What is the FCAT Writing + Assessment exam?
In 2006, the Florida Department of Education changed the writing portion of the FCAT exam to include multiple choice questions in addition to an essay question, resulting in the Writing + Assessment exam.HistoryThe Florida DOE removed the multiple choice questions on the writing portion of the FCAT exam in 2008 because of budget issues.ConsiderationsDuring the 2012-2013 school year, the FCAT writing exam will include multiple choice questions again, according to the Florida DOE.Test Question ComponentsSample test questions from the last FCAT Writing + test in 2008 measured a student’s knowledge of sentence components, homonyms, spelling, grammar and reading comprehension.AvailabilityStudents in 4th, 8th and 10th grades must take the writing portion of the FCAT exam, according to the Florida DOE.Essay ScoringThe scoring system on the essay portion of the FCAT ranges from one to six points.