Writing Assessment
The CMS program requires graduating seniors to complete the same writing assessment required for admission into the Communication and Media Studies BA program. This second assessment's purpose is twofold:
- To serve as a final check ensuring that graduating seniors possess the minimal writing skills they need in order to thrive in communication- and media-related careers;
- To provide data for the assessment of the CMS program as a whole.
Students should sign up for the assessment immediately, by following the instructions detailed on the CMS web site.
Assessment Form and Content
Although some aspects of the assessment resemble those of the University System of Georgia's Regents' Test, please note that the level of detail and breadth of knowledge expected on the exam exceed those expected for the more generalized Regents' Test.
The following directions are similar to those you will see on the actual assessment.
Directions
The purpose of this exam is to determine how well you can write an essay. You will have 120 minutes to write an essay on the topic you select. Listed below, along with some information, are a few suggestions that will help you do your best on the essay.
- Hand-written essays will not be graded. You must use the provided computer and basic text editing software to complete the essay.
- You have a choice of three topics. Read each topic carefully and choose the one on which you feel you can do your best writing.
- Start planning your essay as soon as you have decided on your topic. You may use the back of this page for making an outline or notes about your plans. (Return this page along with your completed essay.)
- Organization of your essay is important. In general, the passing essay will have a central idea that is directly related to the assigned topic; have a clear organizational plan; develop points with evidence and details in a coherent, logical, and non-repetitious way; and avoid errors in grammar, mechanics, word choice, and sentence structure.
- Allow yourself a little time at the end of your writing to check your essay and make any needed changes.
Exam Topics
The topics on the assessment are drawn from the Regents' Test list of approved essay topics. You will have a choice of three topics.
Scoring and Grading
No makeups will be given; students who do not take the assessment in the Testing Center will earn a zero on this assignment. Assessment grades will be factored into your final grade as detailed on the syllabus Grades page. The assessments completed by seniors in CMS 4500 are evaluated anonymously; raters will not know your name or CMS status. The raters use the same 3,2,1 scoring system used by the Regents' Test. For the purposes of this class, the scores translate into the following grades:
| Rating 1 | Rating 2 | Rating 3 | Percentage Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 3 | 95 | |
| 3 | 2 | 85 | |
| 2 | 2 | 75 | |
| 2 | 1 | 2 | 70 |
| 2 | 1 | 1 | 65 |
| 1 | 1 | 55 |