Information About POGO 511

POGO 511 is the first methods course in the Master of Public Administration (MPA), Master of Public Policy (MPP), Master's in International Security, and the Master's in Political Science degree programs. Students are required to take POGO 511 during one of their first two semesters in the program.

To enroll in the POGO 511 course, you must first pass a statistics screening exam. Exams can be taken during a scheduled exam date or completed at the conclusion of the Statistics Workshop. The screening exam can be taken multiple times. If you do not pass the first time, you are welcome to retake it on another test date or register for one of the workshops below.

EXAMS AND WORKSHOPS:

The POGO 511 Screening Exam

Students will have two hours to complete the exam. There is no cost associated with the Placement Exam. Students will need to show their Mason ID before taking the exam. 

Virtual Exam: Registrants will be added to a Blackboard page before the exam begins, and exams will be proctored via Zoom.

In-Person Exam: Registrants will take the exam at Van Metre Hall (Mason Square) or Aquia Hall (Fairfax).

The POGO 511 Statistics Workshop 

If you're interested in having structured practice and instruction before taking the POGO 511 Placement Exam, we offer the POGO 511 Workshop. The workshop is free, and after completing it (see dates and times below), students will have a brief break before taking the placement exam.

Register Here:

If you have questions about registration, please contact us at schargss@gmu.edu. 

TEST PREPARATION

• To help you prepare, please review the sample screening exam that Dr. Daigle has prepared for students.
• Additionally, we recommend that you review the online resources available here and/or a college-level statistics textbook. The exam generally covers single variable tables and frequency distributions, percentages and proportions, graphs and summary statistics (averages, measures of dispersion), sample statistics, sampling distributions, normal distributions, and confidence limits.
• You have up to 120 minutes to complete the screening exam.
• There is no cost to take the exam, and you may take the test multiple times should you not pass on the first try. 

WHEN TO REGISTER 

• The sooner you pass, the better! Review the scheduled exam and workshop dates, keeping in mind that you must pass the test before enrolling in POGO 511. 
• Students cannot hold a space in a POGO 511 section without a passing grade on file. 
• Many students find it beneficial to complete the exam requirement at least two months before registration is set to begin in order to secure a space in the most popular sections of POGO 511.  
• Passing grades do not expire, so you are not required to take POGO 511 the semester after you pass.

WHAT TO BRING

Students must bring the following items to the Workshop and/or Exam:

Virtual Event:

• Computer (mac or PC) with:
  • a webcam
  • microphone
  • speakers 
• A smartphone (To take photos of exam pages & reference sheet. Students are not permitted to use a phone as a calculator.)
• A scientific calculator
• At least 8 sheets of 8.5 x 11 standard printer paper, notebook paper, or graphing paper.
• A Pencil

In-Person Event:

• A scientific calculator
• A Pencil

If you do not have access to the above materials and plan to take the exam, please reach out to Professor Delton Daigle (ddaigle@gmu.edu) to request support. 

OPTIONAL REFERENCE SHEET

You are permitted to prepare an 8.5” X 11” reference sheet, double-sided, with whatever information that students may find useful for the examination. Useful information may include but not be limited to:

• Definitions
• Sample problems and solutions
• Paragraphs exploring larger principles or themes
• Any other information the students feel will help them successfully complete the exam

Students can derive their reference sheets from the sample problems available on the website or from whatever other sources they feel are appropriate. Students do NOT need to include formulas or the normal distribution table on their cheat sheet, as these will be provided during the exam. Students are not permitted to use any optical aids (magnifying glasses for example) unless specifically having been granted such an accommodation from the Office of Disability Services (ODS).