Lucinda Albers

The Issue: The Proficiency Exam is required of all students at some point in their education.

I am coming closer and closer to the end of my sophomore year at SDSU. Along with this comes the halfway mark of my stay here at SDSU, the stress of finding off-campus housing, and the Proficiency Exam.

As if taking the ACT to get IN to college wasn’t enough, now we have to take another test much like it just to STAY in.

The Collegiate Assessment of Academic Proficiency (CAAP) Test is required of those going for their Bachelor’s Degree who have completed 48 credits and those seeking an Associate Degree who have finished 32 credits.

It is required of all Board of Regents schools, which includes six public universities in South Dakota.

Now, I understand that all students should have a well-rounded education with experience in all fields. But I don’t think that we should have to take an exam to keep attending SDSU. If you don’t want me to be here, just tell me. Don’t make me take a test that tells me I’m stupid and force me to leave.

The test has different sections in reading, writing, math and science reasoning and takes almost four and a half hours to take.

So not only am I forced to take a test that I can hardly study for, nor do I really care enough to study for, but I am also taking time out of my day for something that I will not really benefit from in the long run.

I took my generals. I recieved a passing grade in my generals. Why do I have to now take a test involving questions about these subjects? Look at my transcripts: it’s all there.

Most of the professionals, or at least college graduates I have talked to, mention the fact that they have never used the information from their general studies classes in their post-college work environment.

If I’m majoring in journalism, why should I have to take college algebra and chemistry? I’m not going to write for a science magazine nor am I going to report on the latest stock quotes. It doesn’t interest me and I don’t feel like I should have to pay hundreds of dollars a year to waste my time on these subjects.

But that’s fine, I’ve come to terms with taking those courses required for the Board of Regents. I just don’t feel like I should have to take a test to move on in my education. I really don’t see the point of taking this test. How is it supposed to affect me?

Say I get a low score in math. Does that matter to me? No. I’m not going to enroll in calculus. I’m not going to get a tutor or sign up to some Internet class to help me add and subtract. I’ll most likely take the scores, fold them into a neat little paper airplane and soar it right into the garbage can.

Unless we can get scholarships out of this deal, I don’t see how the students benefit from taking a four-hour long test that just stresses them out. And, if you’re like me, sometimes just makes you feel like more of an idiot walking out than you did walking in.