AN OVERVIEW OF THE GEORGIA REGENTS’ WRITING AND
READING EXAMS
-Or-
WHAT
DO I NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE GEORGIA REGENTS’ EXAM?
Find the Georgia Board of Regents Web site at:
*All
quoted information was taken directly from the GA Board of Regents’ Web site
Where
can I find the most comprehensive, current information on the Georgia Regents’
Writing and Reading Exams?
The
Georgia Board of Regents provide an excellent source for all students, teachers, and
raters on their comprehensive web site. It is highly recommended that all students visit
this web site (http://www.gsu.edu/rtp
What
is the purpose of the Georgia Regents’ Testing Program? –Or—Why do I have
to take the Regents’ exam?
The
Georgia Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia developed the Regents’
Writing and Reading exams in 1972 in order to assure that every student receiving a
bachelor’s degree from a college or university in the state of Georgia would possess
certain minimum skills in reading and writing.By establishing the current methods of
testing, the Board of Regents hoped to identify those students who “fail to attain
the minimum levels of competence in reading and writing.”Therefore, as a student at
Southern Polytechnic State University, you must prove your abilities in reading and
writing in order to obtain a degree from this institution.
What
exactly is involved in the Regents’ Exam? –Or- What exactly
will I be doing during the test?
The
Regents’ Exam is comprised of two parts—writing and reading.During the writing
section of the exam, students have one hour (60 minutes) in which to write on one of four
topics provided. A complete list of topics is available on the Georgia Regents’
WebSite at www.gsu.edu/rtp.The questions are general
questions that have no right or wrong answers.Students are allowed to write in pen only
(no pencils), and whiteout is not allowed.Test booklets (equivalent to 3 college-ruled
pages) will be given to the students in which to write their answers.Dictionaries are
allowed and must be provided by the students.
Please
refer to Formula for
Passing the Regents’ Essay Exam on the Composition web page for one
experienced professors’ advice for success.
The
reading section of the exam is also a one hour (60 minutes) test, consisting of 60
multiple-choice items that cover ten reading passages and five to eight questions about
each passage.The passages cover a variety of topics and various modes of discourse
(exposition, narration, and argumentation).The questions that accompany the passages
“have been designed to assess four major aspects of reading:(1) Vocabulary, (2)
Literal Comprehension, (3) Inferential Comprehension, and (4) Analysis.”Students
provide their answers to the Reading Test questions on machine-readable answer sheets.
Only
one Writing test and one Reading test may be taken during a semester.If both sections of
the test are to be taken, they must be taken in one sitting.In other words, a student may
not take the Writing section of the test on one day and the Reading section of the test on
another.
The
exam is administered on a first-come, first-served basis, with approximately the first 60
people signing in on the day of the exam actually taking the tests.For this reason,
students should plan to allow themselves at least two dates for taking the exam.
How
are the tests scored, and when will I find out how well I did?
Students’
answers to the Reading Test questions are recorded on machine-readable answer sheets so
that these tests can be read and scored by a computer.
The
essay section of the test is distributed among six scoring centers in the state, each
staffed by representatives of various Georgia colleges and universities who serve as
raters.Only his/her social security number identifies each student’s essay, so that
the raters are unable to identify the student or the institution which the student
attends.Each essay is graded on a holistic grading scale by three raters with 4
representing the highest grade and 1 representing a failing grade.The student’s score
is the rating that at least 2 of the 3 scorers give the essay.If there is no agreement
among the raters, the essay receives the middle score of the three scores.An essay must
receive at least a score of 2 to pass.
Within
five weeks of administering the Regents’ Exam, each institution will receive a report
of its students’ scores.Individual institutions are responsible for reporting scores
to each student.At SPSU, students can check their Regents’ scores on the WEB.Students
need to access the SPSU Home Page, then Admissions/Records, and then RTP
scores.
What
if I pass one section of the test and not the other?
