Should I Take the SAT Essay? How to Decide.
In these tutorials, we walk through SAT Reading and Writing questions, both as passages and in focusing on the specific skills you’ll need. The examples are split by difficulty level on the SAT. Then use Official SAT Practice on Khan Academy to answer practice questions tailored just for you. Onward!
The SAT writing section includes multiple-choice questions about finding sentence errors, improving grammar, and making better choices in word usage, in addition to a short, written essay.
Expectations of the SAT Essay Section. If you plan to do the SAT Essay, here are the criteria for doing well: Write coherently using good language skills and good spelling. Write an essay that outlines a few key points. Write an essay that is understandable and concise. Persuade a reader to agree with you; write passionately about your topic.
What to Remember If You Decide to Write the SAT Essay. The new SAT features an optional essay, which is always the last section of the exam. It adds 50 minutes to your morning, but may enhance your college application. The essay is based on a short nonfiction passage that makes an argument.
Editor’s Note: This post has been updated for the New SAT essay beginning March 2015, and our SAT Expert, Chris Lele, totally nails it! Check it out. All About the New SAT Essay. The New SAT essay is requiring students to do something that they might never have done before.
The new SAT Essay Prompts are longer and more challenging than before. You are now asked to read a persuasive passage and analyze the author’s argument. You must explain how the author builds this argument with evidence, reasoning, and other persuasive elements. The passage will be from a published article that was written for a broad audience.
Keep these ideas in mind when you write the SAT essay: Go beyond the main idea and analyze the supporting points or subtleties of the argument. Check the structure of the passage and analyze the chain of logic. Decide how the author’s choice of words influences the reader’s reactions.