AccelePrep for the ACT Test 2nd Edition Student Text

236 • S URGE TO S UCCESS ! W RITING T EST P REP

DEMYSTIFYING THE WRITING TEST

You write essays for your teachers, so the ACT Writing Test should be no big deal, right? Well, not quite. The essay you are asked to write on the ACT test is different from the essays your teachers assign. But with a little preparation you can ace the ACT Writing Test. There are four things you need to know: 1. The Writing Test is optional. ‘ ›‘—” Š‘‡™‘” ƒ† ϐ‹† out if any of the schools you’re applying to require (or prefer) applicants to submit essay scores. 2. Your Writing Test score isn’t part of your composite test score . The essay is scored in four categories—Ideas and Analysis, Development and Support, Organization, and Language Use and Conventions—with a score from 2 to 12 in each category. 3. The directions are always the same. You can walk into the test knowing exactly what to expect, with a foolproof game plan for the Writing Test. 4. They tell you what to write (kind of). The directions tell you to develop your perspective on a provided issue. The directions even give you a list of tasks you should complete in writing your essay.

TEST SPECS The essay is read by two readers, who give you a score from 2 to 12 in each of the four categories (Ideas and Analysis, Development and Support, Organization, and Language Use and Conventions). The two readers’ scores are averaged –‘ ‰‹˜‡ ›‘— ›‘—” ϐ‹ƒŽ •…‘”‡ in each category, and if the essay scores from each grader are not within one point of each other, a third grader will be called on to ”‡•‘Ž˜‡ –Š‡…‘ϐŽ‹…–Ǥ Š‡ –‘–ƒŽ score for the essay ranges from 2 to 12 and is based on the category scores.