This week we are taking a look at what to write on the Redesigned SAT Essay Section.
What should your essay look like?
The redesigned SAT will provide you with 4 lined pages for your essay. You should try to use as much space as possible; longer essays tend to score better. This is especially true now that students have twice as much time and space to craft their essays. Your essay will also be broken up into paragraphs: 1 intro paragraph, at least 2 body paragraphs, and 1 conclusion paragraph.
When does the essay appear?
The optional essay now appears at the end of the SAT exam. Students will read the passage first and then craft an analysis of its argumentative structure and literary devices.
How does this compare to the old SAT?
The old SAT essay was an opinion piece spanning a maximum of two lined pages. The prompt would present the student with an ethical question, and the student would take a stance on the issue using outside examples to support his or her claims. To get a high score, students often merely memorized a few well-known literary or historical examples and then catered those examples to the question they encountered on test day. For example, a student who liked Shakespeare might have memorized the main characters and key events in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Then, he or she would have a ready-made example for any prompt asking about themes such as individuality, cooperation, violence, or fate. The essay structure was also quite simple. If the student had two examples to support his or her claims, he or she could easily create a basic, four-paragraph essay including an introduction, two supporting example paragraphs, and a conclusion.
On the redesigned SAT, students must focus on another writer’s argument, not their own. Instead of memorizing canned examples, students must memorize common rhetorical techniques and then find them in a given passage. This new essay task automatically makes the structure a bigger challenge. While students will still need to write an introduction and conclusion, they will also need to decide how they want to organize their body paragraphs. Gone are the days of two parallel body paragraphs that focus on examples to support the thesis. Instead, students need to organize their body paragraphs around their chosen rhetorical techniques or work through the passage content chronologically.
What does this mean for students?
The redesigned SAT essay is very similar to the Rhetorical Analysis section of the AP English Literature and Language exams. Students who are well versed in these courses will find several opportunities to showcase their knowledge. If you plan to write the SAT essay but have not yet taken these courses, consider picking up an AP English prep book or meeting with a tutor to practice reading and analyzing essays. Not only can a tutor introduce you to the terms and concepts you will want to know for the exam, but he or she can also provide you feedback on your essays so you know exactly what to expect on test day.
Will the essay be on the PSAT?
No. The PSAT does not include the essay.
