THEA/COMPASS Writing
General Description
The Writing Section of the THEA/COMPASS Test consists of two subsections: a writing sample subsection and a multiple-choice subsection. The writing sample subsection requires students to demonstrate their ability to communicate effectively in writing on a given topic. The multiple-choice subsection includes approximately 40 questions assessing students’ ability to recognize various elements of effective writing. You are scored first on the writing sample subsection. If your score on the writing sample subsection is neither a clear pass nor a clear fail, the multiple-choice subsection contributes to your passing status. We will focus on the writing sample subsection for the purpose of providing you with personal feedback regarding your writing skills and your preparedness for the THEA/COMPASS. You may find information about the other sections of the THEA/COMPASS test at
http://www.thea.nesinc.com/ and at testpreview.com if you plan to take the COMPASS Test.
Description: Writing Sample Subsection
The writing sample subsection of the THEA/COMPASS Test consists of one writing assignment. Students are asked to prepare a MULTIPLE-PARAGRAPH writing sample of about 300–600 words on an assigned topic. Students’ writing samples are scored on the basis of how effectively they communicate a whole message to a specified audience for a stated purpose. Students will be assessed on their ability to express, organize, and support opinions and ideas, rather than on the position they express. The following characteristics may be considered in scoring the writing samples:
• APPROPRIATENESS—the extent to which the student addresses the topic and uses language and style appropriate to the given audience, purpose, and occasion.
• UNITY AND FOCUS—the clarity with which the student states and maintains a main idea or point of view.
• DEVELOPMENT—the amount, depth, and specificity of supporting detail the student provides.
• ORGANIZATION—the clarity of the student’s writing and the logical sequence of the student’s ideas.
• SENTENCE STRUCTURE—the effectiveness of the student’s sentence structure and the extent to which the student’s writing is free of errors in sentence structure.
• USAGE—the extent to which the student’s writing is free of errors in usage and shows care and precision in word choice.
• MECHANICAL CONVENTIONS—the student’s ability to spell common words and to use the conventions of capitalization and punctuation.
Your written response should be your original work, written in your own words, and not copied or paraphrased from some other work.
Performance Tips and Suggestions:
When writing an essay for the THEA or COMPASS tests, you should use the standard, five-paragraph essay format.
Click here for a description of the Five Paragraph Essay
Click here for the THEA/COMPASS essay format form. You may use this form to assist you as you organize and outline your essay.
A few things to remember when writing for THEA or COMPASS:
(1) The best essay form to use is the basic five paragraph essay which will consists of an introduction, three support paragraphs, and a conclusion. You will recognize this as the same form you’ve used in school.
(2) Legibility counts. Write neatly; you may be Shakespeare, but if no one can read a word you’ve written, then you going to remain undiscovered. This is one case in which sloppiness will be penalized with a failing grade.
(3) You need to spend a few minutes generating ideas before you begin writing the essay. Brainstorm first—before you begin to write the finished product. You can do it several different ways: clustering, outlining, or a few quick notes to refer to as you write. The main point is that you use some method to organize your ideas before you begin writing. Writing is a process, and organizing your ideas is the first step in that process. Otherwise, your hand-written TASP essay may be filled with many erasures and marked-out words, which can make the finished product either look bad to the grader or be messy and unreadable.
(4) Your goal for the writing section should be to give the impression that you are a competent writer who knows how to organize your thoughts and ideas and present them in a clearly readable form.
(5) Read the instructions carefully, completely, and more than once if necessary to understand the assigned topic. An essay on the wrong topic is an automatic failure no matter how well it is written.
(6) Express your ideas in a clear, grammatically sound structure. If you misspell every other word and write in incomplete sentences, obviously you won’t pass this section. Also, if you have grammar problems, try to keep the sentences as uncomplicated as possible—write in simple sentences rather than longer, more complex ones. WARNING: Use the vocabulary you came to the test with. Don’t try to sprinkle in words you aren’t comfortable using to impress the grader. This usually backfires; you want to demonstrate what you know and NOT what you don’t know.
DIRECTIONS FOR SUBMITTING A WRITING SAMPLE FOR FEEDBACK FROM A CERTIFIED TUTOR:
Write a five paragraph essay on any one of the topic prompts below. You may write the essay in the form below or write it in a word processing document then cut and paste the document below. Provide your name and email address so that a Learning Center tutor may respond to you. You should receive feedback and suggestions based on your writing sample at the email address you provide below within five days of submitting the sample. PLEASE NOTE that if you do not provide a correct email address, you will not receive feedback on your essay!
You may return to this site and submit another essay covering any of the topics below at any time after you have made your first submission. Submitting subsequent writing samples will help you assess your progress. Remember, it takes practice in order to improve your writing skills.
Also, the Student Learning Center offers face to face tutoring, PLATO Learning System access, and many other services to help you prepare for the THEA or COMPASS test to those who qualify. Call 335-6878 for more information.
Essay Prompts:
Choose one and write a five paragraph essay that clearly and effectively addresses the topic. Submit your writing sample below for feedback for ways you can improve your potential score on the THEA or COMPASS test.
Prompt 1: Read and examine both sides of the issue below. Use the standard five paragraph essay form. Your essay should be typed, double-spaced and approximately 500 words in length.
Should the state of Texas pass a law similar to Proposition 187 restricting public services to illegal aliens?
Over the past decade or so, more than 3.5 million illegal immigrants from Mexico and elsewhere have entered the United States, with an estimated 40 percent of them settling in California. At the same time, more than twice as many legal immigrants have entered. Together, illegal and legal immigrants receive more than $8 billion in government aid annually. About half of this cost is paid for by the states, even though they have no control over the influx of immigrants into this country, legal or not. In 1994, California passed Proposition 187 to address this problem. This new law states that illegal immigrants in the United States will no longer be entitled to free education or medical care. The law also requires teachers and clinic doctors to deny services to undocumented aliens and then report them to the police.
Should the state of Texas pass a similar law restricting public services to illegal aliens? Those people in favor of the measure in California believe that its passage was needed to get Washington’s attention and force federal action to solve the illegal immigrant problem. They state that illegal aliens do not deserve the rights and privileges of citizens. Likewise, they cite limited resources and tight budgets as reasons for the law. Those people opposed to Proposition 187 believe the law is unconstitutional. They believe that the law will lead to increased prejudice against minorities and result in inhuman treatment of people who deserve such basic services as emergency medical treatment. Some other means of solving the illegal immigrant problem should be used.
*Warning: Remember, your purpose is to persuade your reader to accept your position. This is a controversial topic which can generate strong emotions. Support your position with
logical arguments and
appropriate examples only.
Prompt 2. For many years, the death penalty has been a controversial issue within the criminal justice system. Proponents (those who agree with the death penalty) argue that the death penalty is a necessary punishment in order to deter crime and effectively punish violent offenders. However, those who are opposed to the death penalty argue that the state has no right to kill any person and that the death penalty is cruel and unusual punishment. Write an essay either arguing for or against the death penalty.
Prompt 3. Does a jury have the right to know a defendant’s prior criminal record?
Some people believe that a jury has the right to know a defendant’s prior criminal record. They believe that (pro-1) this knowledge could help the jury decide whether the defendant is capable of such behavior. In addition, (pro-2) they believe the jury could use this knowledge to make an informed decision as to the defendant’s sentencing. However, others believe that if the jury has this knowledge beforehand, (con-1) it might unfairly influence them to find the defendant guilty, basing their decision on prior activities and not on the current crime. Also, (con-2) they believe that this knowledge could unjustly affect the jury’s sentencing.
