Purdue Global CM220: College Composition II
CM220 is the second required composition course, centered on research-based persuasive writing. The term builds toward a documented persuasive essay on a 'big idea' the student develops across units, with research, source evaluation, and APA citation woven throughout.
Fennie is independent and not affiliated with Purdue Global. This is an unofficial study guide.
What makes it hard
The term-long essay structure means early laziness compounds: a vague topic chosen in week 2 makes the research units miserable. APA citation is the top deduction source, and students consistently underestimate how much the rubric cares about credible, properly integrated sources versus just having an opinion.
What you'll cover
- • Persuasive writing and argumentation
- • Research and source evaluation
- • Integrating and citing sources
- • APA documentation
- • Counterarguments and revision
The CM220 study guide
How to study for Purdue Global CM220, step by step.
- 1
Pick a narrow, arguable topic by week 2
The whole term builds on your big idea, and a vague topic chosen late poisons every research unit after it. 'Cities should require X' beats 'housing is a problem', because specificity makes research findable.
- 2
Research with citations attached
Record the full APA reference the moment you save a source, not during a pre-deadline cleanup. APA is the top deduction in CM220 and almost all of it is preventable bookkeeping.
- 3
Evaluate sources against the rubric's bar
The graders care about credible, properly integrated sources, not source count. For each one, note why it's credible and which paragraph of your argument it supports.
- 4
Draft the counterargument section seriously
Addressing opposition is a rubric line, not a garnish. Write the strongest version of the other side and answer it. That's what separates persuasive writing from opinion.
- 5
Leave a full unit for revision and citation audit
Check every in-text citation against its reference entry and reread the rubric line by line before the final submission. Mechanical errors at the finish line waste a term of work.
Today
Today's CM220 plan
What a Fennie Daily Plan looks like for CM220. Yours is built from your own syllabus and adapts every day to your deadlines and progress.
First plan free, no card required. Fennie is independent and unaffiliated with your school.
FAQ
Is CM220 harder than CM107?
Yes, moderately. It adds research, source integration, and a term-long essay project on top of CM107's fundamentals. Students with a clear, narrow topic by week 2 or 3 find it manageable; vague topics make every later unit harder.
What is the CM220 big idea essay?
It's the persuasive research essay you develop across the whole term: you choose an issue, research it, and build a documented argument with credible sources and APA citations, submitting components unit by unit before the final version.
How do I avoid losing points on APA in CM220?
Build citations as you research instead of retrofitting them before the deadline. Check every in-text citation against its reference entry, and use the rubric's source requirements as a checklist. Most APA deductions are mechanical and preventable.