ACT Writing Test

Basic Information 30 minute timed test No prior knowledge required, only writing skills Scored by 2 hired essay readers Each reader gives your essay a score 1-6 These scores are added for your overall score Each reader spends less than 2 minutes reading your essay Essays are graded holistically; overall impact is important

The Prompt The prompt will be persuasive in nature Will be related to the lives of high school students You will be given a summary of an issue and of the two opposing viewpoints Underline the topic and the 2 viewpoint in the prompt You must take one side of the issue and support your view

The Strategy Choose one side; don’t “ride the fence” by trying to choose both sides (This weakens your argument). Take a few minutes to brainstorm your ideas Jot down a list of support for your argument; this will make your essay more organized once you start to write

Introduction Your introduction & conclusion will stick in the reader’s mind Begin with an attention-getting “hook” Make sure your point of view is clearly stated Preview your support

Body Paragraphs Include specific details to support your argument Personal anecdotes News stories, magazine articles, etc. Avoid hypothetical situations Refute the opposing argument, if possible One main point per body paragraph Vary sentence length & types Use transitions to improve the overall effect 5-paragraph essay format is fine, but not required Write as much as possible to show your knowledge of the topic; develop your arguments

Conclusion Summarize your support Tie information back to your original thesis Use a concluding transition In conclusion,… Hence… In final analysis,… In final consideration,… Indeed… Therefore,… Consequently,… Overall,…

Keep in Mind Write as much as possible; develop your thoughts and support Indent your paragraphs to make your knowledge of essay structure apparent Write as neatly as possible Using a few difficult vocabulary words can add to the overall effect of your essay Concentrate on content, not minor grammatical errors, spelling, etc. If you have extra time, go back and revise your essay for spelling, grammar, and neatness

Preparing for the ACT Writing Test Practicing writing is the only way to prepare for the ACT writing test Practice writing on a persuasive prompt with a 30 minute time limit You may want to brainstorm “hot topics” in education to get an idea of possible prompts or discuss these issues with other to practice your persuasive skills

Possible Topics? School uniforms/dress code Candy/soda machines out of schools Cell phones at school Year-round school Censorship/banned books Prayer in schools Pledge of Allegiance in schools Blocking websites on school computers Graduation requirements (PE, foreign language) Graduation exam 2007 TOPIC: Requiring a foreign language for graduation