Which Pencey class is Holden said to have passed?

Holden says he passed English at Pencey Preparatory School. He explains that he was expelled after failing his other classes, leaving English as the only subject in which he succeeded.

This detail appears near the beginning of The Catcher in the Rye, when Holden introduces the school and the circumstances behind his departure. Pencey is a fictional Pennsylvania boarding school presented as an elite institution, although Holden's narration quickly exposes his resentment toward its students, staff, and slogans.

The subject fits Holden's character because he is verbally gifted and intensely attentive to language, even while he struggles with formal schoolwork. His narration is full of slang, digressions, literary references, and sharp observations. Passing English does not mean he is an obedient or enthusiastic student; it highlights the difference between his ability and his willingness to conform.

Readers sometimes remember that Holden discusses a history teacher, Mr. Spencer, and mistakenly choose History. Mr. Spencer is important to the opening episode, but Holden did not pass every class. English is the single subject he identifies as a pass.