CSUB Course Challenge Exams
Under Article 1 of the CSU policy on Credit for Prior Learning, undergraduate students may earn academic credit for a course by passing a campus-originated challenge examination. Units earned shall not count as resident units and shall be awarded only on a credit/no credit bases. A maximum of 12 semester units can be earned under this policy.
English 3109 Challenge Exam
What is the English 3109 Challenge Exam?
The English 3109 Challenge Exam is a four-hour exam that you can take through the Testing Center to receive credit for English 3109 and satisfy the Graduate Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR). The English 3109 challenge exam is designed to assess the following learning outcomes:
Goal 1: Reading Skills
1A: Students will recognize the rhetorical devices and/or choices writers make in a text (e.g., bias, word choice, tone, purpose, methods of organization and development, etc.).
1B: Students will evaluate how well a writer’s choices and/or rhetorical devices meet the needs of the writer and audience.
Goal 2: Writing Skills
2A: Students will create effective thesis statements for various writing tasks.
2B: Students will effectively use logical reasoning to develop and organize ideas.
2C: Students will effectively use appropriate language and grammar as determined by the writing task.
Goal 3: Research Skills
3A: Students will find credible and relevant sources for a specific writing task.
3B: Students will evaluate sources for a specific writing task.
3C: Students will use summary, paraphrase, and direct quotes to synthesize sources into their writing using proper documentation.
3D: Students will effectively incorporate sources into their writing without plagiarizing.
How is the exam structured?
The exam has two parts:
For Part I of the exam, you will be given an article to read and that you may annotate. You will then be asked to answer questions and perform specific tasks based on the article. There are 10 questions/tasks in total for this portion of the exam, and they are designed to evaluate your reading, writing, and research skills.
For Part II of the exam, you will write an essay based on the article given to you for Part I. You will write your essay electronically in a Word document and then email your paper to Angela Beardsley, the Writing Program Administrative Support Coordinator at abeardsley@csub.edu The essay portion of the exam is designed to assess your writing and research skills.
Note: On this exam, you are expected to uphold the standards of academic integrity. Everything on the exam be your own work. Cheating in any form, including using AI, will not be tolerated and will result in a formal report to the University Dean of Students.
How much time will I have to take the exam?
You will have 4 hours to complete the exam. This is a self-paced exam, so you should monitor how much time you spend on each task.
What should I bring to the exam, and what will be provided to me?
You must bring your photo ID and may wish to bring scratch paper, a pen, pencil, and highlighters to annotate the article that will be given to you to read. A dictionary, thesaurus, APA manual, and MLA manual will be available in the exam room, and you will also have online access to these resources as well as online access to the Walter Stiern Library to do research.
How is the exam scored?
There are two parts to the exam: Part I and Part II. Each part of the exam is scored on 100 points. You must score at least 70% on both parts to pass the exam.
You will receive a grade of Credit (CR) or No Credit (NC) on the exam. If you pass the exam, a score of Credit (CR) and three semester units for English 3109 will be recorded on your transcript.
When will I get the results of my exam?
You should receive an email with your results approximately four weeks after taking the exam.
How many times can I take the exam, and what should I do if I do not pass the exam?
You can only take the exam once. If you do not pass the exam, you should take ENGL 3109, ENGL 3119, or some other GWAR course to satisfy the GWAR requirement.
What if I have more questions?
If you have questions concerning the GWAR requirement, please contact Angela Beardsley, the Writing Program Administrative Support Coordinator, at abeardsley@csub.edu. If you have questions about registering for the English 3109 Challenge Exam, please contact the Testing Center.
