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ACT Essay Samples | Good vs Bad Examples

The ACT Essay option is a great way to impress college admissions officers with your writing ability. But what does a good essay look like vs a bad one? Thankfully, ACT has provided some helpful ACT essay samples that you can study based on good vs not-so-good examples.

In addition, here are 10 helpful ACT Essay prep tips to practice before test day.

ACT Essay Samples Prompt

This provided prompt, Intelligent Machines, is a good representation of how prompts are provided to you on the actual test.

“The test describes an issue and provides three different perspectives on the issue. You are asked to read and consider the issue and perspectives, state your own perspective on the issue, and analyze the relationship between your perspective and at least one other perspective on the issue. Your score will not be affected by the perspective you take on the issue.”

ACT Essay Samples Passage

Here is the actual passage that students drew from when writing the sample essays below.

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.”

ACT Essay Samples Perspective Choices

• 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.”

ACT Essay Sample 1 (Low-Scoring)

“Well Machines are good but they take people jobs like if they don’t know how to use it they get fired and they’ll find someone else and it’s more easyer with machines but sometimes they don’t need people because of this machines do there own job and there be many people that lack on there job but the intelligent machines sometimes may not work or they’ll brake easy and it’s waste of money on this machines and there really expensive to buy but they help alot at the same time it help alot but at the same time this intelligent machines work and some don’t work but many store buy them and end up broken or not working but many stores gets them and end up wasting money on this intelligent machines’ but how does it help us and the comunity because some people get fired because they do not need him because of this machines many people are losing job’s because of this machines.”

Sample Essay 2 (High-Scoring)

“Should machines be used to do good and services instead of humans? I believe they should not for many reasons. Machines can not be smart unless a human is controlling it. So it would not matter if it’s an intelligent machine or not a human is still controlling it to do everything.

When using a machine it could easily malfunction and it could be hard to fix the problem or it will just take a while to fix it. If a human is taking over instead of the machine there may be fewer problems. Machines have so many problems that it would not be worth having.

Also, the more machines you have the fewer jobs there are for people because everyone thinks it would be better to have machines instead of people. When fewer people are out of work that means less money for those people and sometimes they will lose their homes or cars because they can not afford anything.

Sometimes working with machines can be very stressful because they may not work at times or they could be running extremely slow and won’t get anything done. Machines are not smart at all, only when people are controlling them they are but not all the time. It may seem smart but it’s really not.

In conclusion, I think machines should not be used to take over a human job because machines can not think only humans can think and make right or wrong decisions. Machines do not have brains, they’re not wired to think so why have them do stuff that we can do ourselves.”

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How to Write a Top-Scoring ACT Essay

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Editor's Note: The following article is a guest post by Kristin at Magoosh. It originally appeared on the Magoosh high school blog .

Prepping for the ACT and determined to achieve the highest score possible? With a little help from useful tools and resources like an ACT study guide , you can. But are you interested in raising your ACT essay score in particular? Well, you're in luck, because in this post we review the top two tips for an essay that is going to knock the socks off the graders.

To do that, you need to remember that your graders are human beings. They are reading lots and lots of essays. And a lot of them start to sound alike. So if you are shooting for a good score on the essay, all you really need to do is write a clear, argumentative thesis, address all three of the required perspectives, include good examples, and have a coherent structure.

But if you want a GREAT score, you need to stand out from the crowd. Here's how you can do it:

1. Use less obvious examples in your ACT essay.

On the first new essay, a lot of students wrote about the civil rights movement. It was an obvious example that a lot of students had studied, and it was certainly the first thing that jumped to my mind as well. Now, technically, graders are not supposed to be punishing you for an unoriginal example as long as you do it well. But remember the golden rule: write for a human reader! If a grader reads 50 essays about the civil rights movement in a row and then gets to yours and you are writing about something totally different, the grader is going to sit up and pay attention. Not only that, but it will also be more difficult to compare your essay to others. If you write about the same topic as everyone else, it is likely that some people won't do it as well as you, but others will do it better. So try not to open yourself to these comparisons. Be original.

Again, this doesn't mean that you can't write about a common topic, but if you are going to do it, make sure you pick very specific examples within that topic to demonstrate your knowledge. But if you can think of something that would be less obvious, go that route.

2. Choose the option to provide your own perspective on the ACT essay, but only switch it up slightly.

Now, this is tricky. You can get a perfect score simply by completely agreeing with one of the three presented perspectives, and for the vast majority of students, this is the best course of action to make sure you don't go completely off track and end up hurting your score. However, if you consider yourself to be a very strong writer, you might be able to truly impress by adding your own twist on the prompt. In most cases, the easiest way to do this is to narrow the scope of one of the perspectives. For example, if you look at sample essay #5 on act.org, you'll see that the graders applauded the student for evaluating the perspectives through the "lens of a particular ideology": capitalism. Here's an excerpt of the score explanation:

The prompt is about a larger issue—the positive or negative impact of "intelligent machines" in our society—but this student has narrowed the scope and, in doing so, was able to provide a specific compelling argument that didn't try to address all areas of life in a five-paragraph essay.

So for you ACT-writing superstars out there who are looking for a score in the 11–12 range, take these key tips to heart, and get practicing with ACT writing prompts. The new ACT essay prompt is tough, but practicing with sample prompts and coming up with arguments on the fly will help! Practice the essay on its own, and then graduate to an ACT Practice Test to simulate the test-day experience.

About the Author

Kristin makes sure Magoosh's sites are full of awesome, free resources that can be found by students prepping for standardized tests. With a PhD from UC Irvine and degrees in Education and English, she's been working in education since 2004 and has helped students prepare for standardized tests, as well as college and graduate school admissions, since 2007. She enjoys the agony and bliss of trail running, backpacking, hot yoga, and esoteric knowledge.

Image source: tookapic/Pixabay.com

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ACT Essay Template and Sample

Act essay template.

¶1: Introductory Paragraph

• Introductory statement

¶2: First Body Paragraph

• Describe your thesis
• Provide 1st example/reasoning: include specific, relevant information

¶3: Second Body Paragraph

• Continue supporting your thesis
• Provide 2nd example/reasoning: include specific, relevant information

If you are running out of time, don’t write a 2nd body paragraph. Instead, take the time to write a thorough 3rd body paragraph and a clear conclusion  paragraph.

¶4: Third Body Paragraph

• Explain how your thesis compares and contrasts with Perspectives One, Two, and/or Three
• Strengths/Weaknesses of the perspective(s)
• Insights offered / Insights not considered
• Persuasive / Not persuasive
• Example or reasoning: provide specific, relevant information

¶5: Conclusion Paragraph

• Recap your thesis
• Recap how your thesis compares and contrasts with Perspectives One, Two, and/or Three

Sample Prompt

Bilingual Accreditation

While the most common language in the United States is English, it’s certainly not the only language in which Americans communicate. In fact, bilingual fluency is highly desirable in many professions, including business, education, and medicine. In an effort to ready students for success in their future careers, some high schools may consider instituting programs that would offer bilingual accreditation to students who successfully complete a significant portion of their schooling in a language other than English. Because bilingual certification is not a necessary component of traditional education, should schools be  expected to explore this option for interested students? As American high schools aim to remain competitive as measured by increasingly rigorous international education standards, innovative programs such as bilingual certification may prove to be essential.

Read and carefully consider these perspectives. Each discusses relevant aspects of offering bilingual accreditation.

  Perspective One: Schools should encourage bilingual fluency but should not be expected to offer special classes  or programs. School administrators need to work on strengthening the existing curriculum rather than overcomplicating instruction by attempting to incorporate additional programs that do not reinforce traditional education.

Perspective Two:  Offering bilingual accreditation weakens the core of high school curriculum. A large enough portion of the student population already struggles to maintain passing grades when taught in English, and adding other languages would likely add to that number.

Perspective Three:  Bilingual accreditation should be offered, but it needs to be thoughtfully implemented. Courses taught in languages other than English need to be carefully selected to ensure that this program does not affect the integrity of the high school diploma.

Sample Essay Using the Prompt

Essay outline.

• Thesis:  Schools should offer bilingual accreditation as long as courses offered in languages other than English are carefully selected.

¶2: First body paragraph

• Describe your thesis:   All classes need to be carefully selected so scheduling bilingual offerings is not an additional burden for school administrators.
• Provide first example/reasoning: include specific, relevant information— Even if core classes are given in two languages, all students still study the core curriculum and preserve the integrity of the diploma.

¶3: Second Body Paragraph

• Continue supporting your thesis:   Offering bilingual accreditation provides an opportunity for schools to offer non-traditional classes for all students .
• Provide second example/reasoning: include specific, relevant information— Every dollar spent to accommodate bilingual education should be matched with equal funding for other types of educational enrichment such as STEM training and career-oriented electives.

