The English Department is reinstating the ninth-grade final exam this year, returning to a traditional end-of-year assessment after a one-year pause. The exam will require students to write a timed CCEE (Claim, Context, Evidence, Explanation) analytical essay, testing their ability to construct a clear argument and support it with close reading and thoughtful analysis.
According to English Department Chair Alton Price, the exam is not a new addition to the final testing schedule.
“We are not introducing a new final this year,” Price said. “We have historically given finals, but did not do so last year because of the Los Angeles fires and their impact on the school community.”
Teachers have been preparing students for the exam since the beginning of the year.
“We have also placed particular emphasis on strengthening students’ approach to the explanation section, which is often the most challenging component,” Price said.
In addition to assessing the students’ writing ability, the department also hopes the exam will help students build confidence in handling sustained, timed academic work.
“We hope students will continue to develop an essential academic skill: the ability to sit with a text, think deeply, and respond thoughtfully under timed conditions,” Price said.
The exam will assess the analytical and writing skills students have developed throughout the year.
Alex O’Connor ’29 said the format feels fair and aligns with what students have practiced.
“If you give me a prompt, then there’s no preparation really to be done. It’s just an evaluation of your writing skills. I feel like it doesn’t add much stress,” O’Connor said. “It’s probably the best way to go about an English final.”
