How to Write an MCAS Essay in Five Hours

The Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) is a state wide standards based assessment program developed in Massachusetts as a result of the Education Reform Law of 1993. All students who are in public schooling in Massachusetts from grade 3 to grade 10 are required to take MCAS. The goal of the MCAS is to measure student performance based on the Massachusetts Curriculum Framework learning standards and to report on the performance of individual students in schools and districts in Massachusetts. As a Massachusetts public school student, you are required to pass the grade 10 tests in English Language Arts (ELA), Mathematics, and one of the four high school Science and Technology Engineering tests to be eligible for your high school diploma.

Part 1

Part 1 of 4:

Preparing to write the MCAS Essay

1
Understand the structure of the MCAS essay. As a whole, the MCAS will test you on three subjects: English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science and Technology/Engineering. During your English Language Arts tests, you will need to respond to a writing prompt with a written composition, or an essay. You will be required to write a five paragraph essay for the long composition section of the ELA test, using specific examples from a text or several texts to support your thesis.^{[1]XResearch source}
- Your MCAS essay should be free of any grammatical or spelling errors and present fully developed ideas in the five paragraph format.
2
Get familiar with the ELA scoring guide. The English Language Arts MCAS are scored based on two categories: Topic/Idea development and Standard English conventions. Your essay will be graded within these two categories with a numerical score. The Topic/Idea development section is rated from a high 6 to a low 1, and the Standard English conventions section is rated from a high 4 to a low 1.^{[2]XResearch source}
- To achieve a high 6 in the Topic/Idea development category, you will need to demonstrate rich topic/idea development, careful and subtle organization, and use language effectively in your essay. You will earn a low 1 if your essay has very little topic/idea development, organization or details, and you demonstrate very little awareness of your audience or of the task asked of you in the essay prompt.
- To achieve a high 4 in the Standard English conventions category, you will need to demonstrate control of sentence structure, grammar and usage. Your essay should also be long enough to show you have a strong grasp of complex sentence structure and standard English conventions. You will earn a low 1 if your essay contain errors that interfere with clear communication and understanding in a serious way, and you have very little control of sentence structure, grammar, and usage.
- Detailed information on the scoring guides for each category can be found at http://www.doe.mass.edu/mcas/student/2014/question.aspx?GradeID=10&SubjectCode=ela&QuestionID=33209#.
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3
Read sample essay prompts. For the MCAS essay, you will be given a writing prompt that will introduce and define a significant literary technique, motif, or theme. You could be asked to write about a technique like “irony”, a motif like “hero” or a theme like “transformation”. You will then need to select one literary work you have read in class or outside of class and write a composition that describes how the literary technique, motif, or theme is used in that work.^{[3]XResearch source}
- You may receive a prompt that focuses on the use of a technique in writing, for example: “Select a work of literature you have read in or out of school in which there is a difference between what is expected and what actually happens. In a well-developed composition, explain the situation and tell why it is important to the work you have chosen.”
- You may receive a prompt that focuses on the use of a motif in writing, for example: “From a work of literature you have read in or out of school, select a character that, in your opinion, is heroic. In a well-developed composition, identify that character and explain why he or she is heroic.”
- You may receive a prompt that focuses on the use of theme in writing, for example: “In many literary works, the main character goes through some experience that causes him or her to gain insight and change the way he or she is living. The moment of insight is called an epiphany. From a work of literature you have read in or out of school, select one main character who experiences an epiphany and explain how it changes his or her life.”
- A complete list of previous essay prompts for the MCAS essay can be found at http://www.duxbury.k12.ma.us/Page/4853.
4
Look at sample essays that scored high and low on the ELA scoring guide. The MCAS website has essay samples from previous years for each numerical score for both of the scoring categories. Take a moment to look at the essays that earned the highest scores in Topic/Idea development and in Standard English conventions to get a sense of what the evaluators will be looking for.^{[4]XResearch source}
- Each sample essay also contains evaluator comments that explain why the essay received a high score or a low score. For example, an essay that received the highest score, 6, in Topic/Idea development opens with a rich first sentence that frames the rest of the essay, which is on Cheryl Strayed’s autobiographical novel Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail. The writer uses the opening analysis of the character’s internal and external battles to discuss how the character develops self awareness and emotional growth in the course of the novel. The writer returns to these themes throughout the five paragraph essay and uses strong examples from the text to support her ideas. The evaluator noted there is “careful selection and development of details” as well as “ language that supports meaning.”^{[5]XResearch source}
- In comparison, an essay that received the lowest score, 1, in Topic/Idea development, is only four lines long and provides a very brief response that is minimal but on topic. However, the writer does not demonstrate any awareness of what the essay prompt is asking him to discuss in his essay and he does not present any rich detail, strong development of ideas, or meaningful analysis of the text.^{[6]XResearch source}
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Part 2

Part 2 of 4:

Creating an Outline

Before you start your rough draft, you should analyze the writing prompt to ensure you understand the prompt. Determine if the prompt focuses on a literary technique, motif, or theme.^{[7]XResearch source}
2
Brainstorm possible literary works you can write about. You will then need to determine which literary work you are going to use in your essay. Novels, autobiographies and short stories are all possible literary works you can use as source material.^{[8]XResearch source}
- Often, your MCAS essay will be most effective if you chose one literary work that you have read recently and remember well. You will need to recount the plot and characters of the literary work, as well as any techniques, motifs, or themes used in the work. It will help if you choose a work that you are confident you can recall in detail.
3
Write your thesis statement. A thesis statement will convey to your reader the points or arguments you are going to make in your paper. It acts a road map for your paper and should answer the question, “What is this paper about?” It should take a stand and announce your position towards the topic.^{[9]XResearch source}
- To save time, you can start with a rough thesis statement and then adjust your thesis statement once you are done your rough draft. Often, you can get a better sense of your thesis statement and the overall goal of the essay once you have finished a rough draft.
- If we use the high scoring essay on Cheryl Strayed as an example, the thesis statement appears at the end of the first paragraph: “Written through the perspective of author Cheryl Strayed, Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Coast Trail illustrates Strayed’s own personal battle through the story of a classic life interrupted, which forces her to contemplate the polar extremes of what one woman can face.”^{[10]XResearch source}
4
Create an outline for your essay. Make a rough outline of your five paragraph essay that will act as a guide for your essay. This will also help you save time when you start to write the essay, as you will have a good sense of the structure of the essay and can focus on writing the content based on your outline. Try to complete your outline and create your thesis statement within one hour.
- Introduction: Your beginning paragraph should contain an engaging first sentence and your thesis statement. Some writers find it easier to write create a temporary introduction and revise it once they are finished with the essay. This will ensure the introduction is cohesive with the rest of the essay.
- Body paragraph 1-3: Each paragraph should discuss one major point of your thesis, with at least one supporting example.
- Conclusion: This paragraph should summarize your main argument and restate your thesis. You may also want to include last thoughts around the essay question.
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Part 3

Part 3 of 4:

Writing the First Draft

1
Come up with a hook opening sentence. There are several possible hooks you can use in your essay to draw your reader in. Take 30 minutes to create an introduction and a hook opening sentence. If you get stuck on your introduction, it may help to place your thesis statement at the end of the paragraph and come back to your introduction once you are finished the rest of your essay.^{[11]XTrustworthy SourceUniversity of North Carolina Writing CenterUNC's on-campus and online instructional service that provides assistance to students, faculty, and others during the writing processGo to source}
- An interesting or surprising example: This could be a personal experience or a key moment in the literary work you are discussing in your essay.
- A provocative quotation: This could be from the literary work you are using for your essay or one that feels relevant to your topic.
- A vivid anecdote: An anecdote is a very short story that carries moral or symbolic weight. Think of an anecdote that might be a poetic or powerful way to start your essay.
- A thought provoking question: Create a question that will get your reader thinking and engaged in your topic.
2
Write your three body paragraphs. Focus on fleshing out each paragraph with at least one example of your main point. Sign-post each paragraph by beginning with a strong argumentative point that links to a supporting example of your main point. Don't worry too much about perfecting each paragraph and avoid long winded sentences. You are going to revise these paragraphs when you do your final draft so for now, focus on getting down your thoughts and ideas. Take no more than three and a half hours to complete your body paragraph. If you use the Cheryl Strayed high scoring essay as an example:^{[12]XResearch source}
- Body paragraph 1: Introduce the literary work and provide a brief, engaging synopsis of the book up to the turning point for the main character. For example, the death of Strayed’s mother from cancer and the breaking up of her family leads Strayed to fill her sense of loneliness and depression with a solo journey on the Pacific Coast Trail.
- Body paragraph 2: Discuss how the literary work responds to the essay prompt and give a detailed analysis of the work based on the prompt. In the Strayed essay, the writer uses Strayed’s physical struggles on the gruelling Pacific Coast Trail to discuss the internal battle Strayed is also dealing with as she processes her grief and depression.
- Body paragraph 3: Look at how a climax or pivotal moment to the literary work highlights the technique, motif, or theme noted in the essay prompt. In the Strayed essay, the writer uses the themes of nature and fate in the novel to discuss how the main character comes to terms with her external and internal struggles.
3
Finish with a concluding paragraph. Make your conclusion clear and to the point. Avoid introducing new ideas or arguments in your conclusion. Instead, restate your thesis and your main points.
- For example, you may restate your thesis so that is connects to the larger themes of your essay. The essay on Cheryl Strayed’s Wild ends with this restatement: “Cheryl Strayed’s battle did indeed begin in the mind, but unfolded to become an expedition that illustrated her own hardiness in conquering not only her internal conflict but also the unknown situations of fate and nature.”^{[13]XResearch source}
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Part 4

Part 4 of 4:

Creating a Final Draft

1
Read and edit your rough draft based on the scoring guidelines. Take the last half hour to one hour to read through your rough draft to check if it flows from sentence to sentence and from paragraph to paragraph. Edit any wordy or confusing sentence and adjust your language so it is easy to understand. You should also go through your rough draft with the scoring guidelines provided by MCAS in mind.
- Remember the guidelines for a high score in Topic/Idea development: demonstrate rich topic/idea development, careful and subtle organization, and use language effectively in your essay. You should also keep in mind the high score for Standard English conventions: demonstrate control of sentence structure, grammar and usage, as well as a strong grasp of complex sentence structure and standard English conventions.
2
Check for spelling and grammatical errors. You may want to read your essay backwards to check for any spelling issues, as you will only be focusing on the words themselves, rather than the meaning of the sentences.
- Always make sure you use proper grammar and spelling in your essay, as you will be deducted marks in the Standard English conventions category if you miss any misspelled words or grammatical errors.
3
Create a title for the essay. It can be easier to create a title for your essay once you have finished it. You could use a quotation from the essay, a phrase or term you refer back to often in the essay, or a summary of your main point.
- For example, your essay on Cheryl Strayed’s Wild could be: “A Wild Woman’s Self Discovery” or “A Classic Life Interrupted”.
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