This week we are taking a look at the New ACT Writing Prompt coming September 2015.
What will the prompt look like?
The issue: The new ACT Writing Prompt will begin with a full paragraph providing background and description of a general issue. This paragraph will not take a specific position on the issue. Instead it will explore why the issue is relevant in today’s society.
Three perspectives: After the issue paragraph, you will see three different perspectives. Each perspective may offer a one-sided, multi–sided, or conditional approach to the topic. This section is perhaps the most obvious change to the ACT Writing Prompt.
Essay task: Next, you’ll see an essay task box. The essay task box will include instructions for completing the essay. This box is always the same. Students should become familiar with these tasks now so they don’t have to read them during the test.
Planning your essay: The last part of the prompt includes a list of questions to get students thinking about how to analyze the perspectives. This list is a useful brainstorming tool, but students are not limited to just these questions.
How does this compare to the current ACT?
The ACT is changing the way it times and scores the essay.
Timing: Students now have 40 minutes to write their essays as opposed to 30 minutes.
Scoring: Also, the ACT Essay will no longer be graded out of 12. Instead, students will receive sub-scores from 1–12 under the following categories:
- Ideas and Analysis
- Development and Support
- Organization
- Language Use
These sub-scores are then scaled to generate a score out of 36.
The writing section is still optional. However, most colleges require it.
What does this mean for students?
Students who prepared for the current ACT essay can apply much of what they learned to the new ACT Writing Prompt. The prompt still requires students to look critically at an issue, develop persuasive argumentation, maintain clear structure and organization, and incorporate precise, skillful language.
The key difference is in using the three perspectives. Students must now incorporate at least two of the provided perspectives throughout their essays. They will also have more time to write their essays. While this may appear advantageous, students should plan to write more content to achieve similar score results.
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