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Journalism and Public Relations majors must pass (a score of 45) the College of Communication Grammar, Spelling and Punctuation (GSP) Test before enrolling in Journalism 315 (formerly J 312). This test is also a prerequisite for most upper-division Journalism courses. If you receive transfer credit for Journalism 315 (J 312) you must also take and pass the Grammar, Spelling and Punctuation Test before enrolling in subsequent courses in the major. You may take the test up to three times. If you have not passed the test after three attempts, you may not enroll in courses that require the test. If your native language is not English, you may appeal to the School of Journalism to waive the three-attempt limitation.
Even though this test is offered several times every month, available time slots fill-up fast. Therefore, you are encouraged to take this test early so that you can allow yourself adequate time to retake the test if necessary.
We strongly suggest that you utilize the study guide available in the hallway outside the School of Journalism office (CMA 6.144) and/or the online practice materials available through the Texas State University GSP help page. You must receive passing scores on both tests before you can register for J315.
You may also find more information about this test on the Journalism GSP web page.
In order to register for Journalism 315 and any upper-division Journalism course, you must have a satisfactory score on the School of Journalism Word Processing Test. If you receive transfer credit for Journalism 315, or its equivalent, you must have satisfactory scores on the School of Journalism Word Processing Test and the Grammar, Spelling and Punctuation (GSP, see above) Test in order to register for any upper-division Journalism course.
The test does not serve as a basis for course credit. If you think you should be exempted from the WP Test, please consult with the School of Journalism.
The GSP and WP tests are offered once or more each month of the calendar year by the Instructional Assessment and Evaluation unit (formerly the Measurement and Evaluation Center) of the Division of Instructional Innovation and Assessment, 2616 Wichita (471-3032). The test dates are usually posted online between the 23rd and the 25th of each month for the following month, and the tests fill up extremely quickly. Register online at the GSP/WP registration page. You must register no later than twenty-four hours before you want to take the test. You CANNOT register for a test on the day of its administration.