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The following information is from the ACT website. Below you will find a description of the ACT test with links to the various ACT website pages, and tips for taking the ACT . The ACT Test with writing is a component of the MME (the Michigan Merit Exam is a test all Michigan high school students take in the spring of their junior year). If you scroll down the page, you will find the ACT Writing Rubric and a sample prompt as well as sample essays that have been scored with explanations of the scoring.Description of the ACT The ACT (No Writing) is a set of four multiple-choice tests which cover English, mathematics, reading, and science. The ACT Plus Writing includes the four multiple-choice tests and a Writing Test.
Tips for Taking the ACT
Tips for Taking the ACT Writing Test Pace yourself The ACT Writing Test gives you 30 minutes to read and think about the issue in the prompt, and to plan and write your essay. When asked to write a timed essay, most writers find it useful to do some planning before they start writing, and to do a final check of the essay when it is finished. It is unlikely that you will have time to draft, revise, and recopy your essay. Therefore, taking a few minutes to plan your essay is a much better strategy than writing a first draft with the intent to copy it over for the final essay. Prewrite Some writers like to plunge right in, but this is seldom a good way to do well on a timed essay. Prewriting gets you acquainted with the issue, suggests patterns for presenting your thoughts, and gives you a little breathing room to come up with interesting ideas for introducing and concluding your essay. Before writing, then, carefully consider the prompt and make sure you understand it—reread it if you aren't sure. Decide how you want to answer the question in the prompt. Then jot down your ideas on the topic: this might simply be a list of ideas, reasons, and examples that you will use to explain your point of view on the issue. Write down what you think others might say in opposition to your point of view and think about how you would refute their argument. Think of how best to organize the ideas in your essay. You will be instructed to do your prewriting in your Writing Test booklet. You can refer back to these notes as you write the essay itself on the lined pages in your answer folder. Write Once you're ready to write your essay in the answer folder, proceed with the confidence that you have prepared well and that you will have attentive and receptive readers who are interested in your ideas. At the beginning of your essay, make sure readers will see that you understand the issue. Explain your point of view in a clear and logical way. If possible, discuss the issue in a broader context or evaluate the implications or complications of the issue. Address what others might say to refute your point of view and present a counter-argument. Use specific examples. Vary the structure of your sentences, and use varied and precise word choices. Make logical relationships clear by using transitional words and phrases. Do not wander off the topic. End with a strong conclusion that summarizes or reinforces your position. Is it advisable to organize the essay by using a formula, like "the five-paragraph essay"? Points are neither awarded nor deducted for following familiar formulas, so feel free to use one or not as best suits your preference. Some writers find formulas stifling, other writers find them vital, and still other writers just keep them handy in the toolbox to use when needed. The exact numbers of words and paragraphs in your essay are less important than the clarity and development of your ideas. Writers who have something to say usually find that their ideas have a way of sorting themselves out at reasonable length and in the right number of paragraphs. Review your essay Take a few minutes before the end of the testing session to read over your essay. Correct any mistakes in grammar, usage, punctuation, and spelling. If you find any words that are hard to read, recopy them so your readers can read them easily. Make any corrections and revisions neatly, between the lines (but not in the margins). People who score the essay take into account that you had merely 30 minutes to compose and write your essay. Within that time limit, try to make your essay as polished as you can.
Practice your writing skills There are many ways to prepare for the ACT Writing Test. You may be surprised that these include reading newspapers and magazines, listening to news analyses on television or radio, and participating in discussions and debates about issues and problems. These activities help you become more familiar with current issues, with different perspectives on those issues, and with strategies that skilled writers and speakers use to present their points of view. Of course, one of the best ways to prepare for the ACT Writing Test is to practice writing. Practice writing different kinds of texts, for different purposes, with different audiences in mind. The writing you do in your English classes will help you. So will practice in writing essays, stories, poems, plays, editorials, reports, letters to the editor, a personal journal, or other kinds of writing that you do on your own. Because the ACT Writing Test asks you to explain your perspective on an issue in a convincing way, writing opportunities like editorials or letters to the editor of a newspaper are especially helpful. Practicing a variety of different kinds of writing will help make you a versatile writer able to adjust to different writing assignments. It's also a good idea to get some practice writing within a time limit. This will help build skills that are important in college-level learning and in the world of work. Build your Writing Skills Here are some ways you can strengthen your writing skills:
Tips for the multiple-choice tests on the ACT English
Math
Reading
Science
Writing Test Scores and RubricTaking the ACT Plus Writing provides students with two additional scores beyond what they receive if they take only the ACT multiple-choice tests. They receive a Writing Test subscore and a Combined English/Writing score.
