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University Regents’ Testing Program
All students who seek baccalaureate degrees in the University System of Georgia are required to meet the Regents’ skill requirements in reading and writing. For most students, this means that they must take and pass the Regents’ Reading Test and the Regents’ Essay Test.
Therefore, ALL incoming students must register for these tests during their first semester of enrollment. If they pass each of these tests (or exempt them), they will have met the Regents’ Testing requirement. For those who fail one or both sections, appropriate remediation will be required. This remediation could include the appropriate non-degree credit course or courses in remedial reading (RGTR 0198) and/or remedial writing (RGTE 0199). Students who fail to enroll in the required remedial course will not be allowed to register at VSU. Students must register for and take the test each semester in which they are enrolled (and participate in the appropriate remediation) until they pass the test(s).
Students transferring from within the university System of Georgia are subject to all provisions of this policy and to Valdosta State university procedures. Students transferring from outside the university System with 0 or more earned semester hours shall register for and take the Regents’ Test during the initial semester of enrollment and in subsequent semesters shall be subject to all provisions of the Regents’ testing policy and of VSU procedures.
Foreign students on non-immigrant visas whose native language is not English may register for an alternative testing program. Students should register through the foreign student advisor. Resident aliens, permanent residents, native speakers of English, and US citizens, regardless of native language, must pass the standard Regents’ Test.
Students will be considered as having passed a part of the test if they achieve a score on another standardized test as specified by the Senior Vice chancellor for academics and fiscal affairs. For further information, consult the Regents’ Testing Program website at http://www2.gsu.edu/~wwwrtp/ or the Valdosta State University undergraduate catalogue.
- Students may exempt RGTR 0196 (the Regents’ Reading Test requirement) by scoring at or above specified scores on the following examinations:
• Regents' Reading Test exemption score: 61
• SAT-I Verbal exemption score: 510
• ACT Reading exemption score: 23
Students may exempt RGTE 0197 (the Regents’ Writing Test requirement) by scoring at or above specified scores on the following examinations:
* Regents' Essay Test exemption score: 2
* College Board Advanced Placement (AP) English Language and Composition exemption score: 3
* College Board Advanced Placement (AP) English Literature and Composition exemption score: 3
* International Baccalaureate (IB) higher-level English exemption score: 4
* SAT II English Writing exemption score: 650
* SAT Reasoning Test, Writing Section exemption score: 560
* SAT Reasoning Test, Writing Section exemption score: 500 (only for students who also have at least a 510 on the SAT Reasoning Test, Critical Reading Section).* A score of at least 24 on the ACT Combined English/Writing exam (effective Summer 2008);* A score of at least 22 on the ACT Combined English/Writing for students who also earned an ACT Reading score of at least 23 (effective Summer 2008).
The following four exemptions for RGTE 0197 are available only for students entering USG institutions before Summer 2008:
* SAT Reasoning Test, Critical Reading Section score of at least 530 and a grade of "A" in English 1101, or
* SAT Reasoning Test, Critical Reading Section of at least 590 and a grade of "B" in English 1101, or
* ACT English score of at least 23 and a grade of "A" in English 1101, or
* ACT English score of at least 26 and a grade of "B" in English 1101
(SAT or ACT scores must be from a national administration. Scores from institutional SAT or residual ACT tests will not be acceptable for this purpose.)