How important is validity of content on the essay?

<p>On the December 2nd test I was motoring right through the essay. I usually do well on essays, and I think I'm a fairly articulate person - most of the time. Anyhow, last essay I picked out a good real life historical example for my essay: The Protestant Reformation. I didnt realize until the next day that I had confused Protestants with Catholics in my essay (completely fundamental mistake I know) and that completely threw the validity of that example, my prime one, off. What I want to know is how much this will affect my score, if any. Do graders take off points if your statements aren't factually correct, but progress coherently and are gramatically correct?</p>

<p>Most of the readers probably would not know about this, and thus, would be oblivious to the factual aspect, esp since you're writing about such an obscure topic (relative to the general public).</p>

<p>Also, just curious, are you a sophmore in AP World History? Usually people write about things they learn in class...and I find it curious that you picked the Protestant Reformation.</p>

<p>I wrote about Lincoln, and i mistaked his Marfan's syndrome for Tay-Sachs. So instead of him having a disorder that made him really really really tall, i identified his condition as being mentally retarded o.O</p>

<p>he/she is probably in ap european history.
i am and we learned all about that near the beginning of the school year.</p>

<p>No, our school doesnt offer AP World History nor does it offer AP European History. I'm a senior, not a sophomore as well. In fact, I learned nothing in basic World History (our teacher left the room unsupervised for 1 1/2 hours at a time and let us sleep at our leisure). I just happen to have a friend who breathes religion so I've picked up it here and there.</p>

<p>To radish's credit, I go to his school and that teacher was dumber than a sack of rocks.</p>

<p>I'm a sophomore w/ Ap Euro Hist and in this Dec SAT, I put incidents concerning Louis XIV and Napoleon Bonaparte! I was really messed up w/ my essay but still I pulled off a 9! (w/ just three paras, one intro, two points(the other one concerning me), and the last para contained just few concluding sentences.</p>