<p>I just received my score report, and was pleased to discover a composite score of 36. My essay score, 6 out of 12, was naturally somewhat distressing; I'm curious to find out what flaw in my writing was so dramatic that they saw fit to give my essay such a low score. I didn't do any test preparation, and I'm generally unfamiliar with the criteria for the essay. Is there a specific form they look for? I know the standardized writing tests in my state are based on a formulaic evaluation of structure rather a true holistic grading scale; could someone please enlighten me as to how I should approach the essay in case I retake the test? I would feel silly doing that with a perfect score, but I also think I'll have a hard time living with a 6.</p>
<p>act grading seems weird from time to time... i wrote my worst essay last test in 1o minutes and i got an 11... my best essay was a 10. basically do u remember at all what you wrote. Structure is important, and supporting details and examples are necessary. The comments they give suck, but what did they tell you. basically needs to be structured with an into, that has a thesis including your 2 or 3 points. your body paragraphs, at least 2 need to have several examples with a topic and concluding sentence. your conclusion should tie everything together. by doing that you should at least get around a 10. was your essay readable, spelling and grammar? those could all affect your score. 30 minutes is plenty of time to do the essay, just take the time to carefully plan it, and a good idea is to have some generic examples in your mind when going in to the test. ive used to same examples over and over again. other than that you cant really predict their scoring. i couldnt at least</p>
<p>Coming from someone who scored an 8 the first time, a 10 the second time, and a 12 the third time he took the ACT + Writing (on the essay)...here is some quick advice.</p>
<p>All of this is strictly my own opinion.</p>
<p>-I have yet to see anyone write less than three pages and get a 12.
-All of the following should be included (this is not published anywhere - but again, I am just giving you advice from my opinion).
1. A compound thesis. (I believe the following because the issue impacts <strong><em>, </em></strong>, and __ in a ____way). NOT Exactly like that - but I hope you see what I mean. Each blank is unique, and each paragraph is done on a different point (or blank) for a total of five paragraphs (It is basic people: 1 Intro, 3 Body, and 1 Conclusion).
2. Each paragraph contains one of the following - including INTRO and CONCLUSION. Do not repeat these - just use one for each paragraph, make it very relevant, and explain using good, correct vocabulary (and correct grammar/punctuation).
-A personal example of the issue in your life.
-A current event (like something on the news) which relates to the issue.
-A historical event (like something which once was on the news) which relates to the issue.
-A famous quote - memorized exactly along with the person who said it which relates to the issue.
-Something in the arts. Literature/Music/Theatre/Sociology/Psychology - Anything pop-culture which is relevant usually works great. (I recommend this for the introductory paragraph or the quote).</p>
<p>Again - these are JUST SUGGESTIONS! By following the five, I did score a 12. I also had great grammar, and an expanded vocabulary used correctly.</p>
<p>Some may say: How can you prepare things which relate to the events if you do not know what the essay topic will be? EASY - Just prepare general information which can be applied to about anything. Personal examples can come from anywhere. Plan a historical event like Pearl Harbor, Titanic, or Columbine - something that the grader can relate to. Take a current event like HPV Testing, Abortion, or statistics from a textbook. Get a famous quote on influence, or impact - something that can be applied to anything in the right way. And for the Arts - just come up with something relevant like a show you went to, or a book your class just read.</p>
<p>Any more questions, I would be happy to be PM'd. The trick is getting the timing down. Again, I am not guaranteeing anything - this is all just my opinion. But in my case, it has worked!</p>
<p>If your essay was in any way SHORT, that might very well be what made you score a 6. I got a 6 the first time and a 7 the second time. I didn't get a 36 composite like you, but considering the fact that I got a 34 on the English section, I was pretty surprised with the discrepancy. Length has a LOT to do with it. I used three examples, but I guess they weren't developed enough to suffice because they said I needed more. Did you get any sort of criticism from them? "Use more examples" may very well mean "use two or three examples, and make sure they're long." I honestly have no idea, because I haven't yet decoded what they are looking for, but the advice posted above seems very helpful.</p>
<p>Thanks, I can definitely use this information. It sounds like they look more for volume and structure of your writing than quality, which is pretty typical of standardized writing scoring. On the AP English exams, you can turn out something pretty short but highly polished and well thought-out and get a perfect grade, which is obviously not the case here. Since that's what I did, it's apparent to me that I need to shift my focus. I appreciate it.</p>