This guide will talk you through what to expect when preparing for the optional ACT writing section; what essay prompts you can expect, how to tackle structuring your essay and what techniques can help boost your score.
What to expect in the ACT Writing section
Structure
The Writing section comes at the end of the main four ACT multiple-choice sections (English, Maths, Reading and Science). In this section, you have 40 minutes to prepare an essay response to a ‘prompt’ that they will give you. This prompt is usually a description of a topical real-world issue or debate. We will look at more specific prompts later in this guide. The prompt will be followed by three different ‘perspectives’ that all represent different arguments in response to the prompt.
Your task in the writing section is to pick your own perspective or viewpoint (it can be one already presented to you or a new one) and develop your argument in your essay. You should make sure to compare your viewpoint with at least one other perspective given to you. There is no official word count requirement but 4-5 well developed paragraphs should be enough to access the higher marks.
Types of writing prompts to expect
The examiners want to see you engage with a prominent issue that you can relate to and offer your own perspective on. There are very limited ‘official’ writing prompts available. However, the two exemplar essay writing prompts released by the official ACT board represent two main categories of writing prompts that you can expect:
- A topical issue in the world today (e.g. the effect of technology in the modern world).
- An issue related to the life of school or college children specifically (e.g. debating a school policy or regulation).
What skills are tested in the Writing section?
You are marked in four key areas in the Writing section:
Ideas and Analysis
Development and Support
Organisation
How you structure your essay matters! It should have a clear introduction, body and conclusion. This area measures how well you link your points together to support your overall argument.
Language Use and Conventions
This refers to your use of language and tone when writing your essay. You should make sure to use the appropriate grammar and word use throughout your essay.
How is the Writing section marked?
Two examiners mark each essay separately; they will each give the essay a score from 1-6 (with 6 being the highest). Your essay is marked using the four areas highlighted in the previous section - the scoring rubric is a useful tool to see what is required for the maximum mark. The two scores (one from each examiner) will be combined to give you a final writing score from 2-12 for your ACT Writing section.
In general, to achieve a high score on the writing test, you will need to show the reader:
- You have very clearly understood the issue at hand and can offer a detailed insight into your own perspective on the issue.
- Your depth of knowledge by relating your points to varied examples, strengthening your argument.
- A detailed comparison to one or more perspectives - consider the opposing viewpoints!
- A good structure that has a clear start and end point - this will ensure that the reader can follow the points you are making and does not get lost in your ideas.
What is a good ACT Writing score?
The score you get on the writing section does not count towards your overall (composite) ACT score (out of 35) on the four compulsory multiple choice sections. However, for selective colleges, they will be looking for an essay that gains the higher mark (out of a maximum of 12).
What Writing score do I need to achieve for top universities?
According to the 2023 national graduating class ACT profile report, the average ACT writing score was a 6. For selective IVY league colleges, it is important to aim for the higher end of the scale if you want to remain competitive. For example, colleges that do currently require students to sit the ACT include Brown, MIT and Dartmouth. For these students, most successful applicants have a score of between 32-35 on the ACT which translates to a score of 10-12 on the Writing component.
College applications are competitive, it pays to have your application give as much detail into your academic potential as possible! Whilst the writing section is optional, it can help you stand out by adding another score to your ACT profile - an English Language Arts score. This score takes into account your performance on the English, Reading and Writing modules. Without completing the Writing section you will not get this additional score alongside your main ACT score.
ACT Writing prompt examples
Below are examples of two ACT Writing prompts released as official examples from the ACT board. These are split into the two main essay prompt categories; 1) real world debates and 2) school related issues. See the notes of tips on how to approach each of these questions to access the higher marks.
Example 1: Real world issue
Intelligent Machines
Many of the goods and services we depend on daily are now supplied by intelligent, automated machines rather than human beings. Robots build cars and other goods on assembly lines, where once there were human workers. Many of our phone conversations are now conducted not with people but with sophisticated technologies. We can now buy goods at a variety of stores without the help of a human cashier. Automation is generally seen as a sign of progress, but what is lost when we replace humans with machines? Given the accelerating variety and prevalence of intelligent machines, it is worth examining the implications and meaning of their presence in our lives.
Read and carefully consider these perspectives. Each suggests a particular way of thinking about the increasing presence of intelligent machines.
Perspective One
What we lose with the replacement of people by machines is some part of our own humanity. Even our mundane daily encounters no longer require from us basic courtesy, respect, and tolerance for other people.
Perspective Two
Machines are good at low-skill, repetitive jobs, and at high-speed, extremely precise jobs. In both cases they work better than humans. This efficiency leads to a more prosperous and progressive world for everyone.
Perspective Three
Intelligent machines challenge our long-standing ideas about what humans are or can be. This is good because it pushes both humans and machines toward new, unimagined possibilities.
Write a unified, coherent essay about the increasing presence of intelligent machines.
A-List tips on how to approach prompt #1
It is best practice to identify and communicate the main idea of any prompt in the introduction of your essay. For this prompt the key idea is whether or not technology is a force for good or evil. Use that main idea in your introduction to show the reader you understand the main thesis of the prompt.
For this question, some points to consider when constructing your answer include:
- What do you think technology has achieved or allowed us to do as humans?
- What do you think are some advantages and disadvantages? On balance is there more good than bad?
- Do you agree or disagree with some of the advantages and disadvantages in the perspective?
