Specificity of SAT Essay prompts?

[milopenguin]

Just how specific are SAT essay prompts - I know that they ask broad questions, but would they narrow down the examples that you can use?

That is, would they ask something like “Are books beneficial to society?” In this made-up prompt, the question has narrowed down my examples to literature only. Do real SAT prompts do this? I saw something similar in one of the SAT essay prompts posted on CC, and it got me a bit worried because I rely on history examples.

[MITer94]

but would they narrow down the examples that you can use?

I highly doubt it - you can use whatever examples you can think of, as long as they support your claims.

In this made-up prompt, the question has narrowed down my examples to literature only.

Not quite. In theory, I could still use examples ranging from Fahrenheit 451 to movies or documentaries about books/literature to TED talks about the effects of e-books. I highly doubt the SAT essay would impose that sort of restriction.

[milopenguin]

Thank you @MITer94. That is a big relief!

[TheDidactic]

The SAT essay doesn’t impose any limitations or restrictions. As long as you stick to the topic and have it make sense, you can talk about anything.

[milopenguin]

Thank you @TheDidactic!

[marvin100]

@milopenguin - There have been a few questions that can be seen as “limiting” in the way you describe. For instance, there have been questions asking specifically about fiction or literature and questions asking about photography. There was a (somewhat controversial) prompt a couple years ago that seemed to be asking about reality TV, even.

Here are a few examples:

“There are books that try to show the world as it is and books that try to show the world as it should or could be. Which sort of books should we be offering children and reading ourselves? One answer is the argument for the value of truth, for ““telling it like it is.”” Writers could promote certain positive ideals by being less realistic, but all of us—especially children—have a right to
be told the truth.
Adapted from Claudia Mills. ““The Ethics of Representation: Realism and Idealism in Children’s Fiction”””
Assignment: Should books portray the world as it is or as it should be?

An Internet phone service is offering unlimited free telephone calls for anyone who signs up. There is only one catch: the company will use software to listen to customers’ phone conversations and then send customers advertisements based on what they have been talking about. For example, if they talk about movies with their friends, advertisements for movies will appear on their computer screens. Commentators have voiced concern about customers’ giving up their privacy in exchange for phone service.
Assignment: Should people give up their privacy in exchange for convenience or free services?

Why do we not value the creative arts more than we do? Why are subjects like music, drama, photography, and creative writing always the first to be cut from school budgets during hard times? Many would answer that, unlike math, science, history, and other subjects taught in school, the arts are unnecessary. But this is so untrue. The arts are as necessary as these other subject areas—possibly even more necessary.
Assignment: Is it absolutely necessary for people to study the creative arts?

Photographs are very much a part of our daily lives. They show us faraway places, things to buy, important people and happenings, and sometimes just the ordinary. These pictures seem like frozen moments of real life. Cameras do copy what is in front of the lens, and so, in that sense, photographs show us what is real. They are at the same time, however, creations of the artist’s intentions and unconscious mind.
Adapted from Leslie Sills, In Real Life: Six Women Photographers "
Assignment: Are photographs straightforward representations of real life, or are they artistic creations reflecting the photographer’s point of view?

[milopenguin]

@marvin100 How often do these prompts come up? What month/year did these specifics prompts come from?

[marvin100]

Not often, and it really doesn’t matter what month/year–there’s no predicting these things.

[milopenguin]

@marvin100 Thanks. Just had a quick Google search on these prompts and all of them have appeared before 2012.

[marvin100]

The reality TV one was more recent than that, I think.

[milopenguin]

Ah, okay. Thank you once again! @marvin100