SSAT Writing Practice Worksheet - 86

Instructions

• You have 25 minutes to plan and write an essay responding to one of the two prompts provided.
• Choose the prompt that allows you to write your strongest, most detailed response.
• Schools use your writing sample to evaluate your organization, clarity, vocabulary, sentence variety, and ability to develop ideas.
• Write legibly in blue or black ink and stay within the lined space provided on the actual exam.
• Your essay should include a clear beginning, well-developed middle paragraphs, and a strong conclusion.

Prompts

Prompt A

The old photograph slipped out of the book and landed at my feet. I picked it up and gasped-the person in the picture was wearing the exact same unusual necklace that I had found in my attic last week. I turned the photo over and read the faded inscription on the back...

Prompt B

Some people believe that failure teaches us more valuable lessons than success does. Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Support your position with specific examples from your own experience, observations, or reading.

Model Answers

Model Answer - Prompt A

The old photograph slipped out of the book and landed at my feet. I picked it up and gasped-the person in the picture was wearing the exact same unusual necklace that I had found in my attic last week. I turned the photo over and read the faded inscription on the back: "To Margaret, who will understand when the time comes. 1952." My grandmother's name was Margaret, but she had passed away before I was born. I examined the necklace more closely-a silver compass rose with tiny blue stones marking each direction. When I had discovered it tucked inside a dusty hatbox, I had thought it was simply a forgotten piece of costume jewelry. Now, studying the photograph, I noticed something peculiar. The woman wearing the necklace stood in front of what appeared to be an old lighthouse, the same lighthouse that still stood at the edge of our town's harbor. I raced downstairs to find my mother in the kitchen. "Mom, did Grandma Margaret ever work at the lighthouse?" I asked breathlessly. She looked up from her coffee, surprised by the question. After a moment's thought, she nodded slowly. "Actually, yes. During World War II, she served as one of the lighthouse keepers when the men went overseas. She rarely talked about it, though." That afternoon, I visited the lighthouse museum with the photograph and necklace. The elderly curator's eyes widened when she saw them. She led me to a locked display case and pointed to a faded newspaper clipping. The headline read: "Local Woman Saves Convoy During Storm." There, in grainy black and white, was my grandmother receiving a commendation for guiding twelve ships safely to harbor during a blackout in 1943. The article mentioned that she had used only a compass and her knowledge of the coastal waters. Suddenly, the inscription made perfect sense. My grandmother had left the necklace for someone in the family who would appreciate the courage it represented-courage that wasn't about grand gestures, but about quiet determination and doing what needed to be done. I understood now, and I would make sure her story was never forgotten.

Model Answer - Prompt B

While success certainly feels more rewarding in the moment, I strongly agree that failure teaches us more valuable lessons than success does. Failure forces us to examine our mistakes, develop resilience, and discover strengths we never knew we possessed. When we succeed at something, we often move forward without deeply analyzing what made us successful. We might attribute our achievement to talent or good fortune without recognizing the specific strategies that worked. In contrast, failure demands our attention. Last year, I failed to make the varsity debate team despite believing I was well-prepared. Initially, I felt devastated, but this failure forced me to honestly evaluate my performance. I realized that while I had strong arguments, I hadn't practiced responding to counterarguments or managing my time during rebuttals. This painful analysis taught me more about effective debating than any tournament victory ever had. Furthermore, failure builds resilience in ways that success cannot. Thomas Edison reportedly said he had not failed to create the lightbulb but had instead discovered thousands of ways that did not work. His persistence through repeated failures ultimately led to one of history's most important inventions. Similarly, when I struggled with algebra in eighth grade, failing my first two tests taught me that I needed to change my approach entirely. I started attending extra help sessions and forming study groups. These habits, born from failure, have served me well in every challenging course since then. Finally, failure reveals character strengths that remain dormant during easy successes. Facing setbacks teaches us whether we possess determination, humility, and the ability to learn from criticism. My soccer team's losing season taught me more about teamwork, perseverance, and leadership than our championship year ever did. When everything goes smoothly, we coast; when we fail, we grow. Success is pleasant, but failure is instructive. The lessons we learn from our mistakes stay with us longer and shape us more profoundly than the fleeting satisfaction of easy victories. As uncomfortable as it may be, failure is often our greatest teacher.

Tips

1. Read both prompts carefully before choosing. Spend the first two minutes reading both options and considering which one immediately gives you specific ideas and examples to write about.
2. Plan before you write. Take three to four minutes to outline your main points, examples, and the order in which you will present them-this investment saves time and prevents disorganized essays.
3. Start with a strong hook. For narrative prompts, continue the story immediately with action or dialogue; for opinion prompts, state your position clearly in the first sentence rather than offering vague generalizations.
4. Use specific details and examples. Instead of writing "I learned a lot from my experience," describe exactly what happened and what you learned-specific names, dates, sensory details, and concrete examples make your writing memorable.
5. Vary your sentence structure. Combine short, punchy sentences with longer, more complex ones to create rhythm and demonstrate sophisticated writing skills-avoid starting every sentence the same way.
6. Leave time to conclude effectively. Reserve the last three minutes to write a conclusion that reflects on the narrative's meaning or reinforces your thesis-never let your essay simply stop without proper closure.
7. Avoid common mechanical errors. Watch for run-on sentences, sentence fragments, and pronoun agreement errors, which distract readers from your ideas and suggest careless writing.
8. Keep your handwriting legible. Readers cannot score what they cannot read-write clearly, skip lines if necessary, and make neat corrections by drawing a single line through errors rather than scribbling them out.