CliffsNotes CBEST - BTPS TESTING Ph.D., Jerry Bobrow Ph.D. & 8 more 2021

Practice essay topics
The writing section

Use the techniques discussed on the previous pages to practice writing CBEST-type essays.

Following are topics to use for practice. Allow about 30 minutes to plan and write each essay. Prepare to prewrite and write an essay under the same conditions you will experience during the actual test. Write an essay every time you take a practice test. Then, on completion of each essay, evaluate—or have a friend evaluate—your writing using the CBEST Essay Scoring Criteria Checklist at the end on p. 58. Remember, you can write one Descriptive/Narrative Essay using a fictional character or situation. Assume that you are writing to an audience of educated readers.

Topic 1

Descriptive essay: Our lives have high points and low points. Identify one particular high point or low point in your life and describe why it had such an impact on you. Explain what you have gained from the experience.

Topic 2

Descriptive essay: Describe a particular time in your life when you had difficulty making an important decision. Identify the situation and explain whether you were able to resolve the problem. If it was resolved, how? If not, why not—what happened?

Topic 3

Descriptive essay: You have met many people throughout your life. Identify one particular person you would call the most unforgettable and describe why he or she is so unforgettable.

Topic 4

Descriptive essay: Many recent high school graduates discover that, despite possessing high school diplomas, they have no specific skills to enable them to obtain employment. Describe your personal employment experience after graduating from high school and explain how you handled it.

Topic 5

Analytical essay: Every year, more and more computers are used for distance-learning instruction. Is this good or bad? Discuss whether you agree or disagree with the growing use of computer-assisted instruction. Support your position with specific examples and details.

Topic 6

Analytical essay: Some have argued that occupations that focus on creative expression (artists, poets, musicians) are not as important as occupations that emphasize analytical expression (lawyers, doctors, engineers). To what extent do you agree or disagree with this argument? Support your position with specific examples and details.

Topic 7

Analytical essay: Some educational experiments have included ungraded classrooms, which consist of students grouped by level of achievement rather than by age. Imagine that such an ungraded classroom system is suggested for your school. As a parent, write a strong argument (either pro or con) to be read at the next meeting of the Board of Education. Support your argument with specific examples and details.

Topic 8

Analytical essay: There should be restrictions on how many years a teacher should teach the same subject or grade level. State whether you agree or disagree with this statement. Support your position with logical arguments and specific examples.