The Combined English/Writing score is created by using a formula that weights the English Test score two-thirds and the Writing Test score one-third to form a combined score. This combined score is then reported on a 1-36 scale. For more detail about this, see the Combined English/Writing Scale Scores table. Taking the Writing Test does not affect subject area scores or the Composite score.
Each essay will be evaluated on the evidence it gives of the student's ability to do the following: · express judgments by taking a position on the issue in the writing prompt · maintain a focus on the topic throughout the essay · develop a position by using logical reasoning and by supporting their ideas · organize ideas in a logical way · use language clearly and effectively according to the rules of standard written English
Students' essays will be scored holistically—that is, on the basis of the overall impression created by all the elements of the writing. Two trained readers will read each student's essay, each giving it a rating from 1 (low) to 6 (high).
The sum of those ratings is the Writing subscore, which can range from 2 to 12. If the readers' ratings disagree by more than one point, a third reader will evaluate the essay and resolve the discrepancy. In addition to the subscore, students receive positive and constructive feedback on their essays in the form of reader comments. Scoring Guidelines
These are the descriptions of scoring criteria that trained raters will follow to determine the score (1–6) for each essay.
Score = 6 The essay shows a clear understanding of the task. The essay takes a position on the issue and may offer a critical context for discussion. The essay addresses complexity by examining different perspectives on the issue, or by evaluating the implications and/or complications of the issue, or by fully responding to counter-arguments to the writer's position. Development of ideas is ample, specific, and logical. Most ideas are fully elaborated. A clear focus on the specific issue in the prompt is maintained. The organization of the essay is clear: the organization may be somewhat predictable or it may grow from the writer's purpose. Ideas are logically sequenced. Most transitions reflect the writer's logic and are usually integrated into the essay. The introduction and conclusion are effective, clear, and well developed. The essay shows a good command of language. Sentences are varied and word choice is varied and precise. There are few, if any, errors to distract the reader.
Score = 5 The essay shows a clear understanding of the task. The essay takes a position on the issue and may offer a broad context for discussion. The essay shows recognition of complexity by partially evaluating the implications and/or complications of the issue, or by responding to counter-arguments to the writer's position. Development of ideas is specific and logical. Most ideas are elaborated, with clear movement between general statements and specific reasons, examples, and details. Focus on the specific issue in the prompt is maintained. The organization of the essay is clear, although it may be predictable. Ideas are logically sequenced, although simple and obvious transitions may be used. The introduction and conclusion are clear and generally well developed. Language is competent. Sentences are somewhat varied and word choice is sometimes varied and precise. There may be a few errors, but they are rarely distracting.
Score = 4 The essay shows an understanding of the task. The essay takes a position on the issue and may offer some context for discussion. The essay may show some recognition of complexity by providing some response to counter-arguments to the writer's position. Development of ideas is adequate, with some movement between general statements and specific reasons, examples, and details. Focus on the specific issue in the prompt is maintained throughout most of the essay. The organization of the essay is apparent but predictable. Some evidence of logical sequencing of ideas is apparent, although most transitions are simple and obvious. The introduction and conclusion are clear and somewhat developed. Language is adequate, with some sentence variety and appropriate word choice. There may be some distracting errors, but they do not impede understanding.
Score = 3 The essay shows some understanding of the task. The essay takes a position on the issue but does not offer a context for discussion. The essay may acknowledge a counter-argument to the writer's position, but its development is brief or unclear. Development of ideas is limited and may be repetitious, with little, if any, movement between general statements and specific reasons, examples, and details. Focus on the general topic is maintained, but focus on the specific issue in the prompt may not be maintained. The organization of the essay is simple. Ideas are logically grouped within parts of the essay, but there is little or no evidence of logical sequencing of ideas. Transitions, if used, are simple and obvious. An introduction and conclusion are clearly discernible but underdeveloped. Language shows a basic control. Sentences show a little variety and word choice is appropriate. Errors may be distracting and may occasionally impede understanding.
Score = 2 The essay shows a weak understanding of the task. The essay may not take a position on the issue, or the essay may take a position but fail to convey reasons to support that position, or the essay may take a position but fail to maintain a stance. There is little or no recognition of a counter-argument to the writer's position. The essay is thinly developed. If examples are given, they are general and may not be clearly relevant. The essay may include extensive repetition of the writer's ideas or of ideas in the prompt. Focus on the general topic is maintained, but focus on the specific issue in the prompt may not be maintained. There is some indication of an organizational structure, and some logical grouping of ideas within parts of the essay is apparent. Transitions, if used, are simple and obvious, and they may be inappropriate or misleading. An introduction and conclusion are discernible but minimal. Sentence structure and word choice are usually simple. Errors may be frequently distracting and may sometimes impede understanding.
