<p>
[quote]
I read an article some months ago (I'll look around for it - I am sure I printed it) that questioned the entire validity of a hand-written essay in an age where many of the test takers have not hand-written anything in years. I guess there are still some high schools where kids take essay tests with pencil and blue book, but I would be 99% of kids use their computers for paper writing, even their rough drafts.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>For out-of-class writing, students invariably use computers. But for in-class writing, obviously, they handwrite them. I don't see what would be the problem with the handwritten essay on the SAT (other than the fact that the topics are crap).</p>