Competency testing in composition fixes goals that convey to students, teachers, parents, and the general public inaccurate notions about the nature of composition and what competency in writing comprises. The trend toward competency testing comes from the public's realization that many high school and college graduates are functionally illiterate. Concomitant with that trend has been the demand for a return to the basics. Unfortunately, this concept of competence fails to promote the role of thought in writing and denies the writer the privilege of making conceptual decisions. Even competency tests that include writing short essays do not allow the imperfect groping that is part of the composing process, cannot measure all aspects of a student's experience in English, and confuse goals with norms, thus reducing both testing and teaching to the lowest acceptable level. The word "competency" implies behavioral objectives without overtones of the acquisition of knowledge for the sake of knowledge, growth in appreciation, or the development of taste. (TJ)