ACT Writing
Please take out your NEW ACT
prep booklet. Turn to page 58.
Take it or not?
Many colleges require it, some don’t.
 Take it if you’re not sure about yours

– If you end up having to go back and take it
later, you have to pay for the whole test all
over again. 

Can’t hurt, might help.
What’s it like?
After rest of the test is over
 Short break in between
 30 minutes of writing
 Formal essay, not journal, not short story,
etc. Intro, thesis, body paragraphs,
conclusion.
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What are the prompts about?
Usually ask for your opinion about
something, and reasons for that opinion.
 Easy to understand without background
knowledge, something most people could
easily come up with an opinion about.
 Usually relevant to HS students
 No right “side”

Instructions: always the same
In your essay, take a position on this
question. You may write about either one
of the two points of view given, or you
may present a different point of view on
this question. Use specific reasons and
examples to support your position.
Instructions: always the same
In your essay, take a position on this
question. You may write about either one
of the two points of view given, or you
may present a different point of view on
this question. Use specific reasons and
examples to support your position.
*You have to have an opinion.
You can’t just talk about it
neutrally—you have to take a position.
Instructions: always the same
In your essay, take a position on this
question. You may write about either one
of the two points of view given, or you
may present a different point of view on
this question. Use specific reasons and
examples to support your position.
* You don’t have to use one of the two positions they give
you. You can make up your own, better solution and
explain why it’s better.
Instructions: always the same
In your essay, take a position on this
question. You may write about either one
of the two points of view given, or you
may present a different point of view on
this question. Use specific reasons and
examples to support your position.
*You have to have reasons and examples to back
up your opinion. Can’t be random, can’t be
missing.
Sample Prompts:
Educators debate extending high school to five years
because of increasing demands on students from
employers and colleges to participate in
extracurricular activities and community service in
addition to having high grades. Some educators
support extending high school to five years because
they think students need more time to achieve all
that is expected of them. Other educators do not
support extending high school to five years because
they think students would lose interest in school
and attendance would drop in the fifth year. In your
opinion, should high school be extended to five
years?
In this country, most people see and hear
advertising for many different products
every day. Some people think advertising
is useful because it provides important
information about many different
products. Other people think advertising is
not useful because it tries to persuade
people to buy products they do not really
need. In your opinion, does advertising
serve a useful purpose in our society?
Source: 2005 ACT Educator Workshops
In some high schools, students are required to
complete a certain number of community service
hours prior to graduation. Some people think
community service is a good requirement
because they think students will benefit from
this experience. Other people think schools
should not require community service because
students will resent the requirement and, as a
result, will not benefit from the experience. In
your opinion, should high schools require
students to complete a certain number of hours
of community service?
Source: The Real ACT Prep Guide, 2005
Tips: Before
Read prompt at least twice to make sure you
understand what they’re asking you to write about.
 PREWRITE!!! Take about 5 of the 30 minutes to
write a thesis and outline. Doesn’t have to be
formal, just organized.

– Avoid writing complete sentences when you prewrite,
and then having to rewrite them into your essay booklet.
Takes too much time.
– Avoid spending too much or too little time prewriting. 5
min is just about right for most people. 2 is too little, 8
is too long.
Tips: During
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Your writing should be clear, and straightforward.
Flair is okay, but you don’t have to “sound smart”
to do well.
“I” is okay for this essay.
Every once in a while, glance back at your
prewriting. Are you following your outline, or did
you get off track?
Write a conclusion, but don’t spend all day on it.
(AP kids—this is 10 min. less than you get on AP
essays, so make sure to pay attention to your time)
Tips: After
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At the end, leave yourself time to check:
– Is my position clear at the beginning? Does it
stay clear?
– Did I use examples and support my opinion?
– Does my organization make sense?
– Are there any spelling or grammatical errors I
can correct?
– Could I rewrite my thesis to make more sense?

Okay to cross things out neatly, draw arrows
to move sections around, draw stars or
carets to insert sentences.
How is it scored?
By English teachers and professors
 They assume it’s a first draft
 Holistic scoring—mistakes won’t count
against you, but many mistakes will leave
a less favorable impression
 Scored against other ACT essays, not
against polished or professional writing
 6 point scale
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How can I practice?
Best way to practice timed writing is to do timed
writing. Very different feeling than untimed.
 In your ACT prep booklet, they include
sample essays and why they scored the
way they did. Super helpful to read!
Pages 66-71
 Search “ACT Writing Sample Prompts” in
Google—you’ll find a ton of example prompts
and essays. Read them, do them. Time
yourself.
 ACT suggests reading newspapers and news
magazines, keeping up with current events.
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