Writing College and Career Readiness Standards

These Standards describe what students who score in specific score ranges on the writing section of the ACT® college readiness assessment are likely to know and be able to do.

Note: Scores below 3 do not permit useful generalizations about students’ writing abilities.

View or print the set of Writing Standards (PDF, 5 pages) and Writing Curriculum Review Worksheets (PDF, 5 pages).

Score Range 9-10

Score Range 11-12

Ideas and Analysis
(I&A)

I&A 201. Understanding the task and writing with purpose

A score in this range indicates that the writer is able to:

• Generate a thesis that is unclear or not
  entirely related to the given issue
• Respond weakly to other perspectives on
  the issue

I&A 202. Analyzing critical elements of an issue
and differing perspectives on it

A score in this range indicates that the writer is able to:

• Provide
  analysis that is incomplete or largely irrelevant
  

I&A 301. Understanding the task and writing with purpose

A score in this range indicates that the writer is able to:

• Generate a somewhat clear thesis that establishes a perspective on a contemporary issue
• Respond to other perspectives on the issue

I&A 302. Analyzing critical elements of an issue and differing perspectives on it

A score in this range indicates that the writer is able to:

• Establish a limited or tangential context for analysis
• Provide analysis that is simplistic or somewhat unclear
  

I&A 401. Understanding the task and writing with purpose

A score in this range indicates that the writer is able to:

• Generate a clear thesis that establishes a perspective on a contemporary issue
• Engage with other perspectives on the issue

I&A 402. Analyzing critical elements of an issue and differing perspectives on it

A score in this range indicates that the writer is able to:

• Establish and employ a relevant context for analysis
• Recognize implications, complexities and tensions, and/or underlying values and assumptions
  

I&A 501. Understanding the task and writing with purpose

A score in this range indicates that the writer is able to:

• Generate a precise thesis that establishes a perspective on a contemporary issue
• Engage productively with other perspectives on the issue

I&A 502. Analyzing critical elements of an issue and differing perspectives on it

A score in this range indicates that the writer is able to:

• Establish and employ a thoughtful context for analysis
• Address implications, complexities and tensions, and/or underlying values and assumptions
  

I&A 601. Understanding the task and writing with purpose.

A score in this range indicates that the writer is able to:

• Generate a nuanced, precise thesis that establishes a perspective on a contemporary issue
• Engage critically with other perspectives on the issue

I&A 602. Analyzing critical elements of an issue and differing perspectives on it

A score in this range indicates that the writer is able to:

• Establish and employ an insightful context for analysis
• Examine implications, complexities and tensions, and/or underlying values and assumptions
  

Development and Support (D&S)

D&S 201. Building and strengthening the argument

A score in this range indicates that the writer is able to:

• Arrive at a weak understanding of the issue and differing perspectives on it through inadequate reasoning and examples
• Offer a rationale that fails to clarify the argument
• Provide elaboration of ideas and analysis that is illogical, disjointed, or circular

D&S 301. Building and strengthening the argument

A score in this range indicates that the writer is able to:

• Make use of mostly relevant reasoning and examples to support the thesis and arrive at a general or simplistic understanding of the issue
• Offer a rationale that largely clarifies the argument
• Provide elaboration of ideas and analysis that is somewhat repetitive or imprecise

D&S 401. Building and strengthening the argument

A score in this range indicates that the writer is able to:

• Make use of clear reasoning and examples to arrive at an understanding of the issue and differing perspectives on it
• Adequately convey reasons why the argument is worth considering
• Extend ideas and analysis by considering factors that complicate the writer’s own perspective
• Anticipate objections by qualifying the argument
  

D&S 501. Building and strengthening the argument

A score in this range indicates that the writer is able to:

• Make purposeful use of reasoning and examples to support the thesis and arrive at a deeper understanding of the issue
• Capably convey reasons why the argument is worth considering
• Enrich ideas and analysis by considering factors that complicate the writer’s own perspective
• Anticipate objections by qualifying the argument
  

D&S 601. Building and strengthening the argument

A score in this range indicates that the writer is able to:

