Writing test fails to reflect abilities

It has been two years since the College Board added a writing section to the SAT Reasoning Test, requiring college-bound students to demonstrate their writing skills to colleges. Prior to the addition, most colleges did not require a writing exam. However, today, whether they want them or not, colleges are getting writing scores from students who take the SAT-R.

In the past, the College Board had an optional subject test, called the SAT II Writing Exam, that was either required or recommended by many selective colleges. However, in 2005, partly because of pressure from the University of California, the College Board added a writing section, nearly identical to the optional writing subject test, to the SAT-R. The College Board has allotted students 25 minutes to write an essay. The addition of the writing section forced every student — even those who were not applying to the colleges requiring it — to take it.

In theory, there's nothing wrong with requiring that all college-bound students take a writing exam. However, this writing exam has been, and continues to be, a poor representation of a student's writing ability. Paul Marthers, dean of admission at Reed College in Portland, Ore., says Reed does not look closely at the writing score, instead choosing to look at the graded writing sample required of all applicants.

"The writing sample, to us, is more important," Marthers said. "Students at Reed have few standardized exams. A paper that you wrote for a class — and rewrote — is a better indicator of writing ability than something dashed off in 25 minutes." Although they are offered as a service by the College Board, the actual SAT essays written by its applicants are not evaluated by Reed.

However, Marthers said the SAT writing score does have some small value in the admissions decision. "A really low score, for example, has predictive value. With a low score, we need good evidence that it makes good sense to admit a student." Evidence, Marthers said, can come as strong grades, or socioeconomic or cultural factors that might explain a low score.

The College Board believes there is a proven relationship between SAT writing scores, GPA and English grades among college students, and this year it released a study — conducted by College Board researchers — supporting that theory. The study also implies that the SAT writing test might be driving writing instruction; the knowledge of an upcoming writing exam for all college-bound students dictates that schools emphasize writing in their curriculum.