¶4: Third Body Paragraph

• Explain how your thesis compares and contrasts with Perspectives One, Two, and/or Three:   The first perspective argues that schools should encourage bilingual fluency but not add any bilingual classes, which is in direct contrast to Perspective Three.
• Strengths/Weaknesses of the perspective(s):   Perspective One doesn’t take into account that making the existing curriculum better often means adding additional classes, which bilingual accreditation would accomplish.
• Persuasive / Not persuasive:   The argument simply says that these classes would only be for interested students, so it doesn’t affect everyone.
• Example or Reasoning: provide specific, relevant information— Most of the world uses English as a second language, and many people speak at least two languages, so to stay competitive, U.S. students should also be fluent in two languages.
• Recap your thesis:   I fully support perspective three because it opens up possibilities for all students without denying anyone a full high school curriculum leading to a meaningful diploma.
• Recap how your thesis compares and contrasts with Perspectives One, Two, and/or Three:   Recognizing the benefits of being bilingual, and making bilingual courses available but optional, is the best of both worlds.

Final Essay

               In today’s world where international education standards are very high and the U.S.  needs to remain competitive, educators are looking for ways to enhance high school curriculum.  One way is offering classes in languages other than English. Some people think that  schools should provide enough education in a different language for students to be certified  as bilingual. Others think this will weaken the curriculum. Still others think the accreditation  should be offered but carefully administered so that graduation from that school would  indicate the completed high school curriculum, and this is the option I agree with. I would  further argue that schools should not only carefully implement bilingual programs to suit  students who want to become fluent in two languages, but also provide supplemental non- traditional courses for students pursuing their entire education in English.

              The third perspective posits that while students should be given the opportunity to  learn in other languages and be accredited as bilingual, the courses given need to be carefully  selected. In reality, all classes need to be carefully selected so this is not a problem  for bilingual classes. And if the classes selected were all optional, not required, it would not  affect students who still want to learn everything in English. Since core classes might be  given in two languages, and students select which one they want, all students still study the core curriculum and preserve the integrity of the diploma. Schools have always taught  languages in high school so a French or Spanish course taught as a bilingual class makes  perfect sense. Bilingual classes are also advantageous for students who do well and want  to challenge themselves. So a French literature class can be taught in French while students  read in French also.

             As schools work to accommodate students who wish to pursue a bilingual education,  administrators must keep in mind that students who do not want an additional bilingual  accreditation should still have every opportunity to excel as they work toward their high  school diplomas. Every dollar spent to accommodate bilingual education should be matched  with equal funding for other types of educational enrichment such as STEM training and  career-oriented electives. That way, every student can benefit from classes that go beyond  traditional education, whether the classes concentrate on language, science, technology,  engineering, mathematics, or future careers. Given the rigorous demands of the current job  climate, students will greatly benefit from any additional marketable skills that they can  acquire during their high school careers.

              The first perspective argues that schools should encourage bilingual fluency but not  add any bilingual classes, which is in direct contrast to my position. Instead, the school  administrators should make the existing curriculum better so that traditional education is  really good. Certainly a high school curriculum should be as good as it can be and we should  always be looking for ways to make it better. That often means adding new courses. For instance, computer courses didn’t exist a few years ago, but they are in schools now because  it’s important for people to be able to use computers. It’s the same thing with bilingual  courses. Most of the world uses English as a second language, and many people speak at  least two languages. So it’s only right that to stay competitive, U.S. students should also  be fluent in two languages; this is particularly important in careers that require international  work. Also, the argument simply says that these classes would only be for interested  students, so it doesn’t affect everyone. And finally, how can the schools encourage bilingual  fluency if they don’t provide a place for students to practice another language?

              Being bilingual in a world with international interaction can’t help but be useful. I fully  support perspective three because it opens up possibilities for all students without denying  anyone a full high school curriculum leading to a meaningful diploma. Recognizing the  benefits of being bilingual, and making bilingual courses available but optional, is the best  of both worlds. Expanding courses offered in a curriculum is always better than restricting  them, especially when they serve such an important need as the ability to communicate  with others in their own language.

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Sample Essay Responses and Explanations to the Previously Released 2020 ACT Writing Test

Below are sample essays and score explanations to the full-length Writing test of the previously released ACT from the current 2020-2021 “Preparing for the ACT Test” (form 1874FPRE) free study guide available here from ACT for free . For more general tips and strategies for the ACT writing test, click here .

The ACT Writing test explained below begins on page 53 of the guide. Please note that the 2020-2021 guide features the same practice test as the 2019-2020 guide. Other answer explanations in this series of articles:

• English Answer Explanations from 2020 ACT Practice Test
• Math Answer Explanations from 2020 ACT Practice Test
• Reading Answer Explanations from 2020 ACT Practice Test
• Science Answer Explanations from 2020 ACT Practice Test
• Writing Test Sample Essays from 2020 ACT Practice Test (this article)

When you’re finished reviewing this official practice ACT test, start practicing with our own 10 full-length practice ACT tests —absolutely free during the pandemic.

ACT Writing Test Sample Essays and Explanations

Remember that you have only 40 minutes to familiarize yourself with the prompt, plan your essay, and write it out. It is recommended that you take no more than 10 minutes to plan your essay, so that you have the rest of the time to write and review it. The test booklet includes blank pages for you to use when planning your essay. These blank pages are not scored; only the lined pages on which you write your essay will be scored.

Well-Written Essay Sample 6/6

First, let’s look at a sample essay which would likely receive the highest possible score (a 6 in all categories, which results in a final ACT Writing score of 12). A top-scoring essay will align with the following ACT scoring rubric descriptions:

In the past, there was a clear delineation between the leisure activities of adults and children, but these days that line is not as clear. Increasingly, adults are spending time engaging with children’s entertainment, like video games, animated films, and comic books. But despite what might be seen as troubling consequences of this trend, a deeper examination reveals it to be benign or even beneficial. One common line of argument suggests that adults who play with “kid stuff” are displaying signs of immaturity. But this is an overly simplistic reading, and in many cases one which displays undercurrents of elitism. For instance, grouping all animated films or TV programs together fails to account for the wide variety that exists within that genre. Longstanding shows like “Family Guy” have always been aimed at an older audience, and newer programs like “Bojack Horseman” have received critical acclaim for their sensitive handling of complicated, adult topics. To suggest that watching these shows is no different from, say, watching “Teletubbies” is to create a false equivalence. It is also worth considering the positive effects of “play” in children and seeing what relevance they may have to adult life. Play is both an successful stress-reducer and an outlet for creativity. Additionally, many toys are designed with an educational component in mind. There is no reason why these upsides to children’s entertainment should be denied to adults, many of whom lead stressful lives. Playing video games after a long day of work could even be seen as a healthy activity, since they are working to mitigate the unhealthy effects of long-term stress. In addition to possible personal benefits, there are potential interpersonal benefits too. Adults who are aware of trends in children’s entertainment may find it easier to relate to younger generations. Recently, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez made headlines when she used a live session of the popular videogame “Among Us” to educate younger Americans about voting rights and registration. Although she could have delivered the same information in a more “grown-up” setting, her embracing of an element of youth culture made the message more powerful. It is clear that toys aren’t “just for kids” anymore; after close examination, it is equally clear that this is not a matter for concern. Although the description of “kid stuff” is itself reductive, even putting that aside there are personal benefits to be had from engaging with it, not to mention the possibility of greater cross-generational communication. This blurring of difference between adults’ and children’s entertainment may be a relatively new phenomenon, but its novelty does not signal a problem. Rather, it offers exciting new possibilities for all of us, whatever our age.

Sample Essay Score Explanation

Let’s look at how this essay aligns with the rubric descriptions for a score of 6 in each domain. Text in quotes comes from the rubric, italicized text comes from the student’s essay.

Ideas and Analysis:

“The writer generates an argument that critically engages with multiple perspectives on the given issue. The argument’s thesis reflects nuance and precision in thought and purpose.”

The student’s thesis is easily located as the last sentence of the introductory paragraph: But despite what might be seen as troubling consequences of this trend, a deeper examination reveals it to be benign or even beneficial. This thesis is clear and specific and signals what ground the essay will cover.

What gives this thesis “nuance and precision”? It is the way the student acknowledges that the evidence can be read in multiple ways ( troubling ,  benign ,  beneficial ) but nonetheless commits to one perspective (in this case, that the trend is on the whole a good thing).

“The argument establishes and employs an insightful context for analysis of the issue and its perspectives. The analysis examines implications, complexities and tensions, and/or underlying values and assumptions.”

Each of the essay’s body paragraphs takes a different approach to analysis. The 2nd paragraph ( One common line of argument… ) attacks one of the provided perspectives by arguing that it is based on faulty “underlying values and assumptions.” We can see this in the second sentence where the student calls the premise an overly simplistic reading and calls out undercurrents of elitism .

The 3rd paragraph ( It is also worth considering… ) brings in a wholly new perspective which, again, questions the underlying assertion of play as an activity only suited for kids.

The 4th paragraph ( In addition to possible… ) is the most straightforward, simply presenting one of the given perspectives, but using a strong, specific example ( Recently, Congresswoman… ) to drive home the author’s point.

