How is the Sat Essay Scored

SAT essay

SAT essay is the most important part of the test. Your score is determined by your essay and you need to write a well-organized essay that answers the prompt. Here are some tips on what you should include:

1) A coherent introduction with a clear topic sentence

2) An in-depth analysis of the topic sentence as it relates to the prompt or statement, using specific examples from literature or life experience

3) A strong conclusion that reaffirms your thesis and summarizes key points made earlier in the essay.

How is the sat essay scored?

The two essays are scored independently, but the score for each essay is added together to produce your overall score.

Your score on the essay will be based on the number of correct answers you answered correctly, and the difficulty of each question. The SAT has five sections, with 15 questions in each section: Critical Reading, Math, and English/Language Arts.

The critical reading section tests your ability to read and analyze passages by evaluating your comprehension of the argument/main idea of a text as well as analyzing how this theme is developed through specific examples in support of it.

The math section measures your aptitude for knowing how to work with numbers and figures in relation to solving problems.

The English and language arts section tests your skills in grammar, usage and mechanics, writing skills, comprehension of literature, vocabulary usage, and reading application. It assesses your competence on these four components through multiple-choice questions.

SAT essay scoring is based on 3 criteria: Quality/Reasoning (shown by organization of paragraphs, details provided in examples), Support/Evidence (the connection between the examples provided and the main idea or thesis) and Lexical Resource (used correctly).

1) Quality and Reasoning

Your essay will be rated based on the overall quality of the argument that you present to support your thesis. The graders will consider specific qualities like: Are there points in your essay that are relevant to the prompt? Do you organize your ideas clearly? Are your examples effective? Do you use quotations effectively? You need to give evidence and reasoning for every statement you make. The most valuable evaluation tool to assess your writing is the rubric that will help you go about this task effectively.

2) Support/Evidence

This section evaluates your essay based on the extent to which you support each main idea with evidence from at least two literary or non-fiction (non-technical) sources.

The majority of the evidence given in this section is textual – examples from reading. You should include direct quotations, paraphrases, and details provided by the author to support your thesis. Support can be given by quoting specific phrases, sentences, or paragraphs within the text instead of just summarizing the author’s point completely. If you are using only one source: place quotation marks around the quoted passage or parts of it that appear in your essay and cite your source.

In addition to direct quotations, use paraphrases to explain your view. You can also use your own words if you are describing the author’s position in a different manner that is most effective in maintaining the original meaning. A paraphrase is a rephrasing of someone else’s idea; the primary claim of the source must be apparent through your words.

Drawing from two sources also allows you to create an effective comparison that expands upon your thesis statement.

It is imperative to include evidence from at least two different texts/authors within the essay. This section does not account for spelling, grammar, formatting, or sentence structure errors.

It is also essential that you make clear the point of view from which you are evaluating. What it is that you are presenting as your own contribution to scholarship.

For the reader, the single best way to understand how a writer intends a text to be understood is by following the author’s argument and trying to discern the author’s thesis from among the many ways he/she develops this idea. The fewer times an author uses the word “but” or “however” in an essay, the more effective it will be to read his/her essay and discern his/her main thesis from within his/her words rather than have it be forced upon us by rhetorical devices.

3) Lexical Resource

Scoring the Lexical Resource of the essay is an endurance test for both the reader and writer. You need to have a good command of the vocabulary that is needed to support your thesis.

You must be able to use the words in context with meaning, to give a thorough understanding of them, and most importantly, to give an effective development of these ideas in your essay as presented in your examples. The more words you use correctly and cross-reference correctly, the more points you will receive. It is important that you recognize that the graders will not be evaluating each word separately but will determine if you have used every word within the context which it was intended for in this part of your essay.

It is important that you develop your thesis in the introduction and then expand upon this thesis as you present your explanation of it.

In conclusion, these three aspects create a smooth flow of ideas and allow the reader to understand how each example is related to your main thesis. You need to focus on your own analysis of each individual passage without relying on paraphrases or summaries from secondary sources. In deciding whether or not a particular quote works for you, ask yourself: “Have I quoted/paraphrased accurately enough so that I have not misrepresented the source?” If the answer is yes, then go ahead and use it in the essay.