Organization of Ideas
22%of exam
Language Facility
43%of exam
Writing Conventions
35%of exam
Extended Response Essay
Not publishedof exam
Format and Scoring
Not publishedof exam
Quick Facts
- Subtest
- Language Arts Writing
- Owner
- PSI Services LLC
- Questions
- 61 (60 MC + essay)
- Time
- 120 minutes total
- Score scale
- 1-20 reported
- Subtest pass
- 8 of 20
- Essay minimum
- 2 of 6
- Battery pass
- 45 of 100
- Readiness mark
- 15 plus essay 4
- Guessing
- No wrong-answer penalty
- Fee
- Set by state
- Blueprint
- Test at a Glance 2025
Organization Picker
- Sentence strays off topic→Delete that sentence
- Need a first sentence→State the controlling idea
- Need a last sentence→Resolve the developed idea
- Sentences out of order→Follow chronology or cause
- New subtopic begins→Start a new paragraph
- Ideas contrast→However or nevertheless
- Second idea is result→Consequently or therefore
- Second idea is similar→Likewise or moreover
Organization Skills
- Descriptor 1
- Opening, transitional, closing sentences
- Descriptor 2
- Evaluate relevance of content
- Descriptor 3
- Analyze organizational structure
- Descriptor 4
- Recognize logical transitions
- Weight
- 22 percent of MC
- Scope
- Sentence to whole draft
Transition Signals
- However
- ContrastTAAG
- Consequently
- ResultTAAG
- Likewise
- SimilarityTAAG
- Therefore
- Conclusion drawn
- Moreover
- Added support
- Nevertheless
- Concession despite contrast
- Meanwhile
- Same time
- For example
- Illustration
- In addition
- Adds similar idea
- First, next, finally
- Sequence
Paragraph Moves
- Opening sentence
- States controlling idea
- Closing sentence
- Resolves developed idea
- Delete sentence
- Off the controlling idea
- Insert sentence
- Fits pronouns and sequence
- New paragraph
- New subtopic or time
- Reorder
- Cause before effect
- General first
- Claim before examples
- Whole-draft item
- Reread the boxed text
Misplaced vs Dangling
Misplaced
- Target is present
- Sits beside wrong word
- Fix by moving it
Dangling
- Target is missing
- Opening phrase floats
- Fix by naming actor
Wrong spot vs no actor
Language Facility Skills
- Descriptor 1
- Phrases, clauses, modifier placement
- Descriptor 2
- Varied sentence structures
- Descriptor 3
- Idiomatic usage
- Descriptor 4
- Precise style and tone
- Descriptor 5
- Nuance among similar denotations
- Weight
- 43 percent of MC
- Largest area
- Most questions land here
Phrase vs Clause
Phrase
- No subject-verb pair
- Must attach to clause
- Cannot take a semicolon
Clause
- Has subject and verb
- May stand alone
- Can take a semicolon
Attach vs stand
Sentence Types
- Phrase
- No subject-verb pair
- Clause
- Has subject and verb
- Independent clause
- Stands alone
- Subordinate clause
- Needs a main clause
- Simple
- One independent clause
- Compound
- Two independent clauses
- Complex
- Independent plus subordinate
- Compound-complex
- Two independent, one subordinate
- FANBOYS
- Coordinating conjunctions
- Subordinators
- Because, although, when, since
Denotation vs Connotation
Denotation
- Dictionary meaning
- Shared by synonyms
- Neutral
Connotation
- Attitude and shade
- Separates stroll from trudge
- Matches writer tone
Meaning vs feeling
Modifiers and Parallels
- Parallel structure
- Same form in series
- Correlative pairs
- Not only, but also
- Parallel comparison
- Match both compared items
- Misplaced modifier
- Sits beside wrong word
- Dangling modifier
- Target missing entirely
- Modifier fix
- Move it, not commas
- Dangler fix
- Name the missing actor
- Sentence variety
- Mix structures purposefully
Word Choice
- Denotation
- Dictionary meaning
- Connotation
- Attitude a word carries
- Nuance
- Look, glance, stare, glare
- Idiom
- Cut corners, miss boat
- Fixed pairing
- Capable of, different from
- Redundancy
- Free gift, past history
- Wordiness
- At this point in time
- Register
- Match audience and purpose
- Precision
- Name the specific thing
- Passive voice
- Fine when actor unimportant
Confused Word Pairs
- Affect / effect
- Verb versus noun
- Accept / except
- Receive versus exclude
- Than / then
- Compare versus time
- Fewer / less
- Countable versus uncountable
- Among / between
- Group versus two
- Its / it's
- Possessive versus it is
- Their / there / they're
- Possessive, place, they are
- Whose / who's
- Possessive versus who is
- Lie / lay
- Recline versus place
- Farther / further
- Distance versus degree
FANBOYS
For And Nor But Or Yet So
Coordinating conjunctionsComma before joined clausesNo comma for compound verb
Semicolon vs Colon
Semicolon
- Joins two independent clauses
- Ideas of equal weight
- Replaces comma plus and
Colon
- Follows a complete clause
- Introduces list or explanation
- Never after a fragment
Join vs introduce
Punctuation Picker
- Two independent clauses→Semicolon or comma plus FANBOYS
- However joins clauses→Semicolon before however(Comma after)
- Introductory clause first→Comma after it
- Extra removable detail→Commas on both sides
- Detail identifies the noun→No commas
- Introducing a list→Colon after complete clause
- Plural noun ends in s→Apostrophe after the s
- Sentence means it is→Write it's
Writing Conventions Skills
- Descriptor 1
- Verb, modifier, pronoun forms
- Descriptor 2
- Agreement, no inappropriate shifts
- Descriptor 3
- Fragments and run-ons
- Descriptor 4
- Capitalization, punctuation, spelling
- Descriptor 5
- Use reference sources
- Weight
- 35 percent of MC
- Reference sources
- Dictionary, thesaurus, glossary
Four Splice Fixes
Period, semicolon, comma+FANBOYS, subordinate
Split into sentencesUse a semicolonComma plus conjunctionSubordinate one clause
Fragment vs Run-on
Fragment
- Too little sentence
- Missing subject or verb
- Attach or complete it
Run-on
- Too much sentence
- Clauses without punctuation
- Split or subordinate
Incomplete vs unseparated
Agreement Rules
- Interrupting phrase
- Ignore it, match subject
- Box of tools
- Takes a singular verb
- Each, either, neither
- Singular verbs
- Everyone, nobody
- Singular verbs
- Joined by and
- Plural verb
- Joined by or
- Match the nearer subject
- There is or are
- Subject follows the verb
- Pronoun-antecedent
- Match number and person
- Vague it or they
- Replace with the noun
- Inappropriate shift
- Tense or person changes
Restrictive vs Nonrestrictive
Restrictive
- Narrows the meaning
- Takes no commas
- Removing changes sense
Nonrestrictive
- Adds extra detail
- Takes paired commas
- Removing keeps sense
Identifies vs adds
Punctuation Rules
- Introductory element
- Comma after it
- Compound sentence
- Comma before FANBOYS
- Compound verb
- No comma before and
- Series
- Commas between three items
- Nonrestrictive element
- Pair of commas
- Restrictive element
- No commas
- Semicolon
- Joins two independent clauses
- Colon
- Follows a complete clause
- Singular possessive
- Add apostrophe s
- Plural possessive
- Apostrophe after final s
- Contraction
- Apostrophe replaces missing letters
- Other tested marks
- Dashes, quotation marks, ellipses
Sentence Errors
- Fragment
- Missing subject or verb
- Subordinator fragment
- Never joins main clause
- Run-on
- Clauses without punctuation
- Comma splice
- Comma alone joins clauses
- Fix one
- Split into two sentences
- Fix two
- Use a semicolon
- Fix three
- Comma plus coordinating conjunction
- Fix four
- Subordinate one clause
- However between clauses
- Needs semicolon or period
Capitalization and Forms
- Proper nouns
- Always capitalized
- Title before name
- Capitalized, as in Mayor Ruiz
- Generic job title
- Lowercase
- Field of study
- Lowercase unless a language
- Comparative
- Exactly two items
- Superlative
- Three or more items
- Double comparative
- More taller is wrong
- Subjective case
- I, he, she, they
- Objective case
- Me, him, her, them
- Between you and me
- Objective after preposition
Essay Categories
Development, Organization, Language, Conventions
Development of central positionOrganization of ideasLanguage facilityWriting conventions
Essay Score Picker
- Copies all passage ideas→Score 1
- Leans on texts uninterpreted→Score 2
- Position evident but vague→Score 3
- Clear position, simple transitions→Score 4
- Well organized, integrated evidence→Score 5
- Effective, well-reasoned support→Score 6
Essay Task
- Stimulus
- Two passages, differing views
- Your job
- Explain your own position
- Support
- Experience plus passage evidence
- Requirement
- Acknowledge opposing ideas
- Last step
- Check spelling, punctuation, grammar
- Task type
- Evidence-based argument
- Point value
- Up to 6 points
Essay Score Categories
- Category A
- Development of central position
- Category B
- Organization of ideas
- Category C
- Language facility
- Category D
- Writing conventions
- A descriptors
- Focus, explanation, argument command
- B descriptors
- Introduction, sequencing, paragraphing, transitions
- C descriptors
- Word choice, structure, voice
- D descriptors
- Grammar, usage, mechanics
Essay Score Points
- Score 1
- Inadequate competence
- Score 2
- Limited competence
- Score 3
- Some competence
- Score 4
- Competent
- Score 5
- Clearly competent
- Score 6
- Highly competent
- Minimum to pass
- Score 2
- Readiness level
- Score 4
Content Weights
Facility 43, Conventions 35, Organization 22
Language Facility 43%Writing Conventions 35%Organization of Ideas 22%
Multiple Choice vs Essay
Multiple choice
- 60 questions
- Edit and revise drafts
- Scaled, then combined
Essay
- 1 question
- Generate and organize ideas
- Rated on 6-point scale
Edit vs compose
Question Type Picker
- Four alternatives listed→Pick clearest correct version(Revision item)
- Original already best→Choose No change
- Three underlined words→Spelling item(Find the misspelling)
- All three spelled right→Choose None
- Question in right column→Organization or spelling
- Item covers whole draft→Reread the boxed text
- Answer still unclear→Guess anyway(No penalty)
Test Format
- Questions
- 61 total
- Multiple choice
- 60 editing items
- Essay
- 1 extended response
- Time
- 120 minutes total
- Section time split
- Not publishedPSI
- Draft forms
- Letters, essays, newspaper articles
- More draft forms
- Personal accounts, reports
- Layout
- Boxed draft, then spread-out
- Marked parts
- Underlined and numbered
- No change
- Original wording already best
- None
- All three spelled correctly
- Unscored items
- Some questions never count
Three Pass Conditions
8 each, essay 2, total 45
8 on every subtestEssay at least 2Battery total 45
Subtest vs Battery
Subtest
- Scored 1 to 20
- Pass at 8
- Writing also needs essay 2
Battery
- Five subtests combined
- Scored out of 100
- Pass at 45
One test vs total
Scoring Rules
- Reporting scale
- 1-20 per subtest
- Writing total
- Multiple choice plus essay
- Subtest pass
- At least 8
- Essay minimum
- At least 2of 6
- Battery pass
- 45 of 100
- Same-date rule
- Both from one attempt
- Wrong answers
- No scoring penalty
- Readiness benchmark
- 15 plus essay 4
- State cut scores
- May be higher
- Computer-based release
- Six business days
- Instant score
- Not shown for Writing
Passing vs Readiness
Passing
- 8 on each subtest
- Essay at least 2
- 45 combined total
Readiness
- 15 on a subtest
- Essay at least 4
- Reported, not required
Credential vs indicator
DOK Levels
- Level 1
- Recall correct spelling
- Level 2
- Apply grammar and punctuation
- Level 3
- Revise clarity, coherence, tone
- Level 4
- Synthesize complex revisions
Process Categories
- Category A
- Generation, development, organization
- Category B
- Analysis and application
- Category C
- Evaluation and revision
- A descriptors
- Generate, select, organize, support
- B descriptors
- Tone, style, audience
- C descriptors
- Evaluate, revise, edit
- Process weights
- Not published
Common Traps
Subtest vs battery
8 passes one subtest ≠ 45 passes the battery
Total vs essay
Total needs 8 ≠ Essay needs 2
Passing vs readiness
8 of 20 passes ≠ 15 of 20 shows readiness
Comma vs semicolon
Comma alone splices clauses ≠ Semicolon joins them correctly
Misplaced vs dangling
Misplaced target present ≠ Dangling target missing
Passive vs incorrect
Passive is not error ≠ Unclear wording is
Shorter vs complete
Cut only redundancy ≠ Never drop meaning
Interesting vs relevant
True detail can stray ≠ Relevant detail develops idea
Colon vs fragment
Colon follows complete clause ≠ Colon after fragment fails
PSI vs ETS
PSI publishes HiSET ≠ ETS no longer administers
Last Minute
- 1.Writing = 60 MC + 1 essay
- 2.120 minutes covers both sections
- 3.Language Facility is 43 percent
- 4.Writing Conventions is 35 percent
- 5.Organization of Ideas is 22 percent
- 6.Subtest pass = 8 of 20
- 7.Essay must reach 2 of 6
- 8.Battery total must reach 45
- 9.Readiness mark: 15 plus essay 4
- 10.No penalty for wrong answers
- 11.No change can be correct
- 12.None fits all-correct spelling items
- 13.Read boxed draft before answering
- 14.Semicolon joins two independent clauses
- 15.Its is possessive; it's is contraction
- 16.PSI administers HiSET, not ETS
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