Once
a student passes the reading or writing section of the Regents’ exam, the student is
no longer required to retake that section of the test.However, the student must continue
to take the failed section of the test until he/she passes.If a student has completed more
than 45 semester hours and not passed one section of the test, he/she must register for
the Regents’ remediation course for the section of the exam that has not been passed.
When do I have to take the test, and how will I know it’s time for me to
take the test?
According
to Regents’ policy, “students must take the test in the semester after they have
completed 30 semester credit hours if they have not taken it previously.Students who have
earned 45 semester credit hours and have not passed both parts of the test must enroll in
remedial courses until they pass both parts.”Remedial writing and/or reading classes
must be taken each semester until the student has passed both parts of the exam.
SPSU
students are encouraged to take the exam after 1) they have completed English 1101 and
1102, or 2) they have completed 15 semester hours of coursework, regardless of the number
of English courses taken at that time.
Students
who have completed 30 hours of coursework and have not completed English 1101 or 1102 must
take the Regents’ exam and must take it every semester after the completion of 30
semester hours until the requirement is met.If a student passes 45 semester hours and has
not passed one or both sections of the test, that student must register for Regents’
remediation classes before he/she will be allowed to register for any other courses during
that semester.This policy will continue until both sections of the Regents’ exam have
been passed- no exceptions.
Students
who transfer into the system with 45 or more semester credit hours from a system that does
not require the Regents’ Exam should plan on taking the exam during their first two
semesters of enrollment in a program leading to a baccalaureate degree.These students will
not be required to take remedial courses unless they have been enrolled at SPSU for two
semesters and have not passed both sections of the exam.
A
few weeks prior to the Regents’ Exam, students who have completed 15 semester hours
of coursework or students who have just transferred into the university will be notified
by mail of Regents’ Exam dates and times.
What
if English is not my native language?
Students who do not speak English as their native language may take an institutional version of the exam. To pass, two of the three institutional raters must give the exam a passing grade.The use of “culturally neutral topics, the granting of extended time, and the use of translation dictionaries are permissible accommodations for the essay examination.”Students who wish to be considered for this version of the test should contact the Humanities and Technical Communication Departement office in J-333.
What if I have special needs such as motor, visual, or hearing impairments,
or what if I have test anxiety, learning disabilities, or other documented needs?
Students
who have a learning or physical disability may be considered for special provisions while
taking the Regents’ Exam.Students who suffer from severe test anxiety and have taken
the Regents’ remediation course(s) twice may be allowed more time for the exam with
special approval from SPSU and the Board of Regents.Students who fall under these
categories should contact the Counseling Center, located on the upper
floor of the Student Center.
Dr. Susan R. Morrow has been a full time professor of English at SPSU since 1984.She served as the Director of Composition and the Learning Resources Director for several years.Since 1987 she has been actively involved in the Regents’ Academic Committee on English and served as state chair of this committee from 1997 – 1998.Dr. Morrow has also scored Regents’ Essay exams for several years.Currently, she is the liaison between the SPSU Composition Program and the Board of Regents.By drawing on this broad experience, Dr. Morrow gives her best advice for passing the Regents’ Essay Exam.
Introduction:
1. Bring a photo ID, a Word Book or a paperback dictionary for spelling, a pencil and a pen, and wear a watch.
2. Do not use white out for mistakes; use an erasable pen or
just draw a
line through the mistake.
3.Write the essay in ink and on the assigned topic.
4.Put a title on your essay.Do not underline it or put it in
quotation
marks.
5.If you write small, skip lines.If you write medium, only skip
lines
between paragraphs.If you write large, do not skip lines.
6.You have 3 full pages (college-ruled paper) to write the essay.
7.You will write only a one-shot draft/final copy.You will have
no
extra paper or time to copy your paper over.
The Preparation - Planning:
1.Choose a topic you know something about.If you write experience
based topics best (based on personal experience, 1st person, choose that type of topic.
Example:Who has influenced your life the most?Give specific examples.Remember:you do not
have to write the truth; your paper can be based on the truth and you can exaggerate or
make up examples and details. If you write 3rd person, objective topics best,
choose that type of topic.Example:Should our country have a national lottery?
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