This section presents a sample essay question and some sample responses to the question, along with the standards used to score the responses. When you read these sample responses, keep in mind that they will be less polished than if they had been developed at home, edited, and carefully presented. Examinees do not know what questions will be asked and must decide, on the spot, how to respond. Readers take these circumstances into account when scoring the responses.
Readers will assign scores based on the following scoring guide.
Scoring Guide
| Score |
Description |
| 6 |
- Answers all parts of the exercise clearly and successfully
- Demonstrates a superior understanding of the subject matter, human growth and development, and pedagogy required by the exercise
- Provides coherent, well-organized, and fully developed explanations of key ideas
- Gives clear, well-chosen examples or supporting details
|
| 5 |
- Answers all important parts of the exercise clearly and successfully
- Demonstrates a strong understanding of the subject matter, human growth and development, and pedagogy required by the exercise
- Provides coherent, organized, and developed explanations of key ideas
- Gives clear and relevant examples or supporting details
|
| 4 |
- Answers all important parts of the exercise adequately
- Demonstrates an accurate, if somewhat limited, understanding of the subject matter, human growth and development, and pedagogy
required by the exercise
- Provides clear, appropriate explanations of key ideas
- Gives relevant examples or supporting details
|
| 3 |
- Answers only some parts of the exercise adequately
- Demonstrates some understanding of the subject matter, human growth and development, and pedagogy required by the exercise,
with few serious inaccuracies
- Provides explanations of key ideas, but they lack clarity and depth
- Gives only some relevant examples or supporting details
|
| 2 |
- Answers no parts of the exercise adequately and only some in a limited way
- Demonstrates a limited understanding of the content required by the exercise
- May provide explanations, but they are unclear and/or undeveloped
- May give examples or details, but they contain inaccuracies
|
| 1 |
- Answers no part of the exercise adequately
- Demonstrates a serious lack of knowledge in the areas required by the exercise
- May have such serious problems in organization and development that the response is generally incoherent
- May give no accurate examples or supporting details
|
| 0 |
- Blank, off topic, or illegible
|