Development and Support:

“Development of ideas and support for claims deepen insight and broaden context. An integrated line of skillful reasoning and illustration effectively conveys the significance of the argument. Qualifications and complications enrich and bolster ideas and analysis.”

Notice how the student’s examples “broaden [the] context” of their argument. In the 3rd paragraph, for instance, the student uses their argument that play has beneficial effects to suggest a possible widespread benefit to adults’ longterm health. Suddenly, the issue under discussion is not limited to the world of children’s playtime and takes on potentially more serious implications.

In the 4th paragraph, the student’s example of AOC using “Among Us” to to raise awareness of voting rights brings a wider political view to the issue under discussion. Again, the context has been broadened; suggesting political implications also strengthens “the significance of the argument.”

Organization:

“The response exhibits a skillful organizational strategy. The response is unified by a controlling idea or purpose, and a logical progression of ideas increases the effectiveness of the writer’s argument.”

The writer uses a five-paragraph essay format, but the paragraphs flow organically. Notice how the body paragraphs both illustrate the thesis, and build on one another. The student begins by examining what might be seen as troubling consequences , namely that adults who play with “kid stuff” are displaying signs of immaturity.

The next two paragraphs then develop the idea that a deeper examination reveals it to be benign or even beneficial. First, the student suggests that there are overlooked personal benefits of play (it is a s uccessful stress-reducer and an outlet for creativity ).

Then, the following paragraph proposes wider societal benefits (notice the parallelism between possible personal benefits and potential interpersonal benefits ).

“Transitions between and within paragraphs strengthen the relationships among ideas.”

Clunky transitional language (firstly, secondly, in conclusion, etc.) is avoided, but the paragraphs flow logically. The organization within paragraphs is strong: let’s use the 4th paragraph as an example.

First, there is a transition sentence ( In addition to possible personal benefits ) which both refers back to the previous paragraph and sets a course for the current line or argument. Then there is a clear topic sentence ( Adults who are aware of trends in children’s entertainment may find it easier to relate to younger generations ), which describes what will follow.

Next, there is a specific example to illustrate the topic sentence. Finally, the student re-contextualizes their example by explaining why it is relevant ( her embracing of an element of youth culture made the message more powerful ).

Language Use:

“The use of language enhances the argument. Word choice is skillful and precise. Sentence structures are consistently varied and clear. Stylistic and register choices, including voice and tone, are strategic and effective.”

There are no significant language or grammar problems. A wide range of vocabulary ( benign , phenomenon , mitigate ) is deployed to strong rhetorical effect. The student avoids direct repetition when possible. Sentence length varies; commas, apostrophes, and semicolons are used correctly. All of this indicates a strong command of written English.

The student uses appropriate academic language and a formal tone. Notice how the student puts the phrases “kid stuff” and “just for kids” in quotes to indicate that the informality of the language is not their own. “Stuff” is a vague word that should be avoided, but here it is clear that the student is not an unimaginative writer, just quoting the prompt.

ACT 2020 Practice Test Sample Essay – Score 3/6

Mediocre essay sample.

Now, let’s look at a sample essay which would likely receive middling scores (a 3 in all categories, which results in a final ACT Writing score of 6). A mid-scoring essay will align with the following ACT scoring rubric descriptions:

There are many ideas about adults playing with “kid stuff” like toys and games. Some people think that its a bad thing and some people think that its a good thing. Like how it can help adults understand kids lives better, but also kids maybe feel that adults shouldn’t try so hard. So there are a lot of perspectives. Toys are meant for kids and teenagers, not really for adults. For example, dolls are made for younger children to play with because they have more imagination. Adults are supposed to grow up so if they are still playing with dolls it might mean they are not growing up. Adults usually have less imagination too, so probably they won’t really get anything out of the experience of playing with dolls anyway. Because toys are meant for children it can feel invasive of the children’s “cultural space” if adults are playing with them too. For example, it is really awkward when my parents try to relate to my friends interests. Even if they try very hard, they don’t really get what we are intrested in. Actually the more they try the more awkward it becomes. So even though you could say that adults should try to learn about “kid stuff” to relate to them, it seems like maybe they still can’t relate, so it’s not worth it. One reason that adults might still play with toys is that it reminds them of their childhood. Thinking about happy memories could make them feel good if their life is hard right now. In this case, maybe playing with toys isn’t so bad. But if they do it too much it seems like they are just trying to avoid the problems in their life. This is not a good role model for adults to be showing kids. In conclusion, we can see there are a wide range of views about adults who play with toys. There are some possible good things about it, for example if it helps them relate to young people or if it helps them remember their childhood. But there are also bad sides because playing with toys might mean, adults are not acting grown up enough. Because there are good and bad affects of adults playing with toys, this issue will probably still be debated for a long time to come.

Let’s look at how this essay aligns with the rubric descriptions for a score of 3 in each domain. Text in quotes comes from the rubric, italicized text comes from the student’s essay.

“The writer generates an argument that responds to multiple perspectives on the given issue. The argument’s thesis reflects some clarity in thought and purpose.”

The student’s thesis appears to be: So there are a lot of perspectives. Although it gives an indication of what the essay will be about, it is a very weak thesis. It acknowledges many perspectives, but does not weigh the value of each; the student has failed to define their own position.

“The argument establishes a limited or tangential context for analysis of the issue and its perspectives. Analysis is simplistic or somewhat unclear.”

The essay’s body paragraphs all take a similar approach to analysis. Let’s use the 2nd paragraph as an example. First, they present an argument as a statement of fact ( Toys are meant for kids and teenagers, not really for adults ). Again, notice the lack of the student’s personal perspective.

The student uses an example ( dolls are made for younger children… ) but does not fully explore its implications. In attempting to contextualize the example, the student simply repeats the main argument ( Adults are supposed to grow up so if they are still playing with dolls it might mean they are not growing up. )

The student concludes by making a claim ( Adults usually have less imagination ) that is unsupported. They do not anticipate or rebut any assertions that might contradict their claim.

“Development of ideas and support for claims are mostly relevant but are overly general or simplistic. Reasoning and illustration largely clarify the argument but may be somewhat repetitious or imprecise.”

Although each paragraph attempts to consider a different perspective, the writer’s own ideas are left unexplored. The student makes a series of small points, but fails to gather them together to support a larger claim.

The author’s examples are generally relevant, but the reader must infer their significance, which weakens their usage. Consider the 3rd paragraph, when the student uses an example from their own life ( it is really awkward when my parents try to relate to my friends interests. )

Instead of using this example to look at the larger context of parent-child relations as it might relate to the topic at hand, the student reinforces the personal quality of the example: Even if they try very hard, they don’t really get what we are intrested in. The example thus comes off as an individual gripe rather than an illustration of a larger argument.

“The response exhibits a basic organizational structure. The response largely coheres, with most ideas logically grouped.

The student has organized their essay using a traditional five-paragraph structure, which brings some general order to their ideas. But there is very little attention to the relationship between paragraphs, which seem to exist in isolation.

“Transitions between and within paragraphs sometimes clarify the relationships among ideas.”

The organization within paragraphs is also somewhat unclear—for instance, in the 4th paragraph. The final sentence ( This is not a good role model for adults to be showing kids ) seems to be introducing a new line of argument, but it is not connected the sentences which precede it. The lack of a transition weakens the significance of this argument.

“The use of language is basic and only somewhat clear. Word choice is general and occasionally imprecise. Sentence structures are usually clear but show little variety.”

The author uses a limited vocabulary; they overuse modifiers like really and maybe and the word choice is repetitive.

Sentence structure is occasionally varied but often somewhat awkward: Adults usually have less imagination too, so probably they won’t really get anything out of the experience of playing with dolls anyway. This sentence could be rendered more clearly, for instance: Because adults usually have less imagination, they are unlikely to have a valuable experience when playing with dolls.

“Stylistic and register choices, including voice and tone, are not always appropriate for the rhetorical purpose. Distracting errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics may be present.”

There are spelling and grammar errors ( affect instead of effect, intrested instead of interested, improper apostrophe and comma usage) which indicate a lack of confidence in proper use. Some language is overly general, imprecise, or inappropriate (the use of get instead of understand ; beginning a sentence with Like ).

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How I Got a Perfect Score on the New ACT Essay

Update: The ACT announced in June 2016 that it would be going back to an ACT essay score range from 2-12. This post was originally written during the period from September 2015 to June 2016 when the ACT essay was scaled from 1-36. However, the essay itself has not changed and all the same advice below applies. 🙂

Acing the New ACT Essay

So first of all, I’ve been tutoring for the ACT for years. I have advanced degrees in writing-intensive fields. I SHOULD be able to score really well on a timed essay test meant for high schoolers.

But many years ago, when I was just beginning my standardized test tutoring career, I took the SAT and got a 9/12 on the essay. A NINE? I was flabbergasted. I know that for many high schoolers, a 9 is a really good score and one to be proud of. But I tried REALLY hard. I thought I wrote a darn good essay. And I was an adult, for Pete’s sake. So what happened?

