the sat writing section

The SAT ® Writing Section Overview Good writing skills are critical to success in college and the workplace. The SAT ® writing section, added in 2005, tests students’ writing skills and, in particular, their ability to write concisely, coherently, and quickly. Like every other section of the SAT, the writing section measures what students have learned in the classroom and how well they apply that knowledge outside of the classroom. The College Board’s recently released 2008 SAT Validity Studies reveal that the writing section increases the overall predictive validity of the SAT. Of all sections of the test, writing was found to be the most predictive of college success among all students. A 2004 survey by the National Commission on Writing reported that writing is a “threshold skill” for hiring and promotion. Whether composing an e-mail or preparing a detailed report, employees need to be able to express themselves clearly. Writing is fundamental to success in college and in the workplace. The importance of writing can also be seen in the high school curriculum. In a 2006 survey conducted by the College Board, teachers and administrators reported that the SAT writing section is contributing to an increased focus on writing skills in high school classrooms that will strengthen student performance in school, college, and the working world. Fast Facts • The SAT writing section lasts one hour and is scored on a scale of 200 to 800. • The SAT writing section includes multiple-choice questions and an essay. ● Students have 35 minutes to answer 49 multiple-choice questions, which account for 70 percent of their writing score. These multiple-choice questions test students’ ability to improve sentences and identify sentence errors. ● Students have 25 minutes to write an essay, which accounts for 30 percent of their writing score. The essay tests students’ ability to articulate a coherent argument, supporting a point of view on an issue speciﬁed on the test. FAQs Q. How does the College Board ensure that the scoring of the SAT essay is consistent and fair? A. Every essay is graded independently by two readers, based on speciﬁc and detailed criteria. Readers—all of whom are trained educators—score the essay from 1 to 6. Approximately 98 percent of the time, readers agree on the score within one point. If two readers disagree, the essay is graded by a third reader. Q. Does the longer test cause fatigue that would affect student performance? A. Research indicates that the increased test length has not negatively affected student performance. © 2008 The College Board. All right reserved. College Board, SAT, and the acorn logo are registered trademarks of the College Board. achieve more is a trademark owned by the College Board. Visit the College Board on the Web: www.collegeboard.com. 080012574

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The SAT® Writing Section

OverviewGood writing skills are critical to success in college and the workplace. The SAT® writing section, added in 2005, tests students’ writing skills and, in particular, their ability to write concisely, coherently, and quickly. Like every other section of the SAT, the writing section measures what students have learned in the classroom and how well they apply that knowledge outside of the classroom.

The College Board’s recently released 2008 SAT Validity Studies reveal that the writing section increases the overall predictive validity of the SAT. Of all sections of the test, writing was found to be the most predictive of college success among all students. A 2004 survey by the National Commission on Writing reported that writing is a “threshold skill” for hiring and promotion. Whether composing an e-mail or preparing a detailed report, employees need to be able to express themselves clearly.

Writing is fundamental to success in college and in the workplace. The importance of writing can also be seen in the high school curriculum. In a 2006 survey conducted by the College Board, teachers and administrators reported that the SAT writing section is contributing to an increased focus on writing skills in high school classrooms that will strengthen student performance in school, college, and the working world.

Fast Facts• The SAT writing section lasts one hour and is scored on a scale of 200 to 800.

• The SAT writing section includes multiple-choice questions and an essay.

● Students have 35 minutes to answer 49 multiple-choice questions, which account for 70 percent of their writing score. These multiple-choice questions test students’ ability to improve sentences and identify sentence errors.

● Students have 25 minutes to write an essay, which accounts for 30 percent of their writing score. The essay tests students’ ability to articulate a coherent argument, supporting a point of view on an issue specified on the test.

FAQsQ. How does the College Board ensure that the scoring of the SAT

essay is consistent and fair?

A. Every essay is graded independently by two readers, based on specific and detailed criteria. Readers—all of whom are trained educators—score the essay from 1 to 6. Approximately 98 percent of the time, readers agree on the score within one point. If two readers disagree, the essay is graded by a third reader.

Q. Does the longer test cause fatigue that would affect student performance?

A. Research indicates that the increased test length has not negatively affected student performance.

© 2008 The College Board. All right reserved. College Board, SAT, and the acorn logo are registered trademarks of the College Board. achieve more is a trademark owned by the College Board. Visit the College Board on the Web: www.collegeboard.com.

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