Testing Services
Regents' Essay Tips
The Essay Section:
On the essay section, which is rated
from "1" to "3," a student is judged independently by three readers. An essay
must be rated a "2" or higher by at least two of the readers in order for the
essay to be passed.
Tips for doing well on the
essay portion of the test:
Regents' readers will be looking for
essays with a clear beginning, middle, and end. An essay does not have to have a
certain number of paragraphs, but each essay should have an introduction with a
clear thesis (statement of purpose), at least one well-developed body paragraph
supported with concrete, specific evidence or details, and a conclusion that
brings the essay to an end. The essay should demonstrate a student's ability to
select effective, appropriate words and phrases, to construct and organize
sentences and paragraphs, and to write using academic standards of grammar,
punctuation, and mechanics.
Since students have only sixty minutes, they should manage their time effectively. The essay will be graded holistically: content and grammar/mechanics count equally. Therefore, students should spend time planning (about 10 minutes), drafting (about 35 minutes), and proofreading (about 15 minutes). Students will be allowed to use a dictionary or an electronic speller during the last 15 minutes, but they will need to bring their own. For students with significant spelling problems, an electronic speller might be faster and more useful than a dictionary.
Because the scorers read the essays as first drafts, they expect clear communication and a sense of control of the topic, not perfection.
Note: Students must write on the assigned topic and write their essays in ink. Otherwise, essays will be rejected without being read.
Most frequent reasons students do not pass the Regents’ Essay:
- Writing off the topic, whether by misinterpreting or misreading the prompt;
- Being vague, not using examples or details;
- Writing simplistically, whether in terms of style, vocabulary, or content;
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Having frequent and/or serious errors. If an essay has six or eight errors in
grammar/punctuation, graders will probably begin thinking about whether the
paper is of passing quality. Spelling errors alone are not supposed to be
sufficient reason to fail an essay unless the errors are so numerous that they
impede meaning.
Myths about the Regents' Essay:
-
Don't write very much.
Brevity will improve chances of passing.
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Fact: Readers expect
college level readers/writers to be able develop adequately within the 60
minutes allowed for the essay exam.
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Fact: Readers expect
college level readers/writers to be able develop adequately within the 60
minutes allowed for the essay exam.
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Write simple, short
sentences to avoid making punctuation mistakes.
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Fact: Readers expect
college level writers to write on the college level, not like they are
writing for a first-grade reading textbook. Therefore, use a variety of
sentences, including simple, but also including compound and complex.
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Fact: Readers expect
college level writers to write on the college level, not like they are
writing for a first-grade reading textbook. Therefore, use a variety of
sentences, including simple, but also including compound and complex.
-
Student have to write a
five-paragraph theme to pass.
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Fact: Narrative essays,
impressionistic pieces, satire, and other essay formats can and will pass if
they are well written and have met the stated requirements. Even
four-paragraph papers pass. If, however, the student is not comfortable with
alternative formats, then a paper with an introduction, body, and conclusion
is a safe structure to follow.
-
Fact: Narrative essays,
impressionistic pieces, satire, and other essay formats can and will pass if
they are well written and have met the stated requirements. Even
four-paragraph papers pass. If, however, the student is not comfortable with
alternative formats, then a paper with an introduction, body, and conclusion
is a safe structure to follow.
-
Don't use the pronoun "I"
in the essay.
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Fact: Many of the topics
lend themselves to the first person point of view because they clearly ask
for a writer's opinion. Also, many writers develop their ideas by offering
effective personal narratives which add to the content of their papers.
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Fact: Many of the topics
lend themselves to the first person point of view because they clearly ask
for a writer's opinion. Also, many writers develop their ideas by offering
effective personal narratives which add to the content of their papers.
-
Most students fail the
exam.
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Fact: On average,
approximately 75% of students taking the test in a given semester pass both
sections of the test. The percentage of students passing at least one
section is even higher.
-
Fact: On average,
approximately 75% of students taking the test in a given semester pass both
sections of the test. The percentage of students passing at least one
section is even higher.
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An exam with corrections or
cross-outs will fail.
-
Fact: Readers expect
students to re-read and edit what they have written, so corrections and
cross-outs are accepted without penalty.
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Fact: Readers expect
students to re-read and edit what they have written, so corrections and
cross-outs are accepted without penalty.
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Don't worry about when to
take the test.
- Fact: Testing sessions fill as testing progresses so in order to take the test at the most convenient time, you need to take the test at your allotted time. If you fail to take the test at your allotted time, you should call the Testing Office or the Office of the Registrar to determine whether another space is available.
Taken from the Georgia Southern University Writing & Linguistics Department webpage on Regents' Tips.