7.2 Structuring & Scoring the Response

From Notes to a Scored Essay

The Extended Response is scored on three independent traits, each worth 0, 1, or 2 points, for a 6-point maximum. A brilliant analysis can still lose points for weak structure or sloppy grammar, so you must serve all three traits at once. This section shows how to build a response that scores and how those points flow into your RLA result.

The Four-to-Five Paragraph Structure

The GED does not mandate a paragraph count, but a four-to-five-paragraph frame maps directly onto the rubric and fits inside the clock. Each part has a specific job:

• Introduction (3–4 sentences). Name the issue, note that the two passages disagree, and close with a thesis that names the better-supported passage and previews your two reasons. Do not announce a personal opinion.
• Body Paragraph 1. Open with a topic sentence stating reason one. Cite one specific piece of evidence from the stronger passage, introduced by a signal phrase — "According to Passage A," "The author reports." Explain why the evidence is credible, then tie it back to your thesis.
• Body Paragraph 2. Repeat the pattern with a second reason and a second piece of evidence. Vary the signal phrase and push past summary — analyze, do not retell.
• Counterargument (3–4 sentences). Acknowledge the weaker passage's strongest point, then explain why it falls short. Citing the weaker passage proves you read both texts, which Trait 1 rewards.
• Conclusion (2–3 sentences). Restate which passage is better supported, in fresh wording. Add no new evidence.

This structure produces roughly 350–450 words, the length official GED materials describe as fully developed.

The Three Scoring Traits

Each trait is scored 0–2 by trained scorers (and by an automated scoring engine that GED Testing Service cross-checks). Know what a 2 looks like on each one.

Trait 1 carries the most weight in the final scaling, so analysis matters most — but a 0 on Trait 3 still drags the whole essay down. You have to write clearly and argue well.

How the Traits Become Your RLA Score

The three trait scores (a 6-point raw maximum, with Trait 1 weighted most heavily) are converted and folded into a single RLA scaled score on the 100–200 scale — the same score that already carries your multiple-choice and editing items. There is no separate passing line for the essay; the ER simply contributes about 20% of the total RLA score. That cuts both ways: a strong essay can lift a borderline reader across the 145 line, while a 0 or non-scorable essay can pull a strong reader below it. You cannot pass RLA on the multiple-choice alone if you leave the essay blank.

Why Responses Score 0

Two very different things produce a zero. The first is a non-scorable condition code, assigned when a response is:

• Blank — nothing was typed;
• Exclusively copied text from the passages or the prompt;
• Off-topic, or a refusal to respond to the assigned prompt;
• Incomprehensible; or
• Not written in English.

The second is a genuine Trait-0 response: it attempts no real argument, shows no connection to the prompt, or merely summarizes the passages with no analysis. The practical rule is simple — write your own analysis, stay on the prompt, write in English, and never leave the box blank. Even a rough, on-topic essay beats a condition code, because a condition code forfeits every point the ER can contribute.

A Model Outline

Using the plastic-bag-ban prompt from Section 7.1:

• Introduction: The passages debate whether municipal plastic-bag bans work. Passage A supports bans; Passage B opposes them. Thesis: Passage A is better supported because it cites a peer-reviewed waste study and a city budget report, while Passage B relies on an industry survey and an anecdote.
• Body 1 — peer-reviewed study: "According to Passage A," the waste-stream study found a measurable drop in bag litter. It is credible because it was independently reviewed and its method disclosed. Tie back to the thesis.
• Body 2 — budget report: The city budget report shows documented savings; a government cost record is credible for a cost claim, and Passage B offers no cost data of its own.
• Counterargument: Passage B is right that bans can inconvenience shops, but one owner's story cannot prove a claim about every business — an anecdote illustrates, it does not prove.
• Conclusion: Passage A combines independent data with government cost records; Passage B offers only a funded survey and a story. Passage A is better supported.

This outline earns a 2 on Trait 1 (specific evidence from both passages plus credibility analysis), a 2 on Trait 2 (five organized paragraphs with transitions), and a 2 on Trait 3 if the sentences stay varied and the grammar clean — a top score that converts directly into RLA points.