The CUNY/ACT Basic Skills Test in Writing

General Information on the Writing Sample

The Writing Sample assesses your writing skills based on a sample of your writing. Students are given a choice of two questions, and are asked to write an organized, focused essay. The essay questions are similar to one another in the following way: each one describes a choice that a person in a position of authority must make between two alternatives. The writer is asked to advise the authority on the best choice and explain why the group should agree with the writer's position. The writing sample is scored by two trained readers, using a six-point scale. A sample of the writing assignment (along with the scoring guide and sample papers for each score point) is included in this booklet, along with some tips on taking the Writing Sample Test prepared by CUNY writing faculty.