Students must take the exam in the semester immediately following the completion of their 45th credit. As of September 1, 2003 ALL students pursuing an associate or bachelor's degree at CUNY must take and pass the CPE. Passage of the exam is a requirement for the associate degree. Only students who have earned a bachelor's degree or a higher degree from an accredited program are exempted from the CPE requirement.

The CPE is a 3-hour test consisting of:

• TASK 1: Analytic Reading and Writing (2 hours)
  Students will be given two reading selections, an 8 to 9 page selection to be studied in advance and a 1 to 1 1/2 page selection at the test. During the test, students will be asked to write a focused essay, drawing a relationship between specified elements of the two reading selections and extending it, as directed, to their own experience, understanding, or ideas.
   
• TASK 2: Analyzing and Integrating Information from Graphs and Text (1 hour)
  At the time of the exam students will be given a set of materials (two charts or graphs and a brief reading passage) on the same or similar topics. These materials are not released prior to the testing session. Students will be asked to identify and state accurately at least two claims in the reading selection and to explain the relationship between these claims and the relevant data in the figures with accuracy, clarity, and completeness. The data may support or contradict the claims.

This site provides a tutorial aimed at assisting students in becoming familiar with the skills required to pass the CPE, and developing these skills through interactive practice sessions.