Score = 1 The essay shows little or no understanding of the task. If the essay takes a position, it fails to convey reasons to support that position. The essay is minimally developed. The essay may include excessive repetition of the writer's ideas or of ideas in the prompt. Focus on the general topic is usually maintained, but focus on the specific issue in the prompt may not be maintained. There is little or no evidence of an organizational structure or of the logical grouping of ideas. Transitions are rarely used. If present, an introduction and conclusion are minimal. Sentence structure and word choice are simple. Errors may be frequently distracting and may significantly impede understanding.
No Score
Sample Writing Prompt
Educators debate extending high school to five years because of increasing demands on students from employers and colleges to participate in extracurricular activities and community service in addition to having high grades. Some educators support extending high school to five years because they think students need more time to achieve all that is expected of them. Other educators do not support extending high school to five years because they think students would lose interest in school and attendance would drop in the fifth year. In your opinion, should high school be extended to five years?
In your essay, take a position on this question. You may write about either one of the two points of view given, or you may present a different point of view on this question. Use specific reasons and examples to support your position.
ACT Sample Essays with Scores and Explanations Sample Essay (Score = 1) Page 1
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Scoring Explanation This essay shows little skill in responding to the writing task. While the writer takes a position on the issue in the beginning of the essay (I think that school should be extended for five year because it will help you how you are educate), the rest of the discussion does not convey reasons to support that position. Instead, the writer minimally develops many different ideas about school in general, repeating ideas rather than explaining them (School is a place where you could learn a lot of different that you don't know. I know that I learn a lot of thing I didn't know but I know them). At times, statements supporting claims are not understandable (By going to school is a good thing because if you go to school it could help have experience in everything that you are doing. To have experience you to do that thing you do best and how well you do at it). There is no discernable organization to the essay other than a minimal introductory statement: ideas are not logically grouped, no transitions are used, and no conclusion is offered. Sentence structure and word choice are consistently simple, with sentences repeatedly beginning with, "I think" or "I know." Language usage errors are frequently distracting and contribute to difficulty understanding some portions of the essay.
Sample Essay (Score = 2)
Scoring Explanation This essay demonstrates inconsistent skill in responding to the task. The writer takes a position but displays no recognition of a counter-argument to that position. Development of ideas is thin with general statements to explain the first idea (Students get thrown into the college setting which is a major shock to them due to the major differences) and very little explanation of the second idea (Because we have to take the graduation test in tenth grade we don't learn anything that year). There is some indication of an organizational structure: a discernible introduction offers two ideas, with each discussed in its own paragraph. The conclusion is minimal and not clearly separated from discussion of the writer's second idea (We need another year due to that, so we should go one more year to make sure we are ready). Transitions are simple (but, because). Sentence structure shows some variety (I would, not because I like school, not because I enjoy spending six hours cooped up inside, but because I could use one more year to just be sure I am completely prepared for college) and word choice is appropriate to the discussion (cooped up inside, preparatory courses, freshmen's first quarter).
Sample Essay (Score = 3) Page 1
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Scoring Explanation This essay shows some understanding of the writing task. The writer takes a position on the issue (Both sides have strong points, but I agree with the educators who say that their shouldn't be an extension to high school adding a fifth year) and offers some context for discussion by repeating the prompt as an introduction. By using the prompt as part of the essay, the writer acknowledges a counter-argument but does not discuss it at all. Two main ideas are developed to support the writer's position (. . . I agree with those people who say that students would loose interest. . . . I also feel that there should not be another year to high school because I just feel that it should be a job of the instructors at an high school to prepare us, high school students, for college within those four years of high school), with the first idea repeated twice in separate parts of the discussion (I just think that five years is too long and students would get bored with school). Discussion of each idea is limited to general statements that are never illustrated by specific reasons, examples, or details (I feel that creating yet another year to high school would decrease the teacher's interest and they would do a poor job and wait until the fifth year to make up for their mistakes), but the essay does maintain focus on the specific issue in the prompt. Organization is simple and clear but provides no evidence that ideas in the essay are logically sequenced within the discussion. Simple transitions connect the paragraphs (I agree . . . I also feel . . . I just think . . .) without making meaningful connections between ideas. The introduction and conclusion are clearly discernible as intentional frames for the discussion, but are underdeveloped—either because the language is merely repeated from the prompt or because the writer did not extend summation past a single conclusive statement. Language use shows some sentence variety (Some adolescence are already loosing interest in school and an increasing number of students are becoming dropouts) and appropriate word choice (potential, succeed, attendance). Some errors distract but do not impede understanding.
