<p>Does anyone know how the ACT essay is graded? and since it does not affect the overall mark, why do universities require it?</p>
<p>I know that it is graded by two separate readers, each of whom assigns it a score of 0 to 6, for a maximum possible score of 12. How they assign those 6 possible points (apiece), I don’t know.</p>
<p>I think some colleges look at it because writing skills fell so significantly in the past decade or two, and they feel a strong ability to write well is just as important as high math scores, for example. Secondarily, I think they sometimes use it as a comparative writing sample to make sure an applicant really wrote his own essay.</p>
<p>I also have a question about ACT essay as well… Is it similar to SAT essay that you have to state historical and literary examples??? Because on practice test books like princeton review and barrons, they only give logical reasonings…</p>
<p>It’s more oriented around subjects that directly apply to high school students.</p>
<p>You do not need to cite historical or literary examples…just examples to support your arguments and logic.</p>