The New ACT
Every student who applies to Truman takes the ACT at some point during high school. The exam is already long and difficult, but there is still more to come. The creators of the ACT have announced that a writing portion (costing an additional $14) will be offered to students beginning this February, one month before the SAT introduces its writing section. Unlike the SAT, however, the ACT’s writing exam is optional and does not affect the composite score. Every student who enters a university after fall 2006 has the option of taking the extra exam.
What will Truman do with the new ACT? At this time, Truman does not plan on requiring the essay. Brad Chambers, co-director of admissions, says, “Truman does not require that applicants submit the results of the new writing component of the ACT or SAT as part of the admission process. Rather, Truman requires that each applicant submit an original essay as part of the application for admission. This essay allows the admission committee the option of evaluating each applicant’s writing ability for themselves.”
According to the ACT’s website (http://www.act.org), the writing section of the ACT will consist of one prompt that will describe two points of view on a position and ask your opinion. You have the option of responding to either point of view or creating your own. Your score will not be affected by the opinion you take; it will strictly be graded by the quality of your writing.
The scores on the writing portion can range from two to twelve. Each essay is scored by two graders on a scale of one to six. If the two graders disagree by more than a point, then a third reader will evaluate and score the essay. So what do the scores mean?
6-The student shows “effective skill” in writing the essay.
In order to receive the highest possible score on the essay, a student must show a complex, logical argument without errors. The word choice and grammar must be precise and sentence structures should be effectively varied. A strong introduction and conclusion is also necessary to receive this score.
5-The student shows “competent skill” in writing the essay.
A student must write an effective argument in order to receive a 5 on the essay, but minor flaws may be present. The essay should be easy to follow, but may be rather predictable in structure and word choice. There is not as much variance and complexity in sentences as in the highest category. All errors will be minor.
4-The student shows “adequate skill” in writing the essay.
A student whose essay begins to address the complexity of the issue will most likely receive a 4 on the essay. Thoughts within the essay are somewhat developed, but not fully so. As a whole, the essay is focused on the question and answered in a logical fashion. Grammatical and spelling errors are present, but they do not interfere with the argument.
3-The student shows “some developing skill” in writing the essay.
An essay receiving this score will take a position on the question but will most likely not address a counterargument. The essay will be focused on the general topic, but focus on the smaller points will be lacking. There is little variance in sentence structure, but sentences are largely correct and word choice is acceptable. At this point, errors may be serious enough to interfere with the main argument of the essay.
2-The student shows “inconsistent or weak skill” in writing the essay.
A student’s argument will either be unsupported or nonexistent in order to receive this score. The focus on the main topic will be rather weak. Transitions and an organizational structure will exist, but they will not advance the argument. The ideas presented are often the ideas presented in the prompt; few other points are discussed. Errors will be substantial enough to interfere with the argument.
1-The student shows “little or no skill” in writing the essay.
In order to receive the lowest score on the essay, a student must show little or no understanding of the question. An argument will be almost nonexistent and no supporting material will be given. Transitions, an introduction, and a conclusion will not be effective or even discernible. Errors will substantially impede the grader’s understanding of the essay.
An essay will receive a zero if it is completely off-topic or illegible.
