A study compared the effects of retesting (with and without the benefit of short term instruction) on the scores of subjects in an upper-division university who had failed a writing test. Subjects who did not receive a passing score in their first attempt at the essay test were given the opportunity of attending a 4-hour workshop designed to prepare the students for the retest. Results indicated that irrespective of whether or not they participated in the workshop, students had higher mean scores at retest, and students with higher mean scores gained more than students with lower mean scores. Results also indicated that those who took the workshop gained more than those who did not. (One table of data is included.) (RS)