12.Practice.Tests.for.the.SAT_2015-2016_1128p

KAPLAN'S GUIDE TO THE SAT CHANGE AND PRACTICE QUESTIONS 43
ESSAY TEST
SAMPLE ESSAY
I think Clinton seemed to do a pretty good job saing health ca re needed to be reformed. Pe ople don't have
health insurance and I agree they should.
People should have health insurance because if they get sick they could have a lot of financial problems, if
they can't pay their medical bills. If they don't have it the government should help them get insurance. Like
Clinton said it's bad for the economy if people can't pay their bills, it would hurt the people who can't pay
their bills and it would hurt the doctors who don't get payed.
Clinton did good showng me that people should get insurance. He understood how bad it is for the government
not to make sure people have it.
The essay above would score a 2 in the three graded areas: Reading, Analysis, and Writing. It is clear the
student had read at least some of the prompt, but no mention is made of important facets, like the need
for bipartisan support in Congress. No factual errors are presented in the essay, but there is limited use of
information and no use of quotation. Analytically, there are missing elements. The student sees that this is
a persuasive speech, but rather than focusing on the main question-how effective is the argument, and
how is it structured effectively-the student discusses why the author is right. In Writing, this student uses
limited vocabulary repetitively, and demonstrates errors of conventions. The overall paragraph structure is
appropriate, but used to limited effect, and shows limited development of ideas. This student would need
to increase focus on the directions and provide more information about the essay to get a higher score.
SAMPLE ESSAY
In his 1 993 speech to Congress, then-President Bill Clinton made highly effective use of his time and his
position of leadership to argue for health ca re reform. While there is more he could have done, for exam ple
providing specific exam ples and ideas, he did a lot to demonstrate why reform was both necessary and possible.
One of the most effective things Clinton did was show the need and possibility for support from Democrats
and Republicans. Democrats and Republicans disagree about most things, so talking to both of them like
both of their help is necessary is very effective. He even went so far as to say "you'll be bombarded with
information from all kinds of sources" which said he knew there would be disagreements, and people like lobbyists
giving bad information, and asked that people stay together in what wa s important. I would definitely
have listened to him if I had been there.
He (*Clinton) also did a good job talking about just how bad the situation was. If you don't think a situation
needs fixing, nobody's going to wa nt to fix it. But he says how much more Americans spend on health care
than other countries, and how people wind u p bankru pt or having to work forever, and how we have the best
doctors but most people can't get to them. Th is sounds terrible; I would defin itely have agreed with him if I