In 2005, the College Board introduced a new section in the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), the writing section, in 2014 the College Board made the essay no longer mandatory. There were a lot of controversies with the written assessment, with some people against it and some people supporting it. Can we assess a student’s writing skills from a single essay? What does the essay actually evaluate? Writing skills are critical for student success in college, but is there a formula for what makes an essay “good” or “bad”?

There are some difficulties that arise when having to give a certain written work a specific numerical grade. Often some dilemmas emerge while measuring writing quality. “Should students get extra points for using uncommon words, even if such word choice destroys cadence? Can we grade for verve or wit? Can we deduct points for boring but competent prose?” (Needell, Claire. “With Writing, the Problem Is in the Grading”. Can Writing on a College Entrance Exam Be Properly Assessed? The New York Times. June 27, 2014. Web. August 26, 2014.) However, although it is difficult to outline all the qualities that make a written work excellent, it is not difficult to point out the flaws. The writing is disorganized, the ideas are unclear, the vocabulary is limited. We judge writing every day, from articles in newspapers to lyrics in songs. “Any skill that can be taught, any skill that can be improved, can be assessed.” (Cohen D. Beth. “Writing Can Be Taught and Assessed”. Can Writing on a College Entrance Exam Be Properly Assessed? The New York Times. March 10, 2014. Web. August 26, 2014.) Technical aspects of writing such as spelling, grammar and punctuation can also be evaluated. The dilemmas that emerge while measuring writing quality can be resolved with using tools like grading rubrics, outlines, checklists and model essays.

There are some disagreements with the finality of the SATs essays. Writing is a process, and it is the most beneficial to work towards improvement rather than to just assign a certain grade or score without giving a feedback. Ongoing assessment, the process of writing and rewriting, is advantageous for both the students and the teachers. The only way to work towards improvement is to receive rigorous feedback and to have opportunities for revision. So does an essay written for a period of twenty five minutes say anything for a student’s writing ability? “A high-stakes essay tells me nothing about whether a student is prepared for college-level writing because it does not mimic any rhetorical situation they will face outside of the test itself. At best, it asks students to rush through a process that should take weeks, not minutes.” ( Clark J. Elizabeth. “A High Stakes Essay Says Nothing About a Student’s Writing Ability”. Can Writing on a College Entrance Exam Be Properly Assessed? The New York Times. March 10, 2014. Web. August 26, 2014.) Furthermore, Elizabeth J. Clark ,a professor of English at LaGuardia Community College, adds that “High-stakes essay writing is about learning to game the system. Good test takers are just that: Students who learned the rules of the game, often through expensive test prep courses that disadvantage poor and at-risk students.” (“A High Stakes Essay Says Nothing About a Student’s Writing Ability”. Can Writing on a College Entrance Exam Be Properly Assessed? The New York Times. March 10, 2014. Web. August 26, 2014.) However, the essay can evaluate whether the student has a good command of the language. The essay also demonstrates the student’s ability to sit down in a pressured environment and form coherent and persuasive thoughts for a short amount of time, a skill needed for the upcoming college level work. The test evaluators do not expect a Nobel Prize winning essay, but rather they test the student’s critical thinking and their ability to form and write down coherent thoughts as quickly as possible. By the time the students take their SATs they should have perfected their writing skills by receiving feedback and improving their essays.

Moreover, the SAT provides equal footing for all students. Making the essay no longer mandatory prevents the leveling of the playing field. “Those who can afford coaching will be most likely to opt in to write the essay and those who cannot will remain at disadvantage.” (Cohen D. Beth. “Writing Can Be Taught and Assessed”. Can Writing on a College Entrance Exam Be Properly Assessed? The New York Times. March 10, 2014. Web. August 26, 2014.) Also, the newly revised SAT may undermine the importance of good writing skills which are integrally related to critical thinking, communication and problem solving. However, the newly revised essay-optional SAT is created so to evaluate the skills that before were evaluated with the essay. Among these skills are command of evidence, expression of ideas and word choice. Furthermore, the burning issue with the extremely short amount of time for writing the essay is seemingly solved by doubling the amount of time, creating a reasonable environment to demonstrate skills. The new SAT also offers more flexibility with giving colleges the freedom to make their own decisions about requiring the essay.

Effective writing is a fundamental skill and it can be assessed. Using tools like grading rubrics, checklists and model essays is helpful for evaluating the technical aspects of the writing, but also the organization and analysis. College application essays should demonstrate the students’ ability to manage the writing required in college. The finality and the short amount of time given for writing the college application essays make their validity questionable, however, even though a single essay does not reflect a student’s whole potential, it can be useful in conveying the critical thinking and the clear writing skills of the student.