What I learned from this experience on the SAT is just how important it is to understand the expectations and biases of the SAT and ACT graders in order to do well on the essay portions of the test. They’ve been trained to give certain scores based on specific characteristics. And so what they expect is a pretty cookie-cutter, straight from your freshman composition class, organized essay. But if you are aiming for a top, top score, you can push the boundaries a little bit, and I will explain exactly how below.

I sat for the September 2015 ACT administration, the first with the new essay format requiring test-takers to evaluate three different perspectives on an issue and present their own. I had studied everything the ACT had released on the new essay at the time (it wasn’t much), and I tested out my theories on what it might take to get a perfect score on the essay I wrote.

Of course, there is not one winning recipe to getting a perfect score on the ACT Writing test, but there are some indicators as to what will help nudge the readers towards a good ACT writing score . As it turns out, at least for my essay, my theories worked pretty well. I received a 36 scaled score with a 12 out of 12 on each of the four scoring domains.

Here’s what I learned:  

Perfect ACT Essay Tip #1:

• Choose the option to agree with one of the perspectives, but modify it slightly.

For most students, I highly recommend that they choose the option to agree with one of the given perspectives rather than choosing the option to present their own. It’s just too risky. The readers might not understand what you are trying to get at and you run the risk of going off topic. You can get a perfect score by agreeing with one of the perspectives, so unless you are a VERY strong writer, I don’t think it’s worth the risk.

However, if you are aiming for a top, top score, I suggest you choose the option to agree with one of the perspectives, but narrow your focus. The topics on the ACT are big ones and the perspectives are often all-encompassing as well. On the sample essays on the ACT student website, you can see that, on the second highest scoring essay, the graders are impressed with the student’s narrowing his or her scope to the implications for capitalism. I can’t reveal the topic the September essay, but imagine this was one of the perspectives:

__________ can be an effective way of achieving social change.

What I did was something like this:

__________ can be an effective means of achieving social change, but only when it is done in a way that brings public visibility to the issue.

That’s a rough approximation but hopefully you see my point. In the body of my essay, I then provided examples in which social injustices were brought to light on YouTube and other social media platforms during the Arab Spring, for example. So I narrowed the scope of my argument to the “public visibility” note that I added onto one of the provided perspectives.

The idea is to get essay graders to perk up a little bit when they read your thesis and then go into the body of your essay with a more positive attitude. Remember that they are reading countless essays that have wishy-washy thesis statements or thesis statements that just repeat one of the perspectives verbatim. Make yours stand out.  

Perfect ACT Essay Tip #2:

It’s ok if you are using really common examples, if you employ them well.

After the test, I saw a lot of students online worrying about the fact that they had written about the Civil Rights Movement, and, “Oh my gosh, EVERYONE wrote about the Civil Rights Movement!”

Like many of the other students who took the test, the first thing that popped into my head when I read the prompt was the Civil Rights Movement. So I decided to run with it, but try to do it really well: using specific examples and making sure the examples were key in supporting larger arguments. I wanted to see if I would be punished for not being more creative. Turns out I wasn’t. So don’t overanalyze your choices and waste time trying to think of less common examples just because you think they are going to be the same ones that other people write about. It didn’t appear to hurt my score. That being said if the first things that pop into your head are less obvious examples, go for it. I think that can be a breath of fresh air for your readers too. It’s all about the fresh air, people!  

Perfect ACT Essay Tip #3:

• Don’t make the graders work hard to follow your train of thought, but don’t be redundant either.

Your essay should be written in a very obvious 5-paragraph(-ish) structure. The five paragraphs aren’t important, maybe you have four or six, but what I mean is an essay that is very structured with an intro, supporting body paragraphs, and conclusion. For a TOP score, though, make sure you use transitions between ideas liberally. You might think you are overdoing it, but remember, the graders are reading your essay quickly. Don’t assume they will work hard to connect the dots. Make it easy for them to do that. The Organization scoring domain is a pretty easy one to do well on if you follow the protocol, so make sure you nab your points here.

At the same time, take care to vary your phrasing when you are plugging in your requisite introductory and concluding sentences for each paragraph. A dead-giveaway of weaker writing is introductory and concluding sentences that say exactly the same thing. So make sure to be varying your words constantly. This will help you score well both in Organization and in Language Use.

Recap: Getting a Perfect Score on the ACT Essay

In brief, a summary of what I found:

• Agreeing with the perspectives offered can help, but put your own spin on it.
• Presenting your own perspective is a risk it’s probably better not to take.
• It’s ok if you are using really common examples if you employ them well.
• Don’t overanalyze your choice of examples.
• Be specific.
• Make sure your examples support your essay’s bigger points.
• A five-paragraph essay structure works best on the ACT (though this may mean four or six paragraphs in some cases!)
• Use lots of appropriate transitions.
• Vary your phrasing in each paragraph’s introductory and concluding sentences.

Getting a 36 on the ACT essay is not easy at all. You can think of it as getting two different English teachers to give you A+s instead of As on the same essay. It’s tough. So don’t sweat it if your essay score is a bit lower. Remember it doesn’t affect your composite score and is really more of a bonus than anything when it comes to college admissions. Buuuut….for you perfect score seekers out there, hopefully this firsthand insight into the new ACT essay can help you get closer to your goal :).  

Dr. Kristin Fracchia has over fifteen years of expertise in college and graduate school admissions and with a variety of standardized tests, including the ACT, SAT, GRE, GMAT, and LSAT, with several 99% scores. She had a PhD from the University of California, Irvine , an MA degree from The Catholic University, and BA degrees in Secondary Education and English Literature from the University of Maryland, College Park. She was the recipient of the 2013 Excellence in Teaching Award and the Chancellor’s Club Fellowship from the University of California, Irvine. She’s worked as a high school teacher and university professor, as an independent college and graduate school admissions counselor, and as an expert tutor for standardized tests, helping hundreds of students gain acceptance into premier national and international institutions. She now develops accessible and effective edtech products for Magoosh. Her free online content and YouTube videos providing test prep and college admissions advice have received over 6 million views in over 125 countries. Kristin is an advocate for improving access to education: you can check out her TEDx talk on the topic . Follow Kristin on LinkedIn !

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3 responses to “How I Got a Perfect Score on the New ACT Essay”

Oh my gosh! I’ve finally found it! The website that’s going to help me ace the ACT writing section! I’m an eighth grader and I’m taking the ACT in April. I’ve been constantly stressed out, but now I’m so rejuvenated I dont know where to begin to thank you! THANK YOU!

So glad we’ve been able to help, Nathan. And I hope you did great on your April ACT! 🙂

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ACT Writing Tips

The ACT Writing test is a 40-minute essay that you will have to write with pen-and-paper. Although not all schools require the ACT Writing Test, you have to take all four previous tests in order to take the Writing Test. It cannot be done separately from the other sections.

The prompt will describe an issue in a short paragraph, then give you three different perspectives on that issue. Each perspective will be in its own separate box, and they will be labeled “Perspective One,” “Perspective Two,” and “Perspective Three.” Below the perspectives boxes will be the Essay Task, which will look like this:

Notice you must accomplish all three of the bulleted tasks. No matter what perspective you take, your score will NOT be affected if the reader does not share the same opinion. You are only scored on your ability. Here’s how to structure your 40-minutes:

• Step 1 – 5 minutes to Plan
• Step 2 – 30 minutes to Produce
• Step 3 – 5 minutes to Proofread

Thirty minutes may not sound like a lot of writing time, but if we break it down that’s 5 minutes for each paragraph! Aim for 5 paragraphs total, and you’ll be able to finish in the allotted time with a bit of practice, especially if you take enough time to plan out your essay.

How do I Plan? Start by reading the prompt paragraph, and the three perspectives. Part of what you will have to do is choose your OWN position on the topic, and rather than come up with a completely new perspective, choose ONE of the three perspectives that is closest to your own opinion. That perspective will be your thesis, which will be the last sentence of your introductory paragraph. Next, plan out your essay using this template!

ACT Essay Template

This is a sample outline for the ACT essay. Aim for 5 paragraphs. If you have trouble completing 5 paragraphs, see if you can streamline your body paragraphs. They can often be bloated with unnecessary wordiness. Keep the introduction and the conclusion short and sweet.

Paragraph 1 – Introduction (3 sentences)

Begin your essay with two sentences summarizing the other two perspectives (the ones you do not agree with).  Your last sentence will be your thesis, and it will be a powerful and confident statement that encapsulates the ideas of the third perspective (the one you do agree with). For example, it could be structured like this:

Regarding the issue of _________, some people mistakenly believe that _________. Others think _____________. However ____________; in fact, ____________.

Let’s say the essay was about saving the environment. You introduction could be structured thusly:

Regarding the issue of protecting the environment, some people mistakenly believe that recycling and more awareness would be enough to solve the world’s pollution and waste management problems. Others think our world economy’s dependence on oil and fossil fuels is the main source of the problem. However, both these perspectives are too limited; in fact, to truly guarantee our environment’s long-term stability, it is vital that we invest our money and resources in developing alternate technologies.

