Essay Test Rubric

GED Test -- Essay Scoring Guide (Rubric)

This is the rubric (scoring guide) that the GED graders will be using to grade your essay. The recommended Essay method for the GED exam is the 5 paragraph essay. Basically you want your first paragraph to introduce the topic of your essay. The middle 3 paragraphs should contain the body of your essay and you should summarize and wrap up your essay 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.

EAE mentioned below means “Edited American English.” That is the common sense “rule book” by which grammar is scored. The GED graders will give you a grade in each of the five areas below, they will then divide that total by 4. Each grader will give this summary score and you will receive a final grade which is an average of these grades.

 

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.

 

 


Last modified: Friday, 1 April 2016, 5:06 PM