Study Guide

General Education Assessment
Sample Constructed-Response Assignment

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Sample Test Directions for the Constructed-Response Assignment

This section of the test consists of one constructed-response assignment in which you will be asked to respond to an educational issue described in two passages that contain opposing viewpoints on the issue. You should prepare a response of approximately 300–600 words. You may use the word-count feature in the lower-left corner of the response box to monitor the length of your response. You will not be allowed to type more than 1000 words.

Read the assignment carefully and think about how you will organize your response before you begin to type.

Your response will be evaluated on the following criteria:

  • Appropriateness: The extent to which the response addresses the purpose of the assignment and uses language and style appropriate for the specified audience
  • Focus and Unity: The extent to which the response clearly states and maintains clear connections to the thesis statement
  • Organization: The extent to which the response is effectively and coherently sequenced from sentence to sentence and paragraph to paragraph
  • Development: The extent to which the response provides relevant, varied, and specific support to elaborate on the thesis statement
  • Grammar and Conventions: The extent to which the response shows control of grammar, sentence structure, usage, and mechanical conventions (i.e., spelling, punctuation, and capitalization)

Be sure to write about the assigned topic. Your response must be your original work written in your own words. Remember to review what you have written to ensure that you address all aspects of the assignment and make any changes you think will improve your response. The final version of your response should conform to the conventions of edited American English.

Sample Constructed-Response Assignment

Read the following passages about warning labels on food items; then follow the instructions for writing your composition.

Food Companies Should Be Required to Place Warning Labels on Food Items Containing High Levels of Sugar and Saturated Fat

Warning labels are a practical and affordable way to promote healthy dietary choices. As long as the labels are legible and prominently displayed, they will definitely influence consumer behavior related to foods containing high levels of sugar and saturated fat, the leading contributors to a host of negative medical conditions including heart disease and diabetes. Because warning labels could lead people to better dietary choices, food companies will have no choice but to offer healthier food options.

Food Companies Should Not Be Required to Place Warning Labels on Food Items Containing High Levels of Sugar and Saturated Fat

There is no proven benefit to making food companies put warning labels on their products; it only raises their costs. Warning labels on food items containing high levels of sugar and saturated fat will not change people's dietary choices. Consumers of these products generally understand the risks associated with excess fat and sugar intake and choose to ignore them. For those individuals, the satisfaction of eating foods that some people judge to be unhealthy outweighs the long-term benefits of a balanced diet.

Your purpose is to write a persuasive composition, to be read by a classroom instructor, in which you take a position on whether or not food companies should be required to place warning labels on food items containing high levels of sugar and saturated fat. Be sure to defend your position with logical arguments and appropriate examples.

Sample Strong Response to the Constructed-Response Assignment

Chronic illnesses like diabetes and heart disease cost Americans billions of dollars every year and end millions of lives prematurely. These diseases are either caused or exacerbated by foods that are high in saturated fats and sugar. The proposal to put warning labels on foods containing high levels of saturated fat and sugar is a direct result of these alarming statistics as public health officials, doctors, and patients themselves seek ways to protect themselves and society. While opponents of food labeling argue that consumers already know the risks associated with excess fat and sugar, most people want to enjoy longer, healthier lives but don't know exactly how to avoid or reduce their intake of these killer ingredients. Warning labels on food are an appropriate way to inform people about healthier choices.

Even when an individual has decided to splurge a little, there is a large difference between choosing a vegetable pizza made with low-fat cheese and one loaded with high-fat cheese, pepperoni, and sausage. A warning label could help make this choice easier. When trying to decide whether a bagel, a donut, or a blueberry muffin is healthier, many people might not be sure of which to choose. The individual virtuously choosing a salad at a restaurant may be unaware that the wrong choice of dressing can make the salad much less healthy than the scorned hamburger patty. Many foods that seem to be good choices—energy bars, flavored oatmeal, fruit-on-the-bottom yogurt—can pack surprising amounts of sugar. The simple truth is that people often do not know which foods are truly healthy.

Furthermore, advertisers often deliberately mislead consumers by touting the health benefits of "low-fat" foods (loaded with sugar) and "all natural" foods (loaded with high amounts of saturated fat). Words like "made with real fruit" and "no sugar added" can hide a lot of sugar, while coconut oil and "energy bars" can be stealth sources of saturated fat. The fact that food advertisers are trying to cash in on those attempting to make healthy choices is one indication that people are concerned about their health and willing to act on that concern, but may not be sure which foods are actually good for them. Highly visible labels that identify unhealthy amounts of saturated fat and sugar would help individuals trying to eat right, whether those labels were posted in restaurants or printed on grocery store items.

Cigarettes have for decades required warning labels stating their dangers, yet food manufacturers have not been required to alert consumers to the very real long-term risks of excess sugar and fat. In the United States, diabetes—even among children—is at epidemic levels. Diabetics are at a higher risk of blindness, limb amputation, and heart disease. Heart disease and stroke are leading causes of disability and death. When the heart is not working right, people become weak and breathless, easily fatigued, and unable to work. High consumption of sugar and saturated fats has been identified as a leading contributor to these diseases. People need help in making good food choices; warning labels would provide that help.

No one is arguing that sugar and saturated fat cannot be consumed in healthy amounts, and even the most health-conscious individual needs an occasional treat. However, U.S. consumers must be assisted in making informed choices; otherwise, they are simply at the mercy of profit driven advertisements designed to dupe them. Concerned consumers should demand warning labels on foods high in sugar and saturated fats—their lives may depend on it.

Rationale for the Sample Strong Response

Appropriateness: The response is written in a style that is appropriate for the specified audience of educated adults; it is written in formal American English without casual speech or slang. It fulfills the purpose of the assignment: take a position on the given topic and defend your position with logical arguments and appropriate examples. The position is taken in paragraph one, arguments are addressed in paragraphs two through four, and a conclusion is provided in paragraph five.

Focus and Unity: The thesis statement is presented in the opening paragraph (“While opponents of food labeling argue that consumers already know the risks associated with excess fat and sugar, most people want to enjoy longer, healthier lives but don’t know exactly how to avoid or reduce their intake of these killer ingredients. Warning labels on food are an appropriate way to inform people about healthier choices”). The body paragraphs focus on each of the points contained in the thesis with reference to the position. Paragraph two argues that individuals do not always know what foods are healthier for them, paragraph three argues that food advertisers often deliberately mislead consumers trying to make healthy choices, and paragraph four argues that warning labels would help people avoid the negative health consequences that often result from consuming foods high in sugar and saturated fat. Each paragraph refocuses the reader’s attention on the writer’s position: “A warning label could make this choice easier” in paragraph two; “Highly visible labels . . .” in paragraph three, and “People need help in making good food choices; warning labels would provide that help” in paragraph four. All of the arguments rebut the opposing position that individuals deliberately choose immediate satisfaction over long-term health.

Organization: From sentence to sentence and paragraph to paragraph, the response is effectively and coherently sequenced. Transitions from sentence to sentence are clear and purposeful. The short final paragraph references the three preceding arguments and the concluding call to action logically follows from those arguments.

Development: Each of the writer’s arguments is fully supported with relevant, varied, and specific examples. These include the mention of the comparative healthiness of “a bagel, a donut, or a blueberry muffin” in paragraph two; the reference to misleading food advertising (“made with real fruit,” “no sugar added”) in paragraph three; and the list of symptoms related to heart disease and diabetes (“blindness, limb amputation, breathlessness, fatigue, and inability to work) in paragraph four.

Grammar and Conventions: The response shows strong control of grammar and conventions. Sentence structure is varied and effective. While most of the response includes longer, more complex sentences, paragraph four is made up almost exclusively of short sentences that drive home the blunt truths they express. Punctuation is used correctly, including the semicolon to connect two independent clauses in paragraph five. Usage and word choice are precise and effective (“exacerbated,” “touting,” “dupe”). There are only a few minor errors. In paragraph three, there is a comma after “concern” which should not be there (“The fact that food advertisers are trying to cash in on those attempting to make healthy choices is one indication that people are concerned about their health and willing to act on that concern, but may not be sure which foods are actually good for them”). The phrase in the final paragraph, “profit driven advertisements,” should be “profit-driven advertisements” with a hyphen.

Performance Characteristics

The following characteristics guide the scoring of your response to the constructed-response assignment.

Appropriateness The extent to which the response addresses the purpose of the assignment and uses language and style appropriate for the specified audience
Focus and Unity The extent to which the response clearly states and maintains clear connections to the thesis statement
Organization The extent to which the response is effectively and coherently sequenced from sentence to sentence and paragraph to paragraph
Development The extent to which the response provides relevant, varied, and specific support to elaborate on the thesis statement
Grammar and Conventions The extent to which the response shows control of grammar, sentence structure, usage, and mechanical conventions (i.e., spelling, punctuation, and capitalization)

Scoring Scale

Scores will be assigned to your response to the constructed-response assignment according to the following scoring scale.

Score Point Score Point Description
4 The "4" response demonstrates a strong command of writing skills.
  1. The response fully addresses the purpose of the assignment. Language and style are appropriate for the specified audience.
  2. The thesis statement is clearly expressed. Connections to the thesis statement are effectively maintained.
  3. The response is effectively organized. Connections from sentence to sentence and from paragraph to paragraph are clear and purposeful.
  4. Support is strong and full. It is relevant, varied, and specific.
  5. The response has very few, if any, errors in grammar and mechanics. Usage and word choice are effective and precise. Sentence structure is correct, effective, and varied.
3 The "3" response demonstrates a general command of writing skills.
  1. The response generally addresses the purpose of the assignment. Language and style are generally appropriate for the specified audience.
  2. The thesis statement is expressed. Connections to the thesis statement are generally maintained.
  3. The response is mostly organized. Connections from sentence to sentence and from paragraph to paragraph are generally clear.
  4. Support is general. It is generally relevant and may not be varied. There are some specifics.
  5. The response has minor errors in grammar and mechanics. Usage and word choice may be basic and contain minor errors. Sentence structure may contain minor errors and show only some variation.
2 The "2" response demonstrates a limited command of writing skills.
  1. The response partially addresses the purpose of the assignment. Language and style may be inappropriate for the specified audience.
  2. The thesis statement may have to be inferred. Connections to the thesis statement are only partially maintained.
  3. The response is only partially organized. Connections from sentence to sentence and from paragraph to paragraph may be unclear.
  4. Support is limited. It may be only partially relevant and may not be specific.
  5. The response may have major and minor errors in grammar, mechanics, usage, word choice, and sentence structure that are distracting and interfere with meaning.
1 The "1" response demonstrates a weak command of writing skills.
  1. The response attempts to address the purpose of the assignment. Language and style are inappropriate for the specified audience.
  2. The response may lack a thesis statement. Connections to the thesis statement, if present, are not maintained.
  3. There is little or no organization in the response. Connections from sentence to sentence and from paragraph to paragraph are unclear.
  4. Support is weak. There is little or no relevant development.
  5. The response may have numerous major and minor errors in grammar, mechanics, usage, word choice, and sentence structure that impede meaning.
U The response is unrelated to the purpose of the assignment, illegible, primarily in a language other than English, not of sufficient length to score, or merely a repetition of the assignment.
B There is no response to the assignment.