From this introduction, we have clarified our position: alternative technology is the way to go! We also have clarified the two positions we will attack: recycling/awareness and oil/fossil fuel criticism.

Be sure to reuse key words from each perspective so it is extremely clear which perspectives you are criticizing, and which of the three you are strongly supporting. Do not mention the individual perspectives by number. It is more subtle if you can write your essay as if it is not based on a prompt at all!

Paragraph 2 – Criticism of One Perspective (4-6 sentences)

In this paragraph, you should explain how recycling and awareness doesn’t work. You have three tasks in your body paragraphs:

• Introduce the perspective you will attack.
• Demonstrate you understand it.
• Explain why it is incorrect or ineffective. You should be spending the majority of your body paragraph doing the third step: explaining why it is incorrect or ineffective . You must convince the reader through very concrete detail how your position on the issue is correct. If you can incorrect a SPECIFIC real-world example, that will make your essay even stronger! Check out our “example list” below for an idea on how you can brainstorm possible examples, even before Test Day!

Paragraph 3 – Criticism of Second Perspective (4-6 sentences)

In this paragraph, you should explain how dependence on oil and fossil fuels doesn’t work. Just like you did in the first body paragraph, you will:

• Explain why it is incorrect or ineffective.

Paragraph 4 – Prove Why Your Perspective is Best (4-6 sentences)

Use a transition phrase, and reiterate your thesis in the first sentence. In the rest of the paragraph, elaborate why it is correct. Again, if you can use a specific example, that would be ideal.

Paragraph 5 – Conclusion (2 sentences)

In your conclusion, warn about the future consequences if your perspective were not considered. Then reinforce the correctness of your own thesis. This takes care of having to come up with a conclusion- you’ll already know what to do! Here’s how it might look:

Although some people insist _________ or __________, these perspectives are shortsighted. In order to ________________, the only viable solution is __________.

How to Get Specific Examples

You may not know the prompt topic, but you CAN make a list of extremely specific people, places, current events, etc. from which you could draw on Test Day!

You’ll see a list of examples below – come up with your own list BEFORE Test Day that you can “pull from.”

Example List (sample)

• Oprah Winfrey
• Martha Stewart
• 9/11 (e.g. NYPD/NYFD, post-9/11, etc.)
• Global Warming
• Vietnam / Gulf / Iraq War
• A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (book)
• Citizen Kane (movie)
• A Tale of Two Cities (book)
• The Scarlet Letter (book)
• Othello (play)
• Britney Spears
• Lena Dunham and “Girls”
• The Olympics
• 12 Years a Slave (book or movie)
• Marie Curie
• Sigmund Freud
• Adolf Hitler
• World War I
• Ancient Egypt

Notice that your examples can be from literature, politics, current events, history! Think about 4-5 topics you covered in each of your classes in the past year. You already know about these, so there might be a way to incorporate them into your essay!

For example, in our sample above, if we were discussing why recycling and awareness doesn’t work, you could say that people don’t just change their behaviors because they are more aware of negative things, and use “12 Years a Slave” as an example. Even though the book was written in 1853, many people did not change their minds about the evils of slavery until years later. Don’t feel like you need to shoehorn examples if they really don’t fit, but you might surprise yourself with how creative you can be!  One specific example per body paragraph is enough. Try to make them different. For instance, if you’re going to use “12 Years a Slave” for one paragraph, don’t use books for the other two paragraphs. Perhaps choose a current event, or an item from history to prove your other points.

ACT Essay Scoring

Like the other sections of the ACT, your Writing score will be out of 36. You will also receive sub-scores (between 1-12) in four individual categories:

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

These scores do not add up to the final score, but they break down your writing abilities to give colleges more clarity on your strengths. Your score is given by two independent readers, who will assign a score between 1-6 in each of these four areas. These sub-scores are added together to get a raw score, and that raw score is then converted into the final scaled score. Make sure you familiarize yourself with what a reader is looking for in a “perfect” essay:

As long as you follow the template here, choose a clear perspective on the prompt, and thoroughly criticize the other perspectives, and support your ideas with clear, specific examples, it isn’t too challenging to get a perfect score!  Ready to practice? Try out some of our sample ACT Writing prompts .

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You get 40 minutes to write, but ACT graders have to grade each essay in less than five.

The way to get a great ACT writing score is to make the graders’ jobs easy. So, don’t sweat the small stuff. Focus on the big picture: a clear position, logical organization, and strong examples.

ACT Writing Rubric

The ACT essay is scored by two graders who will each assign a score of 1–6 for a total score of 2–12.

View a sample ACT essay prompt . Your ACT writing score will be based on how well you can do the following:

What's a Good ACT Writing Score?

The ACT Writing Test is scored on a scale of 2 (lowest score) to 12 (highest score). The average ACT Writing score is between a 6 and 7. Here's a look at national ACT writing score percentiles, according to the latest data released by ACT, Inc.

SOURCE:  ACT, Inc.

More ACT Writing Tips

Your argument, organization, and supporting examples are the most crucial pieces of your essay, but these four writing tips can help boost your score.

Yes, ACT graders really do tend to reward longer essays. Try to write at least four paragraphs spanning two to three pages. If your handwriting is large, make sure you write an extra page to compensate!

Read More: What's A Good ACT Score?

2. Keep It Interesting

Vary your sentence structure to improve the rhythm of your essay. If you write a really long sentence with lots of modifiers and dependent clauses, it sometimes helps to follow it with a shorter, more direct sentence. It really works.

3. Watch Your Word Choice

Sprinkle some nice vocabulary words throughout your essay (make sure to spell them correctly!). If you’re uncertain about the meaning or spelling of a word, it’s best just to pick a different word. Using a big word incorrectly makes a worse impression than using a smaller word correctly.

4. Practice Your Best Handwriting

Though graders shouldn’t take neatness into consideration when determining your ACT writing score, the bottom line is that a neat, legible essay is easier to read. And a happy grader is a good thing! For an essay that's truly easy on the eyes, make sure you indent each paragraph and avoid messy cross-outs.

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New Act Essay Writing Section

The new act essay, your full guide to act writing section.

Since September of 2015, the ACT essay / writing section has gone through a radical change. And that’s amazing news for you.

The ACT essay was always easy to master with a bit of practice and the right techniques. However, the new ACT essay is even easier to perfect than the old one ever could have been . This short guide will teach you exactly what’s changing, how to prepare for the new essay, and how to take full advantage of this new format.

Quick side note: If you’re looking for a proven ACT prep system to help you write a flawless essay check out my ACT prep program . It is built on my proven tactics and methodologies and has an average user score improvement of over +4.66 points.

Why did ACT test change?

The new “CORE-friendly” ACT essay / writing portion just makes this test more beatable than it already was. I’ll leave the rest to the ACT’s PR team. For now, let’s get into what you should do about it.

What is Different?

The old ACT writing / essay section gave you a simple prompt, then asked you to take a side on that prompt and argue your point. The basic format looked something like this:

“Watching TV can be bad for your brain. However, sometimes it’s educational, so some people think it’s good for your brain. So in your opinion, do you think that TV is good or bad?

In your essay, take a position on this question. You may write about either one of the two points of view given, or you may present a different point of view on this question. Use specific reasons and examples to support your position.”

The old format couldn’t have been any simpler. “Here are two opinions on a topic. Pick one and then write about it for a few paragraphs.”

The new ACT writing / essay format is much more complicated. But here’s the funny thing: while the new ACT writing / essay FORMAT is much more complex, the process of WRITING these essays has become VASTLY SIMPLER .

Here’s what it looks like now: https://www.act.org/actnext/pdf/SampleWritingPrompt.pdf

Take the time to read through all of this and really get a feel for what the new ACT writing / essay section looks like. Once you do, we shall move on:

How Do You Write This Thing (and why is it so much easier)?

In the old ACT essay, you only had to do one thing – pick a side and argue it. Now, you have to do so much! You need to evaluate three different arguments, you need to come up with your own argument, and then you have to relate your argument to the three arguments given. Oh, the humanity!

But here’s the thing: in the old version of the ACT essay, you had to both come up with an argument and come up with the reasons why you support it. In the new ACT essay, all of the arguments and reasoning behind them is provided for you!

It’s the difference between being asked to “make lasagna or pizza for dinner tonight” and “grabbing something off the McDonald’s dollar menu.” Sure, there are more options on the McDonald’s menu – but they’re already cooked for you!

At first, it seems like there’s a ton more to do. In reality, the ACT is doing all of the hard work for you! All you need to do is read carefully, pick what you like, and then follow a simple process to “plug in your opinion.”

A reminder: If you’re eager to succeed with a proven ACT prep system to help you write a flawless essay check out my ACT prep program . It is built on my proven tactics and methodologies and has an average user score improvement of over +4.66 points .

Good Luck ACT

The free guide to the act college entrance exam, sample act writing prompt & essays, sample act writing prompt.

Schools in some states have changed their school calendars so that they are now year-round schools. Advocates of year-round schooling argue that the traditional summer break is a waste of students’ time that could otherwise be spent learning. Opponents charge that today’s students are already overburdened with the stresses of school, and need the summer to get a much needed break. In your view, should the traditional three-month summer vacation from school be maintained?

Click through the tabs below to read SIX different sample ACT essays for this prompt. Each has a different score, and an explanation for that score at the end. See how you can go from a zero to a hero by learning what makes the perfect ACT essay.

Sample ACT Essay – Score 6

Score 6 – explanation, sample act essay – no score, sample act essay – score 1, score 1 – explanation, sample act essay – score 2, score 2 – explanation, sample act essay – score 3, score 3 – explanation, sample act essay – score 4, score 4 – explanation, sample act essay – score 5, score 5 – explanation, ask a question cancel reply.

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About Good Luck ACT

Good Luck ACT is the free, complete guide to the ACT exam. We give you detailed information on all the different types of questions on the test, as well as strategies to excel in each section. You can also take our free ACT practice test to see how prepared you are.

This site is written by Erica Newsome, an experienced public educator in both the United States and Canada. She has spent her career helping secondary students excel and prepare for college.

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ACT Writing Tips: 15 Strategies to Raise Your Essay Score

ACT , ACT Writing

Whether you've never thought about ACT Writing strategies or have worked hard on the ACT essay, you can benefit from knowing more: about the essay itself, and what really matters when the graders are reading your essay.

In this article, we offer a number of ACT Writing tips as well as a foolproof template for putting them into practice.

ACT Essay Tips

The ACT essay is a very short assignment—you only get 40 minutes to write a full-fledged essay—and it can pass in a flash if you don't have a method for attacking it. It requires a very specific approach that's unlike the essays you've been writing for English class.

The goal of this approach is to cram in as many of the desired components as possible in the 40 minutes that you've got for the essay. We'll give you the four main elements the ACT asks for, the top three things they don't tell you, and a bulletproof template for your ACT Writing essay format. Here we go!

What ACT, Inc. Does Tell You: 4 Elements to Remember

ACT, Inc. explains the main components of the successful ACT Essay in its scoring criteria . Here they are, condensed and explained:

#1: Ideas & Analysis: A 12-scoring essay includes "an argument that critically engages with multiple perspectives on the given issue. The argument's thesis reflects nuance and precision in thought and purpose. The argument establishes and employs an insightful context for analysis of the issue and its perspectives. The analysis examines implications, complexities and tensions, and/or underlying values and assumptions."

In other words, answer the question that's in the prompt, make it very, very clear what your perspective is and analyze how your perspective relates to at least one other perspective .

Ideas and Analysis is the hardest domain to master; it's tough to do everything you need to do well at all, much less in 40 minutes. The main thing is that you want to show that you understand as many sides of the issue as possible. You can do this by discussing those sides of the issue, why people might have those opinions, and whether those opinions are logical or not.

It's fine to copy the exact words from the prompt into your thesis statement—in fact, this guarantees that the graders will see that your thesis is there and on topic. You must, however, make it obvious which side you are arguing for . If you can, it's great to put the argument in terms of a larger debate—we'll discuss that later.

#2: Development & Support : In a 12-scoring essay, "[d]evelopment of ideas and support for claims deepen insight and broaden context. An integrated line of skillful reasoning and illustration effectively conveys the significance of the argument. Qualifications and complications enrich and bolster ideas and analysis."

Development & Support is another area that can be hard for students to grasp. The bottom line is that you need to fully explain every point you make. If you don't have time to explain it in two to four sentences, leave it out (unless it's the only way you can get in a comparison of your perspective with another perspective). Make sure to either explain your thinking and reasoning or use specific examples to illustrate your points.

#3: Organization : A 12-scoring essay "exhibits a skillful organizational strategy. The response is unified by a controlling idea or purpose, and a logical progression of ideas increases the effectiveness of the writer's argument. Transitions between and within paragraphs strengthen the relationships among ideas."

In short, you need to give each idea one to two paragraphs. If a logical organization for your points occurs to you (for example, if Point 1 depends on Point 2, you'd put Point 2 first), use it. If not, just list your points, allotting a paragraph for each one. A transition that reflects your logic just means tying one point to another somehow, and this is ideal.

The ACT essay scoring system won't penalize you too heavily for a "First, Second, Third" type of organization, so if you just say "My first reason…," and "Second…," that's better than no transitions. The intro and conclusion should make the same general points, and if you mention a larger context in the intro, mention it again in the conclusion.

#4: Language Use: A 12-scoring essay uses language in a way that "enhances the argument. Word choice is skillful and precise. Sentence structures are consistently varied and clear. Stylistic and register choices, including voice and tone, are strategic and effective. While a few minor errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics may be present, they do not impede understanding."

Language Use can be the hardest area for students to improve in (particularly if English is not their native language). "Word choice is skillful and precise" does include using fancy vocabulary, but it also means not repeating yourself and using the advanced vocabulary correctly. The essay graders aren't going to be impressed by words like "dogmatic" and "provincial" if you just throw them in and hope for the best; if you're not sure about the usage of a more advanced word, stick with the simpler one.

Using "consistently varied and clear" sentence structures doesn't just mean not starting every sentence the same way (e.g. "Machines are helpful to humans. Machines can also cause problems. Machines are the answer to our future"). You also need to make sure your sentences are clear and further your logic (rather than making it more difficult to understand). As with word choice (and organization), it's better to be clear than to be fancy.

If in the moment you find that your brain freezes and your sentences are all coming out the same with simple words, don't sweat it. Adding in more advanced vocabulary or switching up sentence structures is something you can fix when you revise your essay in the last two to four minutes of the essay section.

What ACT, Inc. Doesn't Tell You: 3 Secrets

Even though the ACT essay has some clear published guidelines, there are a few secrets that most students don't know and that can give you a major advantage on the test.

These are facts that ACT, Inc. doesn't want to be too well-known because it helps us develop ACT Writing strategies that may give us an edge over people who haven't prepared.

#1: You Don't Need to Know the Facts

You can make up whatever information you need to support your point. Really. As with the tip above, if you know the real facts, that's great (since the grader will probably know them too), but it's not required.

This might sound crazy. You could write about how Al Gore invented the dishwasher, and the ACT graders are not allowed to penalize you. Why is this?

ACT, Inc. doesn't have the resources to do fact-checking on every single essay. With over a million students taking the test every year, graders only have a few minutes to put a score of 1-6 to each of the four essay scoring domains. They can't check whether Martin Luther King was born in 1929 or 1925.

Thus, ACT essay scoring uses a simpler rule—all statements are taken as truth. The important point is that the evidence needs to support your thesis.

(Of course, ACT, Inc. doesn't want people to know about this—that would make the ACT essay sound silly.)

If you're short on examples to prove a point, make up something realistic-sounding (you can even pretend a newspaper or politician said something they didn't), and slap it in there. It's much better than trying to write a vague paragraph without concrete evidence.

#2: You Should Write More Than a Page

This is one of the most important ACT Writing tips. There is a strong relationship between essay length and score—the longer your essay, the better your score. In a short essay, it's difficult for you to develop your points well enough to earn a decent score.

Really, you should write a page and a half if at all possible. Although ACT, Inc. never explicitly mentions that length matters in ACT essay scoring , it does. And if you can write more than a page and a half without repeating yourself or digressing from your point, you'll be in really good shape.

#3: Your First Paragraph and Conclusion Matter More Than the Middle

The introduction and conclusion are the "bookends" of the essay: they hold it together and are guaranteed to be read more closely than the rest of the essay.

ACT graders have to read a lot of essays very quickly, and they give most of them a 3 or a 4 in each domain. The fastest way for them to score an essay is to find the thesis (to make sure that it's there, that it answers the prompt, and that the rest of the essay supports it) and then skim the first and last paragraphs.

Here's why: if a student's introduction and conclusion paragraphs are well-written and logical, it's likely the rest of the essay will be too. By reading these parts, the grader can usually tell with confidence what the score will be. They'll scan the middle to make sure it makes sense, but they probably won't read every word as closely.

On the other hand, if you don't have time to write an introduction or conclusion, you will be heavily penalized. It'll be hard to score above an 8 without an introduction and conclusion, particularly if you don't make your thesis, or point of view, clear in the first paragraph. This might be the most important ACT essay tip we can give you.

A strong ACT writing strategy includes preparing enough time to write and revise your introduction and conclusion paragraphs, as we explain below.

Key Strategy: How to Write A Successful ACT Essay in 40 Minutes

Because you only have 40 minutes to write the ACT essay, you need to have a game plan before you start the test. Here's a step by step guide on how to write an effective ACT essay.

