The ACT writing test: prompts, rubric and whether to take it

What the prompt looks like

Each prompt describes an issue, such as ACT’s official sample on the growing presence of intelligent machines, and gives three perspectives on it. You can agree with one fully, partly, or take a different view altogether. What counts is that you explain your view, weigh it against at least one other, back it up with reasoning and examples, and organize it clearly.

ACT’s website has official sample prompts with scored sample essays, so you can see what essays at each score level look like.

How the ACT writing test is scored

On paper, two raters each score your essay from 1 to 6 in these four areas, and the ratings are combined into a writing score from 2 to 12. If you test online, an automated scoring engine scores it on the same 2 to 12 scale. With writing, you also get an English Language Arts (ELA) score, the average of English, reading and writing.

• Ideas and Analysis
• Development and Support
• Organization
• Language Use and Conventions

With or without writing?

ACT suggests taking it if your school, district or state requires it, if your English grades are weak and you want to show your writing, or if you haven’t picked your colleges yet and want to keep options open. Otherwise, if none of your colleges ask for it, you can skip it and save $25 and 40 minutes.

You can add or drop writing until the late registration deadline. You get five minutes to get ready before the essay starts.