• Make skillful use of reasoning and examples to broaden the context for analysis, support the thesis, and arrive at deeper insight into the issue
• Effectively convey reasons why the argument is worth considering
• Enrich and strengthen ideas and analysis by considering factors that complicate the writer’s own perspective
• Anticipate objections by qualifying the argument
  

Organization (ORG)

ORG 201. Grouping and connecting ideas

A score in this range indicates that the writer is able to:

• Group ideas with little consistency or clarity
• Use misleading and poorly formed transitions

ORG 202. Employing an organizational strategy

A score in this range indicates that the writer is able to:

• Provide a minimal organizational structure in which some ideas are grouped locally
  

ORG 301. Grouping and connecting ideas

A score in this range indicates that the writer is able to:

• Group most ideas logically
• Use transitions between and within paragraphs to clarify some relationships among ideas

ORG 302. Employing an organizational strategy

A score in this range indicates that the writer is able to:

• Provide a basic organizational structure
  

ORG 401. Grouping and connecting ideas

A score in this range indicates that the writer is able to:

• Group and sequence ideas logically
• Use transitions between and within paragraphs to clarify relationships among ideas

ORG 402. Employing an organizational strategy

A score in this range indicates that the writer is able to:

• Make use of an emergent controlling idea or purpose to shape the argument
  

ORG 501. Grouping and connecting ideas

A score in this range indicates that the writer is able to:

• Group and sequence ideas logically to increase the effectiveness of the argument
• Use transitions between and within paragraphs to consistently clarify relationships among ideas

ORG 502. Employing an organizational strategy

A score in this range indicates that the writer is able to:

• Make use of a controlling idea or purpose to unify the argument
  

ORG 601. Grouping and connecting ideas

A score in this range indicates that the writer is able to:

• Group and sequence ideas logically, creating a progression that increases the effectiveness of the argument
• Use transitions between and within paragraphs to strengthen the relationships among ideas

ORG 602. Employing an organizational strategy

A score in this range indicates that the writer is able to:

• Make use of a controlling idea or purpose to unify and focus the argument
  

Language Use and Conventions (L&C)

L&C 201. Using language to enhance meaning

A score in this range indicates that the writer is able to:

• Make word choices that are rudimentary and frequently imprecise
• Make stylistic choices, including voice, tone, and diction, that are inconsistent and are not always appropriate for the given writing purpose and topic

L&C 202. Applying the conventions of standard written English

A score in this range indicates that the writer is able to:

• Compose sentences that sometimes have clear structures
• Produce writing that has distracting errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics and only sometimes conveys meaning clearly
  

L&C 301. Using language to enhance meaning

A score in this range indicates that the writer is able to:

Make word choices that are general and occasionally imprecise

Make stylistic choices, including voice, tone, and diction, that are not always appropriate for the given writing purpose and topic

L&C 302. Applying the conventions of standard written English

A score in this range indicates that the writer is able to:

• Compose sentences that usually have clear structures but show little variety
• Produce writing that has distracting errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics but, in most instances, conveys meaning clearly
  

L&C 401. Using language to enhance meaning

A score in this range indicates that the writer is able to:

• Make adequate word choices that convey the argument with clarity
• Make stylistic choices, including voice, tone, and diction, that are appropriate for the given writing purpose and topic

L&C 402. Applying the conventions of standard written English

A score in this range indicates that the writer is able to:

Compose sentences with clear and occasionally varied structures

Produce writing that has errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics but conveys meaning clearly

L&C 501. Using language to enhance meaning

A score in this range indicates that the writer is able to:

• Make precise word choices that work in service of the argument
• Make stylistic choices, including voice, tone, and diction, that are effective for the given writing purpose and topic

L&C 502. Applying the conventions of standard written English

A score in this range indicates that the writer is able to:

• Compose sentences with clear and often varied structures
• Produce writing that has only minor errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics
  

L&C 601. Using language to enhance meaning

A score in this range indicates that the writer is able to:

Make skillful and precise word choices that enhance the argument

Make stylistic choices, including voice, tone, and diction, that are strategic and effective for the given writing purpose and topic

L&C 602. Applying the conventions of standard written English

A score in this range indicates that the writer is able to:

• Compose sentences with clear and consistently varied structures
• Produce writing that is free of all but a few minor errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics