This week we are taking a look at what to write on the New ACT Writing Prompt coming September 2015.
What does the New ACT Writing Prompt look like?
The new ACT Writing Prompt describes an issue and then presents the student with three different perspectives on that issue. It also includes a few different questions to get students thinking about the topic. For more information about the look and feel of the New ACT Writing Prompt, click here.
What should a student write?
Perspective: A student must reference at least two of the three provided perspectives to form an argument. He or she can directly refer to these perspectives by number (i.e. “Perspective 1”, “Perspective 2”, or “Perspective 3”) or indirectly refer to them by concept. In either case, references should be clear and easy to detect.
Position: Students should use the provided perspectives to form their own positions on the issue. It’s not enough to simply agree or disagree with any given perspective. Instead, students should discuss the perspective’s strengths, weaknesses, and persuasiveness to build a convincing argument.
Panache: There are plenty of ways students can distinguish themselves through their ACT writing. First, students should organize their essays in a clear and logical manner. Each paragraph must present a new idea. Second, students should use multiple types of evidence to support their claims. Current events, historical precedent, and personal anecdotes are just a few ways students can create compelling arguments. Finally, students should use critical thinking to acknowledge the weaknesses in their own arguments. If the weakness has a clear solution, write about it. If it isn’t that harmful, explain why.
How does this compare to the current ACT?
The three provided perspectives form the biggest change to the ACT writing section. Before, students could simply agree or disagree with a proposed policy. Now, students must build off of multiple arguments to form their own.
Students also have a little more time to write their essays. In contrast to the current 30-minute essay, students will have 40 minutes to complete the writing section. That doesn’t mean students should waste time, though. Graders will be looking for more content and analysis to accompany this change.
What does this mean for students?
The new ACT writing section remains a very coachable test. Students can prepare by crafting practice essays that address multiple perspectives, acknowledge argument weaknesses, and develop persuasive paragraphs. Thus far, ACT has released a limited number of sample ACT writing prompts. ArborBridge’s curriculum writers have created several more samples students can use to practice their writing. If you’d like help preparing for the new writing test, contact one of our ACT experts today!