- What are some specific examples of technological advancements that you can use as evidence of the points you are making?
Example 2: School-related issue
Extracurricular Activities and Codes of Conduct
For many students, extracurricular activities are a meaningful part of the high school experience. These activities allow students to develop their skills in areas such as sports, music, and drama while building relationships with peers and gaining experience performing or competing. But at many schools, students who participate in extracurricular activities are subject to special codes of conduct. These codes often establish high standards for academic performance and behavior, and students must meet the standards to stay eligible for their activities. Should students who participate in extracurricular activities be subject to special codes of conduct?
Read and carefully consider these perspectives. Each suggests a particular way of thinking about the question above.
Perspective One
All school rules and standards must apply equally to every student. It is unfair to hold students who play sports or music to higher standards than students who do not.
Perspective Two
Participation in school activities is a privilege, not a right. It is fair to ask students to earn this privilege by studying hard and behaving themselves.
Perspective Three
School programs should be open to all students. Not all students can meet high standards, which means not all students can participate in extracurricular activities.
Write a unified, coherent essay in which you address the question of whether students who participate in extracurricular activities should be subject to special codes of conduct.
A-List tips on how to approach prompt #2
The main debate presented in this prompt is to argue whether or not there should be ‘special rules and standards’ for students who take part in extracurricular activities. Explicitly stating the debate informs the reader that you are on track with the question.
Some points to consider when constructing your argument for this essay might be:
- What benefits do extra curricular activities provide?
- Should extracurricular activities be given the same weight as other school subjects?
- Should all extra-curricular subjects be treated equally? I.e.would it be fair to hold high school football players to a high academic standard but not students in art clubs why or why not?
ACT Writing template guide
For the top marks, you should aim for 5 well-developed paragraphs in your essay with a solid structure that shows a clear progression of your argument. There are exemplar essays that you can access here to see the links between the template and the essay they produced.
See below for a template that provides a good starting point for your answer:
The body of your text should include 2-3 points to support your argument with appropriate evidence and examples where necessary.
Make sure to also consider the other perspectives (you need to reference at least one). Explain to the reader why the other perspective may lack validity.
Your aim is to argue in favour of your point of view - so be persuasive in your language but back your points up with examples as clear evidence.
This final paragraph should summarise the points you have made in favour of your argument. Make sure the language here is powerful as it represents the closing words of your argument. You may also find it useful to link back to the introduction.
Effective study strategies and practice techniques
This section will run through the top tips to get you mentally prepared for your ACT Writing exam including how both reading and writing can help boost your score. Additionally, a good writing score would be useless with a poor overall ACT score so don’t forget to ensure that the 4 main areas are covered. See our ACT test guide on how best to prepare for the multiple choice sections.
Keep up with the news
The ACT writing section tests your ability to engage with an issue and/or debate. Engaging with real world news and events could help provide you with a solid knowledge base when it comes to constructing your own argument and providing examples.
Revise grammar rules and the format of persuasive texts
Your task in the writing section is to write a persuasive essay that fully supports your argument. It would be a good idea in your prep to look at some well-formed essays online and in school work you may have already come across. Look at their word choice, sentence structure and the tone of their language. You may find it useful to borrow some techniques in your own essay.
Participate in debates
Start getting used to being able to articulate your point and engage with other people’s points of view. Joining the debate club in your school and/or setting up a small debate club amongst your peers, who may also be preparing for the ACT, could be useful practice for learning to develop your argument and engaging with new ideas.
Practice writing essays
It is very important to put pen to paper and practise writing your essays. Ensure that you allow yourself time in your preparation to complete some sample prompts. This will help to identify weaker areas of your essay writing and importantly expose you to a wide variety of material. You can find some free writing prompts on the official ACT website. It’s important not to neglect the Writing section if you want a chance at accessing the highest scores. You should aim to write practice essays regularly alongside your other ACT prep starting at least 6 months before your exam.
Time yourself
You are only allowed 40 minutes to read the essay prompt, perspectives and write your answer so it is essential you practise sticking to the time limit! If you struggle at first, try giving yourself free time at the very start of your preparation and then gradually reducing the time you have until you can consistently write in the 40 minute window. Remember! You will also want to leave yourself 5 minutes of planning your essay response and 5 minutes to review at the end, so consistent timed practice is essential.
Get an ACT tutor
Preparing for the ACT writing section can be a daunting task since it can be hard to judge the quality of your own essay. An experienced tutor can be very useful in helping you to develop your essay writing skills and making sure you are on track. Especially since, on average, most students sitting the ACT Writing paper only score half marks. It is important to find a tutor with a proven track record of success as their insight is vital in shaping your progress. A-List Education has a selected number of experienced tutors who can help you with the Writing section (and all other areas of the ACT!).
Additional tips to write your ACT essay answer
- Plan your answer before you start writing - a clear plan will help you stay on track and focused on responding fully to the essay prompt.
- Don’t forget the introduction and the conclusion - these are both important parts of the flow of your overall essay.
- Remember to keep the tone persuasive - you are trying to convince the reader to see your point of view.
- Keep a hold of the time limit - don’t get bogged down on any one part of the essay - try to keep moving through consistently so you don’t run out of time.
- Lastly, get plenty of fluids and a good night’s sleep ahead of the exam - your essay will benefit from a clear head.
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