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37 Taking Exit and Entrance Exams

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495
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Write for College

Taking Exit and Entrance Exams Chapter Opener

Start-Up Activity

The day before you present this material, write on the board, "Writing opens doors."

The next day, when you present this chapter, stop students at the door and say, "Whisper the password." When they ask what the password is, say it was written on the board the day before. Let in students who correctly whisper the password to you, and let the others gather outside until another student (or you) tip them off.

After everyone is inside, tell your class that you chose the password "Writing opens doors" because it sums up exit and entrance exams. To get out of one place (high school) and get into another (college or career), students need to write successfully. Writing is the password that can open doors to them. Not knowing that password can, unfortunately, close them.

Let students know that this chapter will equip them with the skills they need to get where they want to go.

Think About It

“There are things known and things unknown and in between are the doors.”

—Jim Morrison

State Standards Covered in This Chapter

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.11-12.1

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.11-12.2

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.11-12.3

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.1.A

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.1.B

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.1.E

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.2.A

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.2.B

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.2.F

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.1

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.2

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.4

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.5

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.10

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.2.C

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.2.D

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.2.E

LAFS Covered in This Chapter

LAFS.1112.L.1.1

LAFS.1112.L.1.2

LAFS.1112.L.2.3

LAFS.1112.W.1.1

LAFS.1112.W.1.2

LAFS.1112.W.2.4

LAFS.1112.W.2.5

LAFS.1112.W.4.10

TEKS Covered in This Chapter

110.38.c.1.C

110.38.c.9.D

110.39.c.1.C

110.39.c.39.D

110.39.c.9.D

110.38.c.1.A

110.39.c.1.A

110.38.c.8.D

110.38.c.8.F

110.39.c.8.D

110.39.c.8.F

110.38.c.10.C

110.39.c.10.C

110.38.c.5.J

110.39.c.5.J

110.38.c.9.B

110.39.c.9.B

110.38.c.9.A

110.38.c.10.B

110.39.c.9.A

110.39.c.10.B

110.38.c.5.C

110.38.c.9.B.i

110.39.c.9.B.i

110.38.c.9

110.39.c.9

110.38.c.9.C

110.39.c.9.C

110.38.c.10

110.39.c.10

110.38.c.2

110.38.c.5.F

110.38.c.9.B.ii

110.39.c.2

110.39.c.5.F

110.39.c.9.B.ii

TEKS Covered in This Chapter

Page 496 from Write for College

Multiple-Choice Questions

Students have been answering multiple-choice questions from their earliest years in elementary school. However, the variety that appears on exit and entrance exams can be a bit different, presenting faulty sentences and asking students to select the best correction from a set of options.

To help students practice these sorts of multiple-choice questions, provide them Conventions Multiple Choice. After students complete the activity, review the answers on this page and the one that follows. Discuss with students why a certain answer is correct and what kind of clues can help students find that answer.

Downloads:
State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.1112.L.1.1
TEKS Standard:
110.38.c.1.C, 110.38.c.9.D, 110.39.c.1.C, 110.39.c.39.D
NE ELA Standard:
LA 12.2.1.d, LA 12.2.1.h

Related Resource Tags

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Level:
Grade 11Grade 12
Mode:
Writing for Assessment
English Language Arts:
Correct Conventions

Page 497 from Write for College

Multiple-Choice Questions (Cont.)

If you have already had students complete the Conventions Multiple Choice activity, use the "Tips for Answering Multiple-Choice Questions" as a survey. Present each tip and ask whether students used that strategy when they answered the questions. Lead a discussion as to why each tip can help students succeed.

State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.1112.L.1.1
TEKS Standard:
110.38.c.1.C, 110.38.c.9.D, 110.39.c.1.C, 110.39.c.39.D
NE ELA Standard:
LA 12.2.1.d, LA 12.2.1.h

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 11Grade 12
Mode:
Writing for Assessment
English Language Arts:
Correct Conventions

Page 498 from Write for College

Testing Sentence-Revision Skills

Other multiple-choice questions may test students' revising ability. Sometimes they will find and fix an outright error (such as a sentence fragment), but at other times, students need to strengthen a weakness or shift material from "okay" to "better."

