SAT School Day with Essay

If you are taking a state-provided SAT, you may be required, or have the option, to answer an essay question as part of your test. The SAT Essay is a lot like a typical college writing assignment that asks you to analyze a text. It shows colleges that you're able to read, analyze, and write at the college level.

The SAT Essay asks you to use your reading, analysis, and writing skills. You'll be asked to:

• Read a passage.
• Explain how the author builds an argument to persuade an audience.
• Support your explanation with evidence from the passage.

SAT Essay Overview

• Total questions: 1 prompt, with points to consider and directions
• 1 passage
• Time allotted: 50 minutes to read and analyze the passage and to develop a written response

What the SAT Essay Measures

The SAT Essay shows how well you understand the passage and use it as the basis for a well-written, well-thought-out response. Your essay will be scored on three dimensions, each on a 2–8 scale:

• Reading: A successful essay shows that you understood the passage, including the interplay of central ideas and important details. It also shows effective use of textual evidence.
• Analysis: A successful essay shows your understanding of how the author builds an argument by:
  • Examining the author's use of evidence, reasoning, and/or stylistic and persuasive techniques (or other elements of your choosing)
  • Supporting your claims and points effectively
  • Focusing on those features of the passage that are most relevant for completing the task

  The Essay Prompt

  The prompt shown below is nearly identical to the one that will appear on the SAT.

  As you read the passage below, consider how [the author] uses:

  • Evidence, such as facts or examples, to support claims.
  • Reasoning to develop ideas and to connect claims and evidence.
  • Stylistic or persuasive elements, such as word choice or appeals to emotion, to add power to the ideas expressed.

  Write an essay in which you explain how [the author] builds an argument to persuade [their] audience that [author's claim]. In your essay, analyze how [the author] uses one or more of the features listed above (or features of your own choice) to strengthen the logic and persuasiveness of [their] argument. Be sure that your analysis focuses on the most relevant features of the passage. Your essay should not explain whether you agree with [the author's] claims, but rather explain how [the author] builds an argument to persuade [their] audience.

  The Essay Passage

  All passages have these things in common:

  • Written for a broad audience
  • Argue a point
  • Express subtle views on complex subjects
  • Use logical reasoning and evidence to support claims
  • Examine ideas, debates, or trends in the arts and sciences or in civic, cultural, or political life
  • Always taken from published works

  All the information you need to write your essay will be included in the passage or in notes about it.

  SAT Essay Scoring Guide

  The response shows an understanding of the text's central idea(s) and of most important details and how they interrelate, demonstrating a comprehensive understanding of the text.

  The response is free of errors of fact or interpretation with regard to the text.

  The response offers a thorough, well-considered evaluation of the author's use of evidence, reasoning, and/or stylistic and persuasive elements, and/or feature(s) of the student's own choosing.

  The response contains relevant, sufficient, and strategically chosen support for claim(s) or point(s) made.

  The response includes a precise central claim.

  The response includes a skillful introduction and conclusion. The response demonstrates a deliberate and highly effective progression of ideas both within paragraphs and throughout the essay.

  The response has a wide variety in sentence structures. The response demonstrates a consistent use of precise word choice. The response maintains a formal style and objective tone.

  The response shows an understanding of the text's central idea(s) and important details.

  The response is free of substantive errors of fact and interpretation with regard to the text.

  The response competently evaluates the author's use of evidence, reasoning, and/or stylistic and persuasive elements, and/or feature(s) of the student's own choosing.

  The response contains relevant and sufficient support for claim(s) or point(s) made.

  The response includes a central claim or implicit controlling idea.

  The response includes an effective introduction and conclusion.

  The response demonstrates a clear progression of ideas both within paragraphs and throughout the essay.

  The response has variety in sentence structures. The response demonstrates some precise word choice. The response maintains a formal style and objective tone.

  The response shows an understanding of the text's central idea(s) but not of important details.

  The response may contain errors of fact and/or interpretation with regard to the text.

  The response identifies and attempts to describe the author's use of evidence, reasoning, and/or stylistic and persuasive elements, and/or feature(s) of the student's own choosing, but merely asserts rather than explains their importance;

  Or one or more aspects of the response's analysis are unwarranted based on the text.

  The response contains little or no support for claim(s) or point(s) made.

  The response may lack a clear central claim or controlling idea or may deviate from the claim or idea over the course of the response.

  The response may include an ineffective introduction and/or conclusion. The response may demonstrate some progression of ideas within paragraphs but not throughout the response.

  The response has limited variety in sentence structures; sentence structures may be repetitive.

  The response demonstrates general or vague word choice; word choice may be repetitive. The response may deviate noticeably from a formal style and objective tone.

  The response fails to show an understanding of the text's central idea(s), and may include only details without reference to central idea(s).

  The response may contain numerous errors of fact and/or interpretation with regard to the text.

  The response identifies without explanation some aspects of the author's use of evidence, reasoning, and/or stylistic and persuasive elements, and/or feature(s) of the student's choosing;

  Or numerous aspects of the response's analysis are unwarranted based on the text.

  The response contains little or no support for claim(s) or point(s) made, or support is largely irrelevant.

  The response may not focus on features of the text that are relevant to addressing the task;

  The response may lack a clear central claim or controlling idea.

  The response lacks a recognizable introduction and conclusion.

  The response does not have a discernible progression of ideas.

  The response lacks variety in sentence structures; sentence structures may be repetitive. The response demonstrates general and vague word choice; word choice may be poor or inaccurate. The response may lack a formal style and objective tone.

  SAT Essay Practice

  To practice for the SAT Essay:

  1. Download Bluebook™.
  2. Go to Practice and Prepare on the Bluebook homepage, and select SAT Essay Practice. (You can access the essay practice with the same sign-in credentials provided by your school.)
  3. After you've finished the practice test in Bluebook, go to My Practice and sign in with the same credentials provided by your school to view your essay response, prompt, self-scoring rubric, and additional student sample essays.

  Resources

  SAT Practice Essays and Score Explanations—Digital

  NOTE: The Essay is only available in certain states where it's required as part of SAT School Day administrations. If you're going to be taking the SAT on a school day, ask your counselor if it will include the Essay section.