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GENERAL
EDUCATION
All
university graduates must complete a group of basic courses known
as the General Education
Core. The courses provide students with a solid foundation
for acquiring higher-level knowledge in their chosen field of
study. Undergraduate students demonstrate their basic knowledge
by taking a General Education exam the semester they graduate.
MTSU's current General Education exam is the California Critical
Thinking Skills Test (CCTST).
The
exam, which is administered by the Office of Institutional Effectiveness,
Planning, and Research (IEPR), is given to all graduating seniors.
Test dates are scheduled during Summer, Fall, and Spring semesters.
IEPR
will send notices to the students' MTSU e-mail account
to inform them of the dates and times the test can be taken. Testing
dates and times will also be posted on the web: http://www.mtsu.edu/~iepr/gened.htm#2
You
may call the Office of Institutional Effectiveness, Planning and
Research for additional information at (615) 494-8803.
General
Education Assessment
The
CCTST (California Critical Thinking Skills Test) is used to assess
MTSU's general education program. The exam is required for bachelor's
degree candidates. Testing sessions last approximately one hour.
Why
is this exam required? The state of Tennessee requires all
state-supported colleges and universities to administer a general
education exam to graduating seniors. Exam results help colleges
and universities determine the effectiveness of general education
courses and make changes where needed. Good test results also
provide proof to the general public that the university is achieving
its goals.
What
does the CCTST cover? The exam primarily focuses on the assessment
of the core critical thinking skills of analysis-interpretation,
inference, and evaluation-explanation. The 34 multiple choice
questions on the test will ask you to read, respond, and reason
with information presented in the kinds of brief passages, diagrams
and charts now frequently found in basic textbooks, newspapers,
and meeting rooms.
Questions
invite test takers to draw inferences, to make interpretations,
to analyze information, to draw warranted inferences, to identify
claims and reasons, and to evaluate the quality of arguments.
The
test gives you all the information you need to answer these questions;
your job is to read and understand the material and think critically
about it. Therefore, you can do very well on every reading/critical-thinking
item even if you have never studied the particular topic it covers.
How
does my score affect me? When we look good, you look better!
Your degree is worth as much as the college that grants it. When
you apply for a job or graduate school, the employer or admissions
office can be impressed by where you went to college (and how
you did there!) or not so impressed. So it is important to you
that people form a positive impression of MTSU.
How
does my score affect MTSU? Our university can earn more than
$500,000 annually from the state of Tennessee if students do well
on the general education exam. These funds help us offer students
the best education at the lowest possible cost. We also use the
test results to find ways to improve courses and programs at MTSU.
How
long is the test? The entire process takes about 1 hour.
How
can I prepare for the test? No preparation is necessary.
How
do I register for the test? No pre-registration is necessary,
simply select a test
date and time from those offered by the university. Please
plan to arrive a few minutes prior to the scheduled test time.
Make-up
Exams
Students
must pay a $25 late fee if the test is taken as a make-up exam.
Scheduling through the Office of Institutional Effectiveness,
Planning, and Research (Jones Hall room 153, Phone 615.494.8803)
is required for make-up exams.
Make-Up
Test Procedures and Form
What
should I bring? You may use a four-function non-graphing calculator.
Pencils will be provided.
2009-10
General Education Testing Schedule
Summer
2009 Graduating Seniors
June 25 or July 30, 2009
Testing
Location
James Union Building, Tennessee Room
Testing Times
8:30 a.m., 1:00 p.m., or 6:00 p.m.
Fall
2009 Graduating Seniors
November 4 or 5, 2009
Spring
2010 Graduating Seniors
March 23, 24, or 25, 2010
Times
and Location for Fall & Spring General Education Testing Sessions
Testing Location
James Union Building, Tennessee Room
Testing Times
8:30 a.m., 1:00 p.m., 3:30 p.m. or 6:00
p.m.
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