The Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) was created to measure Florida students' abilities in the core learning areas of science, math and language arts. The FCAT measures against the Sunshine State Standards, the statewide benchmark for student achievement in Florida. Administered during the 8th grade year, the essay portion of the FCAT tests students' ability to analyze and synthesize information and ideas, writing clearly and succinctly on a given prompt.
Instructions
1. Read the prompt thoroughly, and identify key phrases and concepts. The prompts fall into two broad categories, expository and persuasive. If your prompt is persuasive, take a firm, obvious stance on the issue. If your prompt is expository, be sure you understand the task. Because the FCAT standards emphasize the importance of focus and clarity, it's critical that you fully understand the prompt and narrow your focus to the essential themes and ideas.
2. Organize your thoughts before writing. The FCAT guidelines state that your essay must show an obvious plan and a "logical progression of ideas." Many teachers teach students a five-paragraph structure which can be helpful when organizing your thoughts. A typical five-paragraph essay contains an introduction, followed by three body paragraphs, and ended with a conclusion. It's worth noting that although this is a popular organizational structure, the FCAT guidelines do not require or endorse it - for instance, one FCAT grader recalls a student who received a perfect 6 essay score by responding to the prompt with a poem.
3. Be specific in your writing. Include examples, both from the prompt itself and from everyday life. While the FCAT essay is designed to be completed without external knowledge, FCAT graders look for "substantial, specific, relevant, concrete and/or illustrative" support for any claims or arguments you make in your essay.
4. Vary your sentence structure and length. The FCAT scoring rubric gives higher marks for students who can show an ability to manipulate the English language in a variety of grammatical constructions.
5. Proofread your essay carefully for errors. If not corrected, careless grammar and punctuation errors can dramatically impact your FCAT score. Allow at least five minutes at the end of the testing session to go over your work.
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