This scoring guide is given for your convenience. Testing sites, the
state office and the national GED Testing Service will NOT explain
to examinees where “they went wrong” if examinees desire
information about their essays. Time and costs would make it impossible
to provide this service without substantially increasing testing costs
to you, the examinee.
For writing the essays, please consider using the five-paragraph method.
Briefly stated, open with an introductory paragraph; build on concepts
in paragraphs 2, 3, and 4; and summarize and wrap up in the last paragraph.
Please note that there is NO QUICK FIX to poor grammar skills or poor
writing protocol. You have to PRACTICE writing the right way. Check
with your local Adult Education program for training.
EAE mentioned below means “Edited American English.” That
is the common sense “rule book” by which grammar is scored.
| |
1 - Inadequate
Reader has difficulty identifying or
following the writer’s ideas.
|
2 - Marginal
Reader occasionally has difficulty understanding
or following the writer’s ideas.
|
3 - Adequate
Reader understands writer’s ideas.
|
4 - Effective
Reader understands and easily follows
the writer’s expression of ideas.
|
| Response
to the Prompt |
Attempts to address prompt but with
little or no success in establishing a focus. |
Addresses the prompt, though the focus
may shift. |
Uses the writing prompt to establish
a main idea. |
Reader understands and easily follows
the writer’s expression of ideas. |
| Organization |
Fails to organize ideas |
Shows some evidence of an organizational
plan. |
Uses an identifiable organizational
plan. |
Establishes a clear and logical organization. |
| Development
and Details |
Demonstrates little or no development;
usually lacks details or examples or presents irrelevant information. |
Has some development but lacks specific
details; may be limited to a listing, repetitions, or generalizations. |
Has focused but occasionally uneven
development; incorporates some specific detail. |
Achieves coherent development with specific
and relevant details and examples. |
| Conventions
of EAE |
May exhibit minimal or no control of
sentence structure and the conventions of EAE |
May demonstrate inconsistent control
of sentence structure and the conventions of EAE. |
Generally controls sentence structure
and the conventions of EAE. |
Consistently controls sentence structure
and the conventions of Edited American English (EAE). |
| \Word
Choice |
Exhibits weak and/or inappropriate words. |
Exhibits a narrow range of word choice,
often including inappropriate selections. |
Exhibits appropriate word choice. |
Exhibits varied and precise word choice. |
