an issue and support your position with evidence from your life and
experiences. In this assignment, you’ll practice examining an issue, developing a strong position on the
issue, and supporting your thoughts with strong reasons and evidence.
Assignment
“There are no challenges so difficult,
no goals so impossible, as the ones we set for ourselves.”
Write an essay in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the statement
above. Support your discussion with specific reasons and examples from your reading, experience, or
observations.
Your essay should include the following components:
Introduction – In this introduction, you must present the issue and your stance on the issue (i.e.
whether or not you agree with the statement and why). Please be sure your thesis is clear and
direct. For more information on developing a thesis, check out this link:
http://writingcommons.org/the-guiding-idea-and-argumentative-thesis-statement.
Two body paragraphs – Each paragraph should discuss a different reason for your position.
Counterargument/Rebuttal paragraph – You must address and refute an alternative opinion.
Conclusion – You must sum up the contents of your paper while using new and interesting
language.
Submission Requirements
The paper needs to be 5 paragraphs long, written in 12-pt. Times New Roman. Remember to double
space your work!
Before starting your essay, please review the CLEP scoring guidelines. https://clep.collegeboard.org/composition-and -literature/college-composition