Georgia Institute of Technology has created a preparatory workshop that avoids focusing composition courses on the state competency exam while helping its students pass the exam. In checking the exams of students who had failed, three problems appeared: lack of motivation, lack of awareness of the standards for grading the exam, and an inability to apply writing skills to the exam. In attacking the motivation problem, the workshop appeals to school and individual pride and to self-interest, pointing out that those who fail once tend to do so again, which could ultimately mean being refused a diploma. As an aid to learning grading criteria, students are told that a clear thesis and pattern of development is more important to passing than perfect spelling or syntax. In learning how to apply writing skills to the exam, students learn to pick topics that are easiest to limit and organize, discover how to generate information through writing for a specific audience, and are reminded of basic organizational patterns. A sample exam is also included in the workshop, which is conducted one or two days before the exam is administered. (TJ)