Each student must pass an examination on the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Illinois. A student may meet this requirement by successful completion of Political Science 105 (American Government and Politics) or pass the Illinois State University Constitution Examination. On November 8, 2000, the Academic Senate passed an amendment to the Constitution graduation requirement which states that students who are following the General Education Program instituted in 1998 may also use any course in the Middle Core: Individuals and Civic Life group (CJS 102, PHI 104, POS 101, POS 106) to meet the requirement.
The exam is offered in the University College Testing Services (FEL 346) Monday thru Friday, on the hour from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Please call the University College Testing Services, 438-2100, to schedule your exam. Appointments must be scheduled at least one day in advance, space allowing. A $5.00 fee will be charged to your student account after you take the test.
For help in preparing to take the Illinois State University Constitution Exam, you can refer to the Study Materials for the Illinois State University Constitution Exam web page listed below.
In order to be admitted to the testing room you will need to present a picture I.D. such as your Illinois State student I.D. or driver's license.
There are 60 questions on the test: 35 on the U.S. Constitution and 25 on the Illinois Constitution. A passing score for each of the two parts of the test is required. Minimum scores are "21" for the U.S. section and "15" for the Illinois section. Students who do not attain the minimum score for one of the sections may retest only on that section.
On the links below, students will be able to:
The purpose of the links below is to provide additional study material for the Constitution exam. THESE EXTERNAL LINKS MAY CONTAIN INFORMATION NOT RELEVANT TO ILLINOIS STATE UNIVERSITY STUDENTS.
The links below provide additional information about the U.S. Constitution:
To get a brief explanation of the U.S. Constitution plus amendments click on:
For the U.S. portion of the exam, the following textbook is on reserve at Milner Library: The Meaning of the Constitution, third edition, by Angela Roddey Holder and John Thomas Holder.
If you need a special accommodation to fully participate in this test administration, please contact University College Testing Services at (309) 438-2100. Please allow sufficient time to arrange the accommodation.
