What is GHSWT?

All students seeking a Georgia high school diploma must pass the Georgia High School Writing Tests (GHSWT) as well as the Georgia High School Graduation Tests. These assessments ensure that students qualifying for a diploma have mastered essential core academic content and skills. Students with disabilities and English Language Learners (ELL) may receive appropriate accommodations based on their needs and the specifications of their Individualized Education Program, their Individual Accommodation Plan, or their ELL Testing Participation Committee Plan. Students with disabilities unable to participate in the state testing program, even with accommodations, are assessed with the Georgia Alternate Assessment.

When do the students take the GHSWT?

Students take the writing test for the first time in the eleventh grade. The Writing Assessment takes place in the fall ,spring, and summer. Students who do not pass on the first attempt of the tests have multiple opportunities to receive additional instruction, retest, and qualify for graduation before the spring of the twelfth grade.

Students who do not pass all the required tests but have met all other graduation requirements may be eligible for a Certificate of Performance or a Special Education Diploma. Students who have left school with a Certificate of Performance or a Special Education Certificate may return to attempt the graduation test(s) again, as often as necessary to qualify for a high school diploma.

Student Assessment Test Schedule

Scale Scores Needed for Passing the GHSWT

The three performance levels of the scoring is:

Does Not Meet	100  to  199
Meets	200  to  249
Exceeds	250  to  350

There are four domains each consisting of several writing components that are evaluated and scored in grade eleven: Ideas, Organization, Style, and Conventions. Each composition is scored by multiple raters who independently rate the composition on the four domains of writing.