Beginning with the fall semester, 1983, California required all community colleges to test their students on minimal writing competency before being granted an Associate in Arts or Associate in Science degree. This guide explains the ways in which students at Bakersfield College may complete this requirement (i.e., by initial placement into English 1A after taking the English Classification Test, then completing English 1A with a "D" or better, or by completing English 1 with a "C" or better and passing the writing competency test) and outlines the procedures and criteria for evaluating writing competency. The guide indicates that in order to demonstrate minimal competency the student must: (1) respond appropriately to the writing task; (2) maintain a consistent point of view; (3) organize according to a logical plan; (4) support general statements with appropriate specific details or examples; and (5) correctly use the conventions of standard English. Evaluation score sheets and corresponding sample essays are presented, along with materials for the instructor including examples of student sentences, observations and comments about the test, and a list of activities for improving student success. (EJV)