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Frequently
Asked Questions About the Regents' GSTEP
Answers for the Frequently
Asked Questions about the Regents' GSTEP
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What is the Regents' test?
Passing the Regents' reading and writing test is a requirement for
all undergraduates in the University System Of Georgia. This includes
GSU, as well as UGA, Georgia Perimeter, etc. The goal of the Regents'
test is to certify student competence in reading and writing. All
undergraduate students in Georgia must pass both the reading and
writing parts of the test as a requirement of graduation. You can
read more about the Regents' test in the GSU General Catalog.
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Who is eligible to take the Regents' GSTEP to substitute for
the regular Regents' test?
If your native language is any language other than English, you
may take this test. You can be an international student (on an F-1
or other visa), a resident (with green card), or a US citizen; the
only requirement is that your native language is not English.
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When can I take the test?
Two special administrations of the Regents' GSTEP will be offered
every semester several weeks after the regular Regents' test. For
this semester's dates, check the Important
Dates section of this website.
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How do I register?
You need to register in person in the Applied Linguistics/ESL
Office, 12th floor, 34 Peachtree Street. You must register at least
48 hours in advance of the test date. Early registration is strongly
encouraged, because once the capacity of the room is reached, no
more students will be accepted. Be sure to specify "Regents'
GSTEP".
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How much does it cost?
There is no charge for GSU undergraduate students to take the reading/writing
portion of the Regents' GSTEP. Noone else is allowed to take this
test (for example, at present students at Georgia Perimeter College
are not allowed to take this test).
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What is the test like?
The test consists of three sections. Part I is a multiple-choice
reading test, with three passages and 30 items. In Part II, you
will read two related passages on one topic and answer 8 short-answer
comprehension questions. In Part III you will write an essay on
the topic that you read about in Part III. Each section is 45 minutes
long.
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How is the test scored?
The multiple-choice questions in Part I are scored correct/incorrect.
The short-answer questions in Part II are given one score for content
and another score for language. The essay is scored on content,
organization, and use of language, using the Applied Linguistics/ESL
Scoring Rubric.
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Do I have to pass all three parts of the test?
Your reading score is based on Part I and your content scores for
Part II. Your writing score is based on your language score for
Part II and your essay score for Part III.
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How will I get my test results?
Your test results will be available on the Web along with your grade
report at the end of the semester. Individual reports are available
at Applied Linguistics and ESL upon request. It generally takes
several weeks from the test date before the scores are available
to students.
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What if I've already taken the GSTEP?
If you took the GSTEP for new international GSU students (the ISSS
GSTEP) after summer 2001, you may already meet both or either
of the Regents' reading and writing requirements. You must get scores
of 6 in reading, 6 in rhetoric, and 5 in language to meet Regents'
requirements. If you've already taken the ISSS GSTEP and you believe
you qualify, please contact the Department of AL/ESL to ask them
to forward your scores to the Office of the Registrar. You should
have your student number and the date on which you took the test.
If you took the Admissions GSTEP, you may use only the reading
portion of the GSTEP to fulfill the Regents' Reading requirement.
You must get a score higher than 23 on the reading portion. If you've
already taken the Admissions GSTEP and you believe you qualify,
please contact the Department of AL/ESL and ask them to forward
your reading score to the Office of the Registrar. You should have
your student number and the date on which you took the test. You
will still need to take Regents' or Regents' GSTEP writing portion.
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Can I use my TOEFL score to substitute for the Regents' test?
You can meet Regents' reading requirements with a score of 23 or
higher on the reading section of the computer-based exam or a score
of 57 or higher on the reading section of the paper- based exam.
You can meet Regents' writing requirements with a score of 4 or
higher on the Test of Written English (TWE). If you have not taken
the TWE, you will need to take the Regents' writing or Regents'
GSTEP writing test.
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What if I only need Reading or Writing, but not both?
If you just need to pass the Reading test, you will only do Parts
I and II. If you just need to pass the Writing test, you will only
do Parts II and III. When you sign up for the test, you should indicate
which part(s) of the test you need to take.
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What is the best way to prepare for the test?
There are no specific test preparation materials for the Regents'
GSTEP. You may get a more detailed explanation of the test at the
Department of Applied Linguistics & ESL.
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How can I get additional information?
You can contact the testing coordinator in the Department
of Applied Linguistics & ESL at 404-413-5200.
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If you have other questions,
please send them to:
ESL Testing Coordinator
Department of Applied Linguistics & ESL
Georgia State University
Atlanta, Georgia USA |
