1. SAGE TESTING HELPFUL HINTS Bring your ear buds if you have them. You’ll like yours better than ours. EVERYONE will have the test read to them (by the computer, not the teacher) and there is a listening section too.

2. This should be the first writing assessment and will be a format similar to the DWA. You’ll have some essays read to you and then write about them. If you read the phrases, “take a position” or “make an argument” you know that it’s argumentative writing. The test instructions should tell you how long this part of the test should take. Stick as close as you can to that time. If you finish really early, you probably haven’t written enough. ARGUMENTATIVE WRITING

3. You will have scratch paper to make notes on if you want to, but you DON’T have to do an outline like you did for the DWA. Don’t type the section titles (claim, counter-claim, etc.) in your essay. 6-8 paragraphs Use author and title tags, but not other source information. Stick to the information in the texts provided to back-up your claim. ARGUMENTATIVE WRITING

4. Explain/ retell in your own words. 2-3 paragraphs The test instructions should tell you how long this part of the test should take. Stick as close as you can to that time. If you finish really early, you probably haven’t written enough. EXPLANATORY/INFORMATIVE WRITING

5. Spell check will not immediately or automatically highlight misspelled words. Hit spell check at the end of each paragraph. A drop down menu will give you choices. It will not let you know if you choose the wrong word. Turn off spell in order to keep typing. SPELL CHECK

6. If the test asks for a short constructed response, 1-2 sentences will do. If you see the phrase “central idea” it’s asking for the main idea. You can expand the reading passages to full screen if that makes it easier to read. You can’t copy and paste from the passages to your text box. OTHER STUFF TO KNOW

7. Sometimes the questions asks you to choose more than one answer. Before going on to the next page, make sure your answers are still selected. On the editing section, you need to CHOOSE the correct response or it won’t count. In each editing passage there will be 5 editing items. 4 will be incorrect and 1 correct. OTHER STUFF TO KNOW