“Proficiency”, by Shannon Nichols, is a literacy narrative describing her disappointment as she fails her ninth grade proficiency test multiple times. Nichols, describes her self as an exemplary student throughout her life, which makes the reader wonder why she keeps failing her test. This creates the need-to-know how, or when, she finally was able to pass her writing exam and what she had to change in order to accomplish this. One feels the emotion of despair as all her peers seem to pass the test but she can’t. Nichols, eventually, passes the test on her third attempt but is left with a bitter taste for writing. This entire narrative is completely negative. I believe she should have elaborated on her success, and the emotions after finishing