Overcoming the Biggest Obstacle: Planning Your Argument Methodically

One of the things that students often find hardest about the essay is quickly thinking of support for the thesis. But it can be done in a simple, methodical way, which we explain below. Let's start with a sample prompt.

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. In your essay, be sure to:

• clearly state your own perspective on the issue and analyze the relationship between your perspective and at least one other perspective
• develop and support your ideas with reasoning and examples
• organize your ideas clearly and logically
• communicate your ideas effectively in standard written English

Your perspective may be in full agreement with any of the others, in partial agreement, or wholly different.

In the prompt above, the ACT gives you three viewpoints so that you have a starting point for ideas to consider in your discussion of various perspectives. But you'll need to elaborate on these as well. Let's look at the viewpoints this prompt gives us.

• Conservative: "Intelligent machines lead to problems, which is bad."
• Utilitarian: "Intelligent machines allow us to be more efficient, which is good."
• Progressive: "Intelligent machines lead to progress, which is good."

Supporting each viewpoint is a slew of possible reasons, and these are what you want to lay out clearly in your essay. You can, of course, choose any side of the argument, but one is usually easier to argue than the other (because it is opposite the other two given perspectives, which gives you more opportunity to compare and contrast).

For this prompt, it's easier to argue against intelligent machines than to argue for their efficiency or progress, so we'll look at potential support for the "conservative" argument, which is that "Intelligent machines lead to problems."

To argue against any change, we can point out its assumptions and how they are false, or its consequences and how they are bad:

• it assumes that machines lead to progress [assumption made by perspective 3]
• it assumes that machines allow us to be more efficient [assumption made by perspective 2]
• it assumes that the benefits machines give to us outweigh the negatives
• it could lead to progress in some areas, but also to new problems caused by that progress
• it could let us be more efficient in some ways, but end up creating more
• it would hurt us more than it would help because people would end up becoming less courteous and respectful to and tolerant of other people [perspective 1]

This method works for any argument. If you find yourself supporting the proposal in the prompt, like that a right to avoid health risks is a more important freedom than the right to do whatever you want, then you just need to think of ways it would be positive. That can be much simpler. But you can still use the assumptions-and-consequences method above for the paragraph in which you address at least one other perspective.

The Golden Essay Template

This is a tried and true structure for earning a great score on the ACT essay. Just by following this template and keeping in mind the ACT writing tips above, you're pretty much guaranteed a 6 or higher out of 12. Do a decent job and you'll easily get an 8 or higher. Here are a few real ACT prompts to keep in mind as we go through the steps:

• Intelligent machines : they're not good, they're good and practical, or they're good and lead to progress.
• Public health and individual freedom : freedom is more important than physical health, society should strive for the greatest good for the most people, or the right to avoid health risks is more important than individual freedom.

Time: 8-10 minutes

#1 : Decide on your thesis , choosing one of the three sides. You can try to form your own, fourth perspective, but since you have to compare your perspective with at least one other perspective, you might as well argue for one of given perspectives and save some time for writing.

#2 : Quickly brainstorm two or three reasons or examples that support your thesis.

#3 : Brainstorm counterarguments for or analyses of at least one other perspective and your responses.

#4 : Organize your essay. Make sure you order your points in a way that makes sense.

#5 : Check your time . Try to have 30 minutes left at this point so you have enough time to write. If you don't, just keep in mind that you might have to cut out one of your supporting points.

Time: 25-28 minutes

• Write your introduction. If you can think of an interesting first sentence that brings your thesis into a larger discussion (say, of how intelligent machines have changed the way people interact with each other), start with that.
• Narrow down from the larger context to your specific response to the question (your thesis), which should be at or near the end of the first paragraph.
• It can be helpful to the reader to have your reasons and examples "previewed" in the introduction if it fits in well.

#2: Paragraph 2: Transitions & Opposing Perspective.

• When you start paragraph 2, try to think of a first sentence that refers back to the first paragraph.
• "In contrast to [my perspective], some people claim that [other perspective]…" is a simple example of an effective way to transition into the second paragraph. If you're arguing for perspective one for the intelligent machines prompt, for instance, you'd replace the first part of the sentence with, "In contrast to the assumption that intelligent machines will inevitably lead to problems," and replace [other perspective] with the perspective you're comparing to your own.
• Then, address a perspective opposing yours and why its supporters are wrong or misguided. In the example about intelligent machines above (where we've chosen to argue Perspective 1), you could argue against perspective 2 or 3 (or some other clearly defined perspective) in this paragraph.

#3: Body Paragraphs (those remaining before the conclusion):

• Introduce your first reason or example in support of the perspective you'll be discussing.
• In 3-5 sentences, explain your reasoning as to how this perspective relates to your own (using explanations of your thinking or specific examples to support the point).
• Connect your example to the thesis and then state that it supports your thesis.
• Check your time . Try to have 7 minutes left by this point.

#4: Conclusion

• (Optional) Relate your two or three examples back to your thesis. Add one or two sentences if you want.
• End with a restatement of your thesis or a return to your first lines to wrap up the essay.

Time: 2-4 minutes

Hopefully, you still have 2-4 minutes to read over your essay. In this time, you can do several things.

#1: You can, of course, correct mistakes.

#2: You can replace dull words with fancier words.

#3: You can make sure that your introduction and conclusion "match" by stating the same thesis (in different words, of course).

Notice the two time-checking steps (in the Planning and the Body Paragraphs stages). It's very easy to get caught in the planning stage and run out of time on your actual essay, which is easy to avoid if you practice checking your time.

If you have to make a choice between explaining a perspective or writing a conclusion paragraph, always choose the explanation. You can get by with a short sentence for a conclusion as long as you have a clear thesis in your introduction, but if you leave out the analysis of the relationship between your perspective and one of the ACT's perspectives in your essay, you'll lose a lot of points.

Now you practice. Print out the template above, consult our ACT Essay Prompts Article (or think of any controversial issue in the world today), and get to work. You may find that many issues can be argued using the same reasoning or examples.

For instance, the argument that the benefits of the changes happening in the world don't necessarily outweigh the problems they create can apply to many of the new ACT prompts. You can research concrete information to support this kind of useful argument, like a newspaper article about how the Industrial Revolution led to increased environmental destruction.

More like Industrial Re-POLL-ution, am I right?

Remember: the more you practice, the easier it gets, as you learn how to reuse information to suit different purposes and your brain becomes used to thinking in this way.

What's Next?

Read more about the new ACT Writing Test and how to score a perfect score on your ACT essay .

Want more in-depth guides? Check out our step-by-step guide to writing top-scoring ACT essay as well as a complete breakdown of the new ACT Writing Scoring Rubric .

Hungry for more practice ACT Writing prompts? Look no further than our article containing links to all the freely available official ACT Writing prompts that have been released so far, as well as bonus prompts I constructed.

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Laura graduated magna cum laude from Wellesley College with a BA in Music and Psychology, and earned a Master's degree in Composition from the Longy School of Music of Bard College. She scored 99 percentile scores on the SAT and GRE and loves advising students on how to excel in high school.

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How to Get a Perfect 36 Score on the ACT

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What’s Covered:

• How is the ACT Scored?
• What Does it Take to Get a Perfect ACT Score?
• How Many Questions Can You Miss?
• Steps to Getting a Perfect ACT Score
• How Does Your ACT Score Impact Your Chances?

A perfect score of 36 on the ACT may seem elusive – in fact, less than one percent of ACT test takers receive a score of 36. But, don’t let this statistic scare you! With hard work and persistence, you can be one of those perfect scorers. Keep reading to learn more about the scoring process and what you can do to get a 36 on the ACT.

How is the ACT scored?

The ACT is composed of four sections: English, mathematics, reading, and science. For each section, your raw multiple choice score is scaled to a score ranging from 1 to 36. Then, your four scores are averaged to comprise a composite score (which is also out of 36). Your average score is rounded to the nearest whole number. So, for example, if your average is 32.25, you’ll receive a 32. Or, if your average is 34.75, your score will become 35.

Remember, there is no penalty for guessing, so your raw score is solely dependent on the number of questions you answer correctly. This means that it is in your best interest to not leave any questions blank.

What does it take to get a perfect ACT score? 

Because the composite score is rounded either up or down, you won’t have to answer every single question correctly to get a score of 36.

Here are the different types of section breakdowns which will result in a composite score of 36 on the ACT:

1. Scoring 34 on one section and 36 on the other three sections.

For example, consider the following breakdown:

English: 36

Reading: 34

Science: 36

Average: 35.5

Composite score: 36

2. Scoring 35 on two sections and 36 on the other two sections.

Reading: 36

Science: 35

3. Scoring 35 on one section and 36 on the other three sections.

Average: 35.75

4. Scoring 36 on all four sections.

Average: 36

So, as you can see, you’ll still need to do significantly well on each section to get a perfect score overall. That said, you don’t need a perfect score on every section to get a perfect composite score. 

How many questions can you miss?

Since, in most cases, you’ll need either a 35 or 36 on each section of the ACT, let’s discuss what that means in terms of how many questions you’re able to miss.

