Long Beach State’s Graduation Writing Assignment Requirement Placement Exam will be waived for impacted students due to coronavirus-imposed restrictions, campus officials announced in an email on Aug. 21.
According to officials, impacted students waived from the GWAR Placement Exam, or GPE, includes students who were registered for the canceled exam in April 2020, as well as continuing CSULB students who earned 30 or more units by the end of spring 2020 and transfer students.
Transfer students affected by this waiver include new transfer students for the fall 2020 semester, as well as returning transfer students who have been enrolled in CSULB but haven’t yet taken the exam. The waiver also applies to transfer students who had to reapply to complete degree requirements.
To receive a degree from CSULB, all students must complete the GWAR requirement, which may be fulfilled by a grade of a C or higher in a writing intensive course or a passing grade on the GPE.
“We’re working on an alternative delivery mode for the GWAR Placement Examination, but we will indicate the GPE’s status in time for spring transfer students,” said Kerry Johnson, associate vice president for undergraduate studies.
Johnson clarified that the waiver is for the exam and that the completion of a writing intensive course remains a graduation requirement.
For transfer students, 60 units are required in order to take a writing intensive course.
News editor, Julia Terbeche, contributed to this article.