Provide Sentence-Revision Multiple Choice to let students practice their skills. After they finish the activity, review each question on this page and the one that follows, discussing how each correct answer improves the original construction.

Downloads:
State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.1112.L.1.1
TEKS Standard:
110.38.c.1.C, 110.38.c.9.D, 110.39.c.1.C, 110.39.c.39.D
NE ELA Standard:
LA 12.2.1.d, LA 12.2.1.h

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 11Grade 12
Mode:
Writing for Assessment
English Language Arts:
Fluid Sentences

Page 499 from Write for College

Testing Sentence-Revision Skills (Cont.)

Have students complete the Sentence-Revision Multiple Choice activity and discuss the answers using this page and the previous one.

State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.1112.L.1.1
TEKS Standard:
110.38.c.1.C, 110.38.c.9.D, 110.39.c.1.C, 110.39.c.39.D
NE ELA Standard:
LA 12.2.1.d, LA 12.2.1.h

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 11Grade 12
Mode:
Writing for Assessment
English Language Arts:
Fluid Sentences

Page 500 from Write for College

Testing Paragraph-Revision Skills

Some exit and entrance exams test students' ability to make larger-scale revisions. Have students read this page in their books, but provide them the Paragraph-Revision Multiple Choice activity to complete before reviewing the next page. After students finish their work, discuss the model and correct answers.

State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.1112.W.1.1
TEKS Standard:
110.38.c.10.C, 110.39.c.10.C, 110.38.c.5.J, 110.39.c.5.J
NE ELA Standard:
LA 12.2.1.b, LA 12.2.2.a

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 11Grade 12
Mode:
Writing for Assessment
English Language Arts:
Strong IdeasLogical Organization

Page 501 from Write for College

Testing Paragraph-Revision Skills (Cont.)

Provide this page to students as the Paragraph-Revision Multiple Choice activity. Have them complete the activity and then review the correct answers shown on this page. Discuss why each answer is correct.

Downloads:
State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.1112.W.1.1
TEKS Standard:
110.38.c.10.C, 110.39.c.10.C, 110.38.c.5.J, 110.39.c.5.J
NE ELA Standard:
LA 12.2.1.b, LA 12.2.2.a

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 11Grade 12
Mode:
Writing for Assessment
English Language Arts:
Logical Organization

Page 502 from Write for College

Testing Editing Skills

Students also may need to spot errors in sentences. Provide them the Editing Multiple Choice activity for practice with these sorts of questions. After students complete the activity, review this page with them, discussing why each answer is correct.

Downloads:
State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.1112.L.1.1
TEKS Standard:
110.38.c.1.C, 110.38.c.9.D, 110.39.c.1.C, 110.39.c.39.D
NE ELA Standard:
LA 12.2.1.d, LA 12.2.1.h

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 11Grade 12
Mode:
Writing for Assessment
English Language Arts:
Correct Conventions

Page 502 from Write for College

Responding to Writing Prompts

High-stakes tests such as the ACT and SAT include on-demand writing. Effective responses begin by analyzing the writing prompt using the PAST strategy: Purpose, Audience, Subject, and Type. For a sample prompt and analysis, see page 503.

Use the first of the Tips to help students understand the Types (forms) of writing that most often appear in prompts.

Also, review the abbreviated writing process that students will follow when responding to a prompt.

Related Minilesson:
State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.1112.W.1.1
TEKS Standard:
110.38.c.9, 110.38.c.10.C, 110.39.c.9, 110.39.c.10.C
NE ELA Standard:
LA 12.2.1.b, LA 12.2.2, LA 12.2.2.a

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 11Grade 12
Mode:
Writing for Assessment
Form:
Response to Prompt
English Language Arts:
Writing

Page 504 from Write for College

Reviewing a Prompt and Response

Use this page and the one that follows to model the process of analyzing a prompt, creating a quick list, and writing an essay response. If you wish, you can have students actually write responses to this prompt before you review the sample student response.

Have students read the sample prompt and analyze it using PAST. Then ask them to check their answers against the ones that the student found.

Afterward, have students write a position statement and create a quick list of supporting details. Have them compare their lists against the one shown on this page.

