English 250 Test-Out Overview

Test Date

The next 250 Test-Out Exam will be offered Saturday, August 31, 2013. Students registered for the exam should arrive at 8:30 a.m. in 124 Ross Hall for check-in.

The 250 Test-Out Exam is offered only twice a year on the first Saturday of the fall and spring semesters. Exceptions are made for religious reasons.  

Registration for the Exam

Students must register with the Testing Office. The Fall 2013 registration deadline is noon on Wednesday, August 28. Absolutely no late registrations will be accepted. A $100, non-refundable fee will be placed on the student's university bill after the student has taken the exam.  Please keep in mind that the $100 fee is non-refundable, unless you cancel your registration by sending an email to scstesting@iastate.edu by Wednesday noon before the exam.

Because of resource limitations and to provide an optimal testing environment for students, registration is limited to 40 students. To increase the likelihood that you can take the test-out, submit your registration form as soon as possible.

• Print out the English 250 Registration Form (PDF file)

• Scan and email registration form to scstesting@iastate.edu

Upon receipt of your registration form, you will receive a confirmation email that you are registered.  If you are not among the first 40 students to register, you will receive an email indicating that you will not be able to take the Fall 2013 test-out but will have the option to take the Spring test-out that will be offered on January 18, 2014.

Please Note:  If you do not receive a confirmation email reply within 24 hours, please call the SCS Testing office at 515-294-5058 and leave a message. 

Eligibility

Although any ISU student may take the English 250 Test-Out Exam, it is strongly recommended that he/she meet at least one of the following criteria:

• an ACT-E score of 29 or higher, or

• an "A" in English 150, or

• an exemption from English 150 AND a high school rank in the top 5 percent of his/her graduating class

NOTE:  Starting Fall 2013, First-Year Honors Program (FHP) students will no longer have the 25o Test-Out option.  The University Honors Committee voted to return to the no test-out option.

In addition, students should have experience with:

• rhetorical principles and composing rhetorical analysis of written texts

• argumentative principles and composing written arguments

• basic document design principles, including incorporating visuals into written text

Students may be enrolled in English 250 when they take the exam. If the student is enrolled in 250 and passes the exam, the student will be given an administrative drop by the respective college.  

The Test 

Analysis and Argumentation (written). Students will read a prose selection of 16-18 typewritten pages. They will then write one essay (rhetorical analysis) about the selection and one essay (argumentative) related to the selection. Students will compose their essays on computers in a Ross Hall computer lab. Three hours will be allowed for the exam.  

Accommodation

If you are asking for accommodated testing arrangements, please contact Student Disability Resources, 1076 Student Services Building, phone 515-294-7220 to schedule a meeting and request a SAAR (Student Academic Accommodation Request form). The completed SAAR and registration forms must be dropped off at the Student Counseling Service receptionist desk, Student Services Building, 3rd floor by no later than noon on the Wednesday before the test.  If you are asking for an alternative test day for religious reasons, please contact Dr. Barbara Blakely, Director of ISUComm Foundation Courses at blakely@iastate.edu. 

Suggested Preparation

This test-out is intended to test the communication skills that students already possess, specifically in rhetorical analysis and argument. If students wish to review, they may consult the following sources:

• For all areas of the test-out: ISUComm Foundation Courses: Student Guide for English 150 and 250, which you can purchase at the University Book Store.

• For the rhetorical analysis and argumentative essay: Everything's an Argument, 5th edition by Lunsford and Ruszkiewicz, Bedford/St. Martin's (on reserve at the ISU Parks Library)

 Click on the following links for study material for the Test-Out Exam:

• Preparing for the English 250 Test-Out Exam

• A Sample English 250 Assignment

• Sample Rhetorical Analysis 

What to Bring to the Exam

 Student ID, dictionary, and pens/pencils. No notes, flash drives or other computer equipment, or backpacks.  

Evaluation

The Test-Out Committee evaluates each portion of the English 250 Test-Out using the following criteria: context, substance, organization, style, and delivery, explained in the ISUComm Foundation Courses: Student Guide for English 150 and 250. All segments of the test-out must receive a satisfactory rating for a student to earn "T" (test-out) credit. Students will be notified in approximately six weeks after the test date by email whether or not they have earned this "T" credit. If a student receives "T" credit, it will be posted at the end of the semester in which the student took the exam.

Students exempted from English 150 who pass the English 250 Test-Out will earn 3 "T" credits for English 150 in addition to the 3 "T" credits earned for the English 250 Test-Out.  

Contact Information

For further information, please contact:

Deanna Stumbo
ISUComm Foundation Courses Secretary 
229 Ross Hall
515-294-3516
stumbo@iastate.edu