Sample Essay (Score = 4) Page 1
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Sample Essay (Score = 4) Scoring Explanation This essay demonstrates adequate skill in responding to the task. The writer takes a position (I feel that extending high school one more year is a bad idea for three reasons . . .) and offers some context for the discussion (Educators debate extending high school to five years due to the increasing demands on students for employers and colleges. Those for it say that it will give students more time to achieve what is expected, and those against it say that students would lost intrest and attendance will drop in year five). The essay also shows some recognition of complexity by acknowledging multiple perspectives and providing some response to counter-arguments to the writer's position (Of course there seems to be advantages and disadvantages to both, but lets be realistic, in America today, education isn't exactly our most relishing topic). Development of ideas is adequate, with three ideas discussed and with some movement between general statements (extending high school an extra year just seems like a band aid for all the problems in the field of education) and specific examples and details (At a time where the illiteracy and dropout rate seems to be rising as much as gas prices these days, one more year isn't going to cut it). Focus on the specific issue in the prompt is maintained throughout the essay. The organization of the essay is apparent but predictable, with obvious transitions (Firstly, Lastly, So in conclusion). There is some evidence of logical sequencing within the third paragraph (coming into senior year, you become a human form of a slug. . . . the intrest is gone after sophomore year. What makes you think that it will magically pop up after a addition of one more year? It will just be more time to be bored). The introduction and conclusion are both clear and somewhat developed. The writer demonstrates adequate ability with language, using a variety of sentence types and some appropriate word choice (extending, social gathering, physically and mentally, illiteracy) as well as some inaccurate and distracting word choice (relishing, incubate). Other errors also distract the reader but do not impede understanding.
Sample Essay (Score = 5) Page 1
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Sample Essay (Score = 5) Scoring Explanation This essay takes a position in favor of extending high school and offers a broad context for discussion by situating high school effort within a larger society that values excellence and high achievement (In a society that constantly tells it's youth they must have the highest pay check and newest car to be happy, why wouldn't this be the case?). The essay demonstrates recognition of complexity with discussion of the complications of the issue in the fourth paragraph. First, the writer establishes that students never have enough time, then anticipates the stereotype of the lazy teenager who "sleeps too much," then attempts to solve the acknowledged complication that "too much 'vegging' could be a problem." The essay thus demonstrates an ability to treat the complexity of the issue without undermining the essay's position or logic. Development of ideas is specific and logical. The essay moves between general ideas (Schools are always adding new and interesting courses, but for many, like the college bound student, there just isn't the time) and specific examples (Though an arts and crafts class might sound like fun, something like AP Music Theory would probably look better on a transcript). Moreover, some ideas are developed fully as the writer draws critical conclusions from the discussion (Fifteen years old seems to early to start making "career" choices over things that wold be fun). The essay has a simple structural organization, but generally demonstrates logical progression of ideas, especially through the second and fourth paragraphs. Transitions between ideas are well crafted both between paragraphs (But it happens and it causes stress. . . . Teenagers in the country have an ever growing load of stress being placed upon them) and within paragraphs to make logical connections between ideas. Language use in the essay is generally clear, although misspellings of homophones (its/it's, our/are) are distracting. Some incorrect punctuation is also distracting, but the mistakes do not impede understanding. Some precise vocabulary (daunting, fleeting, generation) and a variety of sentence constructions are used effectively throughout the essay.
Sample Essay (Score = 6) Page 1
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Sample Essay (Score = 6) Scoring Explanation This essay demonstrates effective skill in responding to the writing task. The essay takes a position on the issue (extending our high school career to five years would make an important and beneficial impact on our future) and offers a critical context for discussion (Yet what we desire most is not always what is best for us). Complexity is addressed as the writer anticipates and responds to a counter-argument to the discussion (Even if a school doesn't limit students' involvement, students eventually reach the limits of what a 24-hour day can hold). Development is ample, specific and logical, discussing most ideas fully in terms of the resulting implications (Colleges would see a longer, more developed individual's resume that included a time for each of their interests. The organizations would benefit from stronger student participation and the students would be recognized for their true efforts as well). Clear focus on the specific issue in the prompt is maintained. Organization of the essay is clear though predictable. Most of the essay demonstrates logical sequencing of ideas (It is difficult to be involved in activities of interest while still keeping high grades. However, colleges don't consider this when they seek applicants with high grade-point-averages in their admissions pool. Elongating the span of high school would allow more students with both grades and activities on their agenda to spend more time focusing on each separate interest). Transitions are used throughout the essay (Although, Even if, However, Rather than) and are often integrated into the essay (Because they struggle to gain leadership roles and become the well-rounded students colleges desire, the task of maintaining a respectable grade-point-average during high school is a struggle for many students). The conclusion and especially the introduction are effective and well developed. The essay shows a good command of language, with precise and varied sentences and word choice (The Senior Itch—the incurable chaffing we all crave to scratch. . . . Merely being accepted by a selective college or university requires much pre-planned effort that is literally unavailable to students already concerned with grades and other activities). There are few errors to distract the reader.
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