If you are having students write their own responses, give them a specific time limit in which to work (perhaps 45 minutes).

If students are not writing their own responses or have finished writing them, have them read the essay on this page and the next. Afterward, use the side notes to lead a discussion of its features.

State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.1112.W.1.2
TEKS Standard:
110.38.c.9, 110.38.c.10.B, 110.39.c.9, 110.39.c.10.B
NE ELA Standard:
LA 12.2.1.b, LA 12.2.2, LA 12.2.2.a

Related Resource Tags

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Level:
Grade 11Grade 12
Mode:
Writing for AssessmentExplanatory Writing
Form:
Explanatory EssayResponse to Prompt
English Language Arts:
Writing

Page 505 from Write for College

Reviewing a Prompt and Response (Cont.)

Finish your discussion of the sample response.

Then ask students to use the PAST questions to analyze the sample prompt at the bottom of the page. They should come up with responses similar to these:

  • Purpose: State and support an opinion
  • Audience: Senator
  • Subject: Mandatory community or military service for all citizens prior to college or career
  • Type: Persuasive/argument letter

If you wish, you can have students write responses to this prompt within a given time frame (perhaps 45 minutes).

State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.1112.W.1.2
TEKS Standard:
110.38.c.9, 110.38.c.10.B, 110.39.c.9, 110.39.c.10.B
NE ELA Standard:
LA 12.2.1.b, LA 12.2.2, LA 12.2.2.a

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 11Grade 12
Mode:
Writing for Assessment
Form:
Explanatory Essay
English Language Arts:
ReadingWriting

Page 506 from Write for College

Reviewing a Prompt and Response

Use the top of this page to provide a second option for forming a response. The five bullets start with the prompt and end with a fully developed essay.

On the lower part of this page, you'll find a prompt followed by poetic selections. If you wish, you can have your students practice this sort of response by writing their own essays within a designated time frame. Otherwise, you can use this material and the sample that follows as models of this sort of response.

Either way, have your students analyze the prompt using the PAST questions and then closely read the poems at the bottom of this page and the top of the next. (They will find another student's analysis, thesis, and quick list on the next page.)

State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.1112.W.1.2
TEKS Standard:
110.38.c.9, 110.38.c.10.B, 110.39.c.9, 110.39.c.10.B
NE ELA Standard:
LA 12.2.1.b, LA 12.2.2, LA 12.2.2.a

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 11Grade 12
Mode:
Writing for Assessment
Form:
Explanatory Essay
English Language Arts:
Writing

Page 507 from Write for College

Reviewing a Prompt and Response (Cont.)

Have students closely read the poem "Languages" as well as "When I Have Fears I Will Cease to Be" on the previous page.

If students are writing their own responses to these poems, have them use their PAST analysis to write a thesis statement and quick list. Then they should compose their responses before checking the sample analysis, quick list, and response.

If students are not writing their own responses (or have finished their responses), have them review the sample PAST analysis, quick list, and response (on the next page).

State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.1112.W.1.2
TEKS Standard:
110.38.c.9, 110.38.c.10.B, 110.39.c.9, 110.39.c.10.B
NE ELA Standard:
LA 12.2.1.b, LA 12.2.2, LA 12.2.2.a

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 11Grade 12
Mode:
Writing for Assessment
Form:
Response to Prompt
English Language Arts:
ReadingPrewriting

Page 508 from Write for College

Sample Response

Have students read this sample student response to the poetry prompt. Then lead a discussion of the response, using the side notes to point out key features. Emphasize how the writer incorporates quotations from the poem, including ellipses where material is omitted and slashes to designate line breaks. Also, point out that these quoted pieces of evidence (and paraphrases from the poems) do not overwhelm the discussion, but instead provide strong support for it.

 

State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.1112.W.1.2
TEKS Standard:
110.38.c.9, 110.38.c.10.B, 110.39.c.9, 110.39.c.10.B
NE ELA Standard:
LA 12.2.1.b, LA 12.2.2, LA 12.2.2.a

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 11Grade 12
Mode:
Writing for Assessment
Form:
Response to Prompt
English Language Arts:
ReadingWriting