Frequently Asked Questions about RGTE 0199

Q: Can I take a placement test or write an exemption essay and get credit for the course?  

Q: What if I transferred to UGA with 45 hours of credit?  

Q: Can I register for another course at the same time my schedule says I'm registered for RGTE 0199? 

Q. What are the requirements for the course? 

Q: When are the essays due? 

Q: When can I write my practice essays?

Q: Can I write papers at home and turn them in for credit? 

Q: How do I sign up for a conference appointment?

Q: What if I have to miss an appointment? 

Q: How are the essays graded?

Q: Do I have to pass all of the papers to be eligible to sit for the Regents' Exam? 

Q: Do I have to go to class?  

Q: How long does the course last? 

Q: What is the grading scale for the course? 

Q: How do I sign up for the Regents' Exam? 

Q: Why was RGTE0199 automatically put on my schedule and why am I being required to take it?  

A: If you have more than 45 hours of credit and have not take and passed the Regents' Exam, the registrar will automatically enroll you in RGTE0199. If you are enrolled you will not be allowed to take the Regents' ExamNo, there is no way to exempt the course. You may have heard of a test for RGTR 0198, but that is a different course. To find out more about RGTR 0198 and the reading exemption test, call 542-5436. As for RGTE 0199, you will have to meet the requirements and deadlines just as you would for any other course.These requirements can include extra work beyond the practice essays and conferences if your essays show particular weaknesses.

Q: Can I take a placement test or write an exemption essay and get credit for the course?  

A: No, there is no way to exempt the course other than exempting or passing the test. You may have heard of a test for RGTR 0198, but that is a different course. To find out more about RGTR 0198 and the reading exemption test, call 542-5436. As for RGTE 0199, you will have to meet the requirements and deadlines just as you would for any other course. The Registrar's test equivalences are available here

Q: What if I transferred to UGA with 45 hours of credit?  

A: If you transferred to UGA from outside the state and you are still in your first semester, the university allows you to take the exam without taking RGTE0199. After your first semester here, there is noway to exempt the course. If you are a first semester transfer student from a non-University system school and have been mistakenly placed in RGTE0199, you can call Dr. Anne Crowther at 542-4336.

A: Yes, though you cannot exempt the course, you will find that it is flexible. We encourage you to write your practice essays during your course time so that you can practice in an evironment that approximates actual testing conditions. Writing during class times also allows you to write with few distractions. However, if your schedule simply does not allow you to write at those times, then go to the Writing Center during regular hours (at least an hour before closing) to write your practice essays there. We do not take attendance during class times; your success in the course depends upon your meeting the essay deadlines and having a conference for each paper with a Writing Center tutor.

Q. What are the requirements for the course? 

A: Each student must write four essays and meet with a Writing Center tutor after each essay. These conferences are by appointment only and are held in the Writing Center, Park Hall 66. Be sure that you read the syllabus thoroughly to understand all of the course requirements, including deadlines and policies on missed appointments.

A: Each individual essay has a set deadline, which you can find on the course calendar. Your appointment with one of the instructors does not have to take place before that deadline, but since that appointment must take place before you write your next essay, don't forget to give yourself time to see a Writing Center tutor and write your next essay in time for the next deadline.

A: You may write your essays either in class or in the Writing Center. There are usually two in-class writing opportunities each week; again, please consult the current course schedule for specific times. You can also write in the Writing Center any time during regular Writing Center hours (but please show up at least an hour before we close); you don't need an appointment to write.

A: No, since you are preparing for a testing situation, we would like you to write your essay in a proctored environment. You are welcome, however, to write extra outside practice essays (not for credit as one of the five essays for the course) and turn them in for evaluation and help. If time allows, a tutor will be happy to meet with you to discuss any extra practice essays you want to write.

A: You can sign up for an appointment after you write your paper and turn it in. Appointments are generally only 15 minutes long and should take place within a week or so of your essay. Be sure to have your appointment before the deadline for the next essay.

A: Scheduling appointments for so many students is challenging sometimes, so we hope you are able to make it to all of your appointments. We know, however, that sometimes you simply will have to miss. If you must, you should cancel by calling the Writing Center (542-2119) or stopping by to tell us (once you cancel, you will have to stop by to reschedule your appointment, which you must attend before going on to write your next essay). If you don't cancel and simply don't show up, you will receive a "no show" for the appointment. If you receive a "no show" on two appointments, you will not receive credit for the course, no matter what your essay grades have been. Be sure to call or stop by before your appointment time, not after. If you call or stop by after your appointment time, you will still receive a "no show" for the appointment.

Q: How are the essays graded? 

A: The Writing Center staff has a great deal of experience in grading actual Regents' Exams, not just these practice ones, and that familiarity is what we base our assessments of your essays on. On the exam itself, three readers will score your essay; two out of three must agree whether you pass or fail the exam. For the practice essays, if your tutor believes that all three exam graders would pass this particular essay, your essay will receive a "P" for "pass." If your tutor believes that all three exam graders would fail this particular essay, your essay will receive an "F" for "fail." If your tutor believes that the exam graders would be divided on whether this particular essay passed or failed, your essay will receive a "B" for "borderline."

A: No, in fact, you don't have to "pass" any of them to become eligible for the Regents' Exam. You need only to write five papers and attend a conference for each one to receive permission to take the exam. However, you will only receive credit for this course if you complete the requirements AND pass the exam, and you must finish the class to be allowed to take the exam that semester.

A: No, there is no "class" as such—only "writing days." The days you see on the calendar that say "Practice Essay Session" are simply opportunities for you to come practice in a quiet environment that is more like the actual testing environment—and we encourage you to take advantage of those times. However, if you simply cannot attend one of those scheduled in-class writing times, you may write your practice essays in the Writing Center.

A: Until the week preceding the exam.

A: If you complete the course requirements, you will be eligible to take the Regents' Exam. If you do not complete the requirements, you will get a "U" and NOT BE ELIGIBLE TO TAKE THE REGENTS' EXAM. If you do not PASS the Regents' Exam during the same semester you are taking the course, you will receive a "U" and be required to enroll in RGTE0199 again the following semester. If you complete the requirements AND pass the Regents' Exam, you will receive an "S" in the course and be done with it. Because RGTE0199 is a class for institutional credit, neither grade will affect your GPA.

A: Register for the Regents' Exam online on OASIS, or register in person at the Counseling and Testing Center in Clark Howell Hall. We strongly recommend that you register early—within the first three weeks of the semester. Otherwise, you may not be able to get a time and date that fits your schedule, or worse still, you may not get a guaranteed seat at all and have to wait stand-by the day of the test. If you try to sign up for the Regents' Exam and all the slots are full, go ahead and finish the RGTE0199 course, print out your schedule so that we can emboss it (your embossed schedule will serve as your ticket even though you have no scheduled time to take the exam), look up the dates, times, and locations for the exam, choose a convenient one, and show up with your ticket to wait "stand-by." If you are a multilingual speaker, you may be eligible for the ESOL version of the Regents' Exam. Please visit the Writing Center (Park Hall 66) for more information.