Get Help with Your Accuplacer Essay
Many students need help writing their Accuplacer essay.
If you worry about your essay skills, you can improve your writing for the essay part of the test.
If you want essay writing help, please visit the Writeplacer page.
How is the Accuplacer Essay Scored?
Did you know that your essay is scored by a software program?
That’s right, a teacher or administrator won’t even read what you have written.
Computer-Automated Scoring
The computer automated-scoring of your Accuplacer essay creates special challenges since computer scoring is very different than human scoring.
The software will assess the six following characteristics of your essay:
1. Focus and Purpose
To achieve focus, the Accuplacer essay has to answer the question that has been posed.
You will need to express your main idea in a clear way in the introduction of the essay.
The software assesses this aspect of your essay by searching for a thesis statement in the first paragraph of your essay.
2. Organization
Your Accuplacer essay should be organized into paragraphs.
Each paragraph has to be set out in the following way:
The body paragraphs should contain a point that supports your main idea.
You should also include a conclusion that sums up the essay.
The software looks for logical paragraph divisions.
It also searches words and phrases that indicate a new paragraph is starting (Examples: Firstly, Next, In addition).
3. Development and Support
To develop your Accuplacer essay, you need to expand on your main idea and maintain your point of view throughout your writing.
In order to support your viewpoint, your essay should include examples and explanations that illustrate it.
If your essay topic is on a contentious issue, you need to take a strong stand on it.
Don’t just say that there are both pro’s and con’s.
The scoring software searches for linking words and phrases that signal examples or reasons.
These words and phrases include: such as, for example, for this reason, because of.
4. Sentence Construction
You need to write long and developed sentences and demonstrate a variety of sentence patterns in Accuplacer essays.
Avoid repeatedly beginning your sentences in the same way, such as “I think that.”
The software searches for variety in your sentence patterns.
5. Mechanics
“Mechanics” means that your Accuplacer essay should be grammatically accurate and punctuated correctly.
Your spelling should also be correct.
The software has an advanced grammar and spelling checker.
6. Critical Thinking
There has to be unity and coherence among the examples that you use in your essay.
Students sometimes worry about which point of view they should take.
However, you will not be assessed on your opinions themselves, but rather only on how well you have expressed, organized, and supported them.
The software checks your vocabulary level for this aspect of the scoring.
That is because, generally speaking, using an advanced level of academic vocabulary demonstrates that your thinking is complex and critical.
Essay Writing Guide
Writeplacer Success essay guide teaches you everything you need to know in order to succeed with your essay.
The Accuplacer essay guide is available in both PDF download and paperback form.
The essay guide has chapters on all aspects of essay writing, such as:
- guiding you through the essay scoring process
- explaining good essay structure
- illustrating how to create effective thesis statements and topic sentences
- writing the introduction, main body and conclusion
- providing elaboration and examples to support your thesis
- using linking works and subordination to build sentences
- using correct grammar and punctuation
- writing with high-level vocabulary
Writeplacer Success will help you get the best result possible on your essay writing on the day of your exam!
Dealing with Computer-Scored Essays
Your Accuplacer essay is scored automatically by the computer software immediately after you submit it.
Our book tells you what the software looks for as it moves through your writing.
This will help you improve your essay score!
Our publication also tells you how to compose your Accuplacer essay in order to get a good score from the software.
The Accuplacer essay guide has example model essays, with comments that help you understand how best to compose your essay in order to optimize your score.
A good essay should be focused to answer the exact question that is being asked on the exam.
We show you how not to move off the assigned topic as you write your essay.
Do I Have to Do the Accuplacer Essay?
The Accuplacer essay is an optional part of the exam.
You may think that the Accuplacer essays requirement is unfair or unnecessary.
However, colleges or universities test your essay writing skills prior to your admission because writing essays is an important academic skill that you will need throughout your studies.
