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Upper Division Composition Exam is a UC Davis challenge exam to satisfy the upper division writing requirement of the various colleges. It is administered by the University Writing Program on one Saturday every Fall, Winter, and Spring quarter. There are usually three sittings on each exam date: 8:30 AM, 11:30 AM, and 2:30 PM. Registration opens the Monday before the exam. You must have completed at least 70 units before taking the exam. If you forget to register, you can take the exam anyhow, so long as you register immediately after taking the exam.
Due to a vast reduction in upper division composition courses (a total of 15) for 2010 Winter and Spring quarters, officials (such as Cindy Dufern in a 5 October 2009 e-mail) are highly recommending students with over 70 units consider taking the exam. The reduction occurred due to budget cuts and of course will result in a high stakes race to get seats in the remaining classes.
The exam consists of an hour and a half of writing a response to a short essay. In the past, topics such as underage drinking and the prevalence of dishonesty in society have been used.
In Fall 2008, students were asked to respond to a slightly abbreviated version of a 1980 Time article, "The Busting of American Trust," by Frank Trippett (Specifically, I believe the second to last paragraph was omitted) The prompt asked if the student believed the "causes and/or effects" of dishonesty according to Trippett were still true today.
The exam requires a special form (NOT a blue book) and is available at the bookstore and (presumably in limited quantities) at the exam for $0.20. Other than the form, all that is required (and allowed) is a pen or pencil and a photo ID. You won't be permitted to leave the room once the exam starts without turning in your exam, so if you have to pee, you should probably do it before arriving. Supposedly, once the prompt is passed out you've committed to taking the exam and do not have the option of not scoring the exam. In practice, this is likely impossible to enforce. Students are provided with scratch paper which must be turned in along with the exam and prompt when they leave. The proctors only let students leave through one door, by physically blocking off the other exits.
Results are reported in two weeks via email, which is after the final drop date and first pass time. You may only take the exam twice. You also have the option of meeting with a counselor who will explain to you why he or she thinks the graders didn't assign a passing grade.
