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United States · Placement test

ACCUPLACER essay examples and WritePlacer prompts

College Board’s free WritePlacer guide has ACCUPLACER essay examples for every score from 1 to 8, two per score, with notes on why each got its mark. On the test you read a short passage and a question about an issue, then write about 300 to 600 words giving your point of view. The side you take doesn’t affect your score.

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Updated October 2026 · Written from official sources, listed at the bottom of this page

What WritePlacer essay topics look like

Each prompt is a short passage followed by an assignment that asks you to take a position on the issue it raises. Prompts don’t use technical or literary references and don’t need special knowledge. You support your view with reasons and examples from your reading, studies, experience or observation.

The guide’s sample prompt, for instance, asks whether we’re free to make our own decisions or limited in the choices we can make.

How the essay is scored

An automated scoring system gives a single score from 1 to 8, judged on six dimensions:

  • Purpose and focus: staying on the issue
  • Organization and structure: putting ideas in order and linking them
  • Development and support: backing up your ideas
  • Sentence variety and style
  • Mechanical conventions: standard written English
  • Critical thinking: a clear point of view and sound reasoning

An essay that’s too short to score, off the topic, or not in English gets a zero.

What do the ACCUPLACER essay examples show?

The 1-point examples have no clear point of view, disorganized ideas and errors throughout. A score of 6 goes to an essay that develops a point of view, is well organized and generally free of errors. An 8 adds insight, strong examples, varied sentences and a precise vocabulary.

Read the annotations, not just the essays. They point to the exact sentences that earned or lost points.

College Board: WritePlacer Guide with Sample Essays (PDF) ↗

Rules for the essay on test day

WritePlacer has to be finished in one sitting, because Save and Finish Later doesn’t work on it. You type your essay into a box on the screen.

English language learners may get WritePlacer ESL instead. It’s scored 1 to 6 on four dimensions, and it has its own guide with sample essays.

ESL tests →The multiple-choice Writing test →
Sources: College Board and 2 more. Checked October 2026.

Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.

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