Overview
The essay section of the SAT Writing exam gives students the opportunity to write a coherent first draft of an essay in response to a prompt. It is usually the first section of the exam. The topic of the essay is presented in question form, and is accompanied by one or two quotations. The essay portion is 25 minutes long, and students must write legibly in pencil on the answer sheet that is provided, so that it can be scanned.
Planning the Essay
Although the time limit of 25 minutes is strict, prepared students can take 2-3 minutes to read the prompt and write a brief outline of the essays they will write. It need not be any more than a thesis statement and a few main ideas to ensure focus and allow direction. If an essay does not address the assigned topic, it will receive a zero score.
Writing the Essay
Writing the essay portion of the SAT is similar to writing the first draft of any effective essay. The essay prompts are general enough that students can use supporting information from what they have learned, read inside or outside school, or experienced. Writers can develop essays that are narrative, expository, persuasive, or argumentative. They can even oppose the point of view taken by the prompts and examples, as long as they present their arguments clearly and consistently.
Scoring the Essay
Essay portions are scored by experienced test examiners who have no contact with students or teachers in the local area. The scoring rubric has been extensively developed, so that scorers have clear criteria to make very quick judgments. They watch for point of view, organization, appropriate vocabulary and clear progression of ideas, sentence structure, and errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics. Prospective examiners must agree with the more experienced readers’ assessment at least 70% of the time before they can test students on their own.
Strategies for Test Preparation
Teachers and tutors give students a great deal of practice reading and responding to prompts similar to those on the SAT. Students prepare thesis statements, brief outlines, and then write paragraphs developing ideas from those outlines. In other practice, students are asked to recast sentences with a variety of grammar, usage, and logical errors.
Interested in SAT tutoring services? Learn more about how we are assisting thousands of students each academic year.
SchoolTutoring Academy is the premier educational services company for K-12 and college students. We offer tutoring programs for students in K-12, AP classes, and college. To learn more about how we help parents and students in Burbank, CA: visit: Tutoring in Burbank, CA
