Guide with Sample Essays
Rev 12/10/2008
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Introduction to WritePlacer®
Prompts within the ACCUPLACER® System have been carefully designed so that the student can respond quickly and in a variety of ways. Prompts are free of technical or specific literary references and do not require specialized knowledge. The prompts are designed to stimulate critical thinking and are relevant to any number of fields and interests. Students will be asked to draw on a broad range of experiences, learning and ideas to support their point of view on the issue in question. Scores on WritePlacer range from 1 to 8. An essay that is too short to be evaluated, written on a topic other than the one presented, or written in a language other than English will be given a score of zero. A prompt consists of a short passage adapted from some authentic text. Following the passage is an assignment that requires the student to focus on the issue addressed in the passage.
Instructions to Students
The essay gives you an opportunity to show how effectively you can develop and express your ideas in writing. You will first read a short passage and an assignment question that are focused on an important issue. You will then write an essay in which you develop your own point of view on the issue. You should support your position with appropriate reasoning and examples. The position you take will not influence your score. Your essay will be given a holistic score that represents how clearly and effectively you expressed your position. The following six characteristics of writing will be considered: • • • • • • Purpose and