The appropriateness of using time limits when measuring students' competence is questionable. This study assessed whether students who had failed the College Level Academic Skills Test (CLAST) could improve their performance if they were allowed additional time on retaking the test. Subjects were 641 students who took the CLAST from fall 1982 through fall 1986 at Miami-Dade Community College. Because standardized time allotments for completing the CLAST subtests could not be altered for the study, only students retaking the reading and writing subtests were included. These students are allowed 70 minutes to complete one or both subtests. A total of 296 students retook the reading subtest, 205 students retook the writing subtest, and 140 students retook both the reading and writing subtests. It was concluded that, after adjustments were made for previous performance, students who were allowed 70 minutes to retake the CLAST reading or writing subtest outperformed students who had only 35 minutes to complete the test. It seems that the number of correct answers, rather than speed in responding, should be the major determinant in assessing whether a student is competent in reading and writing. Three data tables are included. (Author/TJH)