To better understand this, let’s look at the raw score conversion chart for an official practice ACT test:

From this chart, we can see that you’ll likely need either a perfect or near perfect raw score to receive a 36 or 35 on each section.

Based on the ACT practice tests, most sections require you to miss 0 questions to receive a score of 36. However, in the Math section, you might be able to miss 1 question and still receive a 36. Receiving a score of 35 most often entails missing 1–3 questions in each section.

So, as you’re studying for the ACT, though your goal should be to answer every question correctly, keep in mind that you’re allowed to miss a small number of questions and still receive a composite score of 36. Also, remember that the conversion scales vary from test to test, so these cutoffs are not set in stone. 

Steps to Getting a Perfect ACT score

Now that we’ve covered the scoring process, let’s delve into some tips and tricks to receive the section scores you’ll need for a composite score of 36.

1. Prioritize weaker subjects

Though this may seem obvious, it’s important to prioritize the sections which you score lower in. But, this doesn’t mean that you should completely ignore the subjects which you excel in – even if you score 36 on your very first practice Math ACT Test, you should still refresh your math skills from time to time so you don’t enter the ACT with rusty math knowledge.

Before you start planning your studying, take a full-length, timed ACT test. This will give you some insight into which sections you’re weaker in. Then, you can plan out your studying by prioritizing weaker subjects. For example, say you receive the following breakdown on a practice test:

English: 33

Reading: 32

Science: 34

In this case, you might set up the following study schedule:

Mondays: English practice

Tuesdays: Reading practice

Wednesdays: Math and Science practice

Thursdays: Review missed questions/difficult concepts

Fridays: Full-length practice test

This schedule is helpful, because though you’re spending more time on English and Reading than Math and Science, you’re still not completely neglecting the latter two subjects. However you choose to plan out your studying, make sure you know which sections to dedicate more time to.

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2. Work on pacing

Since test-takers often fall victim to the clock on the ACT, make sure that you’ve got your timing down. Though it’s important to work on pacing while you study (i.e. time yourself when you complete practice questions), don’t risk missing questions by speeding through the test.

It’s important to learn to balance speed and accuracy: though you don’t want to waste time by spending too much time on one question, you also don’t want to go too fast and make careless mistakes. Finding that perfect balance requires time and practice.

When you take timed practice tests, pay attention to whether you run out of time or whether you finish early – if you find yourself running out of time, work on skipping difficult questions and coming back to them; if you find yourself finishing early, try learning how to go back and catch mistakes.

3. Experiment with different strategies

You should make sure to start studying early enough so that you can determine the best studying and test-taking strategies for you. Everyone learns differently, so what might work for others might not work well for you. Here are a few studying and test-taking strategies that you should try out:

The pomodoro method

This method is utilized by many and involves studying in intervals. For instance, you could study for 25 minutes then take a 5 minute break. This spaces out your studying and ensures that you’re giving yourself short mental breaks, which is good for retention.

Skipping difficult questions

A great time-saver for the ACT is to go through and complete all the easy questions first. Since all questions are weighted equally, if 5 easy questions takes the same amount of time as 1 difficult question, it’s in your best interest to answer the easier questions. 

However, this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t come back to the difficult questions. Once you’ve gone through all the easy questions, make sure to answer the questions you’ve skipped. 

Since there are no penalties for guessing, don’t leave any questions blank. If you are able to eliminate some wrong answers for these skipped questions, make an educated guess. If you don’t have time to eliminate any answers, guess the same answer choice consistently (like answer choice “C”). Picking the same answer will give you a 20% chance overall of getting these questions right.

This is why practicing your timing is crucial, since you want to make sure you have enough time left to tackle the difficult questions after you’ve completed the easier ones – if you guess on a lot of questions, getting a 36 will be much harder.

4.   Take practice tests

Like any other standardized test, the key to the ACT is practice, practice, practice! Take as many tests as you can to determine your strengths and weaknesses. But, the important caveat is that you should time yourself as much as possible – simulate test day as often as you can to get yourself in the proper headspace. Then, when test day comes, you’ll be more familiar and at ease in an inevitably stressful environment.

Practice tests are helpful for two main reasons: learning the material and identifying weak spots. Doing numerous practice questions will help you retain the knowledge better and have a stronger grasp on the various concepts tested on the SAT. Also, if you consistently miss problems regarding specific topics or content areas, you’ll know where to focus your studying.

5. Get as much rest as possible

Though it is important to get as much studying in as possible, getting rest is equally essential. You want to be especially well-rested in the week leading up to the test. You might be tempted to cram or study especially hard the night before the test, but instead try to take the night before your test off. Look over old practice tests or notes briefly, but try not to do too much studying the day before. 

But, beware the other extreme: if you regularly go to bed at 11 while studying for the ACT, don’t sleep too early the night before. Try to stay consistent with your sleeping schedule in the weeks leading up to the test so that your body is well-adjusted by the time test day approaches.

How Does Your ACT Score Impact Your College Chances?

Your ACT score is used (along with your GPA) to calculate a metric called the Academic Index (AI). Your AI helps determine the academic strength of your application. Though this has changed temporarily in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, highly selective colleges sometimes even reject applicants with too-low AIs. 

To see how your score affects your chances of admission, check out CollegeVine’s free Admissions Calculator ! This will not only calculate your chances at your schools of choice, but will also offer tips on how best to improve the rest of your profile.

The Takeaway

Though your journey to a perfect 36 on the ACT won’t be easy, it doesn’t mean that it’s an impossible feat. If you have determination and a growth mindset, a score of 36 is definitely feasible!

Take a look at some of CollegeVine’s other guides to the ACT:

• 13 Tips for ACT Test Day
• How the ACT’s Graded: A Breakdown
• 10 Tips to Improve Your ACT Score

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ACT Test Scores: Writing

Taking the ACT with writing will provide you and the schools to which you have ACT report scores with additional scores. You will receive a total of five scores for this test: a single subject-level writing score reported on a range of 2-12, and four domain scores, also 2-12, that are based on an analytic scoring rubric. The subject-level score will be the rounded average of the four domain scores. The four domain scores are: Ideas and Analysis, Development and Support, Organization, and Language Use and Conventions . An image of your essay will be available to your high school and the colleges to which you have ACT report your scores from that test date.

Taking the writing test does not affect your subject area scores or your Composite score. However, without a writing test score, no English Language Arts (ELA) score will be reported.

Your essay will be evaluated based on the evidence that it provides of your ability to:

• clearly state your own perspective on the issue and analyze the relationship between your perspective and at least one other perspective
• develop and support your ideas with reasoning and examples
• organize your ideas clearly and logically
• communicate your ideas effectively in standard written English

Two trained readers will score your essay on a scale of 1-6 in each of the four writing domains. Each domain score represents the sum of the two readers' scores. If the readers' ratings disagree by more than one point, a third reader will evaluate the essay and resolve the discrepancy.

Sample Essays

You might be a little unsure of what to expect from a writing prompt and what kinds of responses score the highest. We took the guesswork out of it and created one sample prompt and six possible responses, ranging from weak to strong, that give you an idea of how to achieve your best score.

Remember that your scores for the four individual domains - ideas and analysis, development and support, organization, and language use and conventions - will be communicated on a scale of 2–12. These domain scores are derived by adding together the individual scores, on a 1–6 scale, from each of two readers.

Scoring Rubric Overview

Scoring your writing test

This analytic scoring rubric presents the standards by which your essay will be evaluated. The following rubric overview will help you to better understand the dimensions of writing that this assessment evaluates.

This task asks you to generate an essay that establishes your own perspective on a given issue and analyzes the relationship between your perspective and at least one other perspective. In evaluating your response, trained readers will use an analytic rubric that breaks the central elements of written argument into four domains: Ideas and Analysis, Development and Support, Organization, and Language Use and Conventions. As you review these domains, think about the role each plays in a written argument that accomplishes its purpose.

Ideas and Analysis —Scores in this domain reflect the ability to generate productive ideas and engage critically with multiple perspectives on the given issue. Competent writers understand the issue they are invited to address, the purpose for writing, and the audience. They generate ideas that are relevant to the situation.

Development and Support —Scores in this domain reflect the ability to discuss ideas, offer rationale, and bolster an argument. Competent writers explain and explore their ideas, discuss implications, and illustrate through examples. They help the reader understand their thinking about the issue.

Organization —Scores in this domain reflect the ability to organize ideas with clarity and purpose. Organizational choices are integral to effective writing. Competent writers arrange their essay in a way that clearly shows the relationship between ideas, and they guide the reader through their discussion.

Language Use and Conventions —Scores in this domain reflect the ability to use written language to convey arguments with clarity. Competent writers make use of the conventions of grammar, syntax, word usage, and mechanics. They are also aware of their audience and adjust the style and tone of their writing to communicate effectively. 

Scoring Rubric

Learn more about how the writing test is scored.

View the Writing Test Scoring Rubric  (PDF)

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