Understanding the GED® Extended Response Scoring
Your extended response will be scored on a 0–12 point scale, based on three key rubrics. Each rubric is worth up to 2 points, and your score in each category will be double-weighted, which is how the total possible score reaches 12.
1. Analysis of Arguments and Use of Evidence (up to 4 points)
This measures how well you:
- Understand and compare the arguments in the provided texts.
- Support your own argument with relevant, accurate evidence from the texts.
- Point out flaws or strengths in the reasoning of either passage.
2. Development of Ideas and Structure (up to 4 points)
This measures how well you:
- Develop your ideas clearly and logically.
- Organize your writing with a clear beginning, middle, and end.
- Connect your points with appropriate transitions and maintain focus throughout.
3. Clarity and Command of Standard English (up to 4 points)
This measures how well you:
- Write clearly and effectively.
- Use proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation (it doesn’t have to be perfect).
- Follow the conventions of formal writing and maintain a professional tone.
| Score | Description |
| Trait 1: Creating of Argument and Use of Evidence | |
| 2 | Creates an argument based on the source text(s), with a purpose that relates to the prompt |
| Supports the argument with evidence from the source text(s) | |
| Analyzes issues and/or evaluates arguments in the source texts (e.g., identifies claims that are not supported, makes reasonable inferences about underlying assumptions, identifies unsound reasoning, evaluates source credibility, etc.) | |
| 1 | Creates an argument that has some relation to the prompt |
| Supports the argument with some evidence from the source text(s) | |
| Makes some attempt to analyze issues and/or evaluate arguments in the source texts | |
| 0 | May try to create an argument OR response lacks any relation to the prompt |
| Presents little or no evidence from the source text(s) | |
| Makes very little attempt to analyze issues and/or evaluate arguments in the source text(s); may show little or no understanding of given argument(s) | |
| Trait 2: Development of Ideas and Organizational Structure | |
| 2 | Presents well-developed, generally logical ideas; elaborates on most ideas |
| Organizes ideas in a sensible sequence; clearly links main points and details | |
| Structures the response to clearly convey the message and purpose; makes use of transition words | |
| Uses a formal style and appropriate tone, showing awareness of the audience | |
| Choo’ses words that express ideas clearly | |
| 1 | Presents ideas in a way that indicates vague or simplistic reasoning; elaborates on only some ideas |
| Sequence of ideas has some logic, but connections between main ideas and details may be poor or missing | |
| Organization of ideas may be inconsistent or not fully effective at conveying the argument; few transition words are used | |
| Style and tone may be inconsistent or not always appropriate for the audience or purpose of the response | |
| May sometimes misuse words and/or choose words that do not make the meaning clear | |
| 0 | Develops ideas without consistency or logic; offers little or no elaboration on main ideas |
| Organization of ideas is unclear or shows no logic; details may be missing or unrelated to the main idea | |
| Creates an organizational structure that is ineffective or cannot be followed; does not use transition words or uses them inappropriately | |
| Uses an inappropriate style and/or tone and shows little or no awareness of the audience. | |
| May frequently misuse words, overuse slang, repeat ideas, or express ideas unclearly | |
| Trait 3: Clarity and Command of Standard English Conventions | |
| 2 | Uses largely correct sentence structure in regard to the following: Sentence structure varies within a paragraph or paragraphsSubordination, coordination, and parallelism are used correctlyWordiness and awkwardness are avoided Transitional words are used as appropriateThere are no run-on sentences, fused sentences, and sentence fragments |
| Applies Standard English conventions competently in regard to the following: Frequently confused words and homonyms, including contractionsSubject-verb agreementPronoun usage, including pronoun-antecedent agreement, unclear pronoun references, and pronoun casePlacement of modifiers and correct word orderCapitalizationUse of apostrophes with possessive nounsPunctuation | |
| May make some errors in usage and mechanics, but these do not interfere with meaning overall | |
| 1 | Uses inconsistent sentence structure; may include some repetitive or awkward sentences that interfere with clarity; control over sentence structure and fluency is inconsistent |
| Control of Standard English grammar and punctuation is inconsistent | |
| May make frequent errors in usage and mechanics that occasionally interfere with meaning | |
| 0 | Sentence structure is consistently flawed and may obscure meaning: control over sentence structure and fluency is minimal |
| Control of Standard English grammar and punctuation is minimal | |
| Makes severe and frequent errors in usage and mechanics that interfere with meaning OR response is insufficient to demonstrate level of mastery over usage and mechanics | |
Non-Scorable Responses (Score = 0)
Your extended response will not receive any points if it falls into any of the categories below:
- Copied Text: Your answer only includes material copied directly from the source passages or prompt, with no original thinking or analysis.
- Off Topic: Your response does not address the prompt or shows no understanding of what the task is asking.
- Incomprehensible: Your writing is impossible to understand, either due to incoherence, poor structure, or lack of meaningful content.
- Wrong Language: The response is not written in English.
- Blank Response: You leave the response box empty or submit without writing anything.
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