CAEL Writing: Short Response Synthesis 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: On the CAEL exam, how much time is typically recommended for planning a short response synthesis before writing?
- No planning time — write immediately to maximize length
- A brief 2–3 minutes to identify key points from both sources before writing (Correct answer)
- At least 15 minutes of detailed outlining
- Read both sources three times before writing anything
Correct answer: A brief 2–3 minutes to identify key points from both sources before writing
A short planning phase helps test-takers identify the most relevant points to synthesize, leading to a more focused and coherent response.
Question 2: A student writes a synthesis response that is mostly a copy of sentences from the sources. How will this likely affect their CAEL score?
- It will score highly because it shows accurate reading comprehension
- It will score poorly because it demonstrates copying rather than synthesis (Correct answer)
- It will receive a neutral score since the information is accurate
- It depends on how well the sentences are connected with transitions
Correct answer: It will score poorly because it demonstrates copying rather than synthesis
CAEL assessors penalize responses that copy source language rather than synthesize ideas in the student's own words.
Question 3: Which cohesive device is most effective for showing that a second source adds new evidence to a point already made?
- However
- Furthermore (Correct answer)
- Although
- In contrast
Correct answer: Furthermore
'Furthermore' signals additive information, indicating that the second source builds on or reinforces the established point.
Question 4: When paraphrasing information from a source in a CAEL response, which approach is most appropriate?
- Change only a few words from the original sentence
- Restate the idea in your own words and sentence structure while preserving the meaning (Correct answer)
- Use synonyms for every word but keep the original sentence structure
- Copy the sentence and add 'in other words' before it
Correct answer: Restate the idea in your own words and sentence structure while preserving the meaning
True paraphrase changes both word choice and sentence structure while accurately conveying the original meaning.
Question 5: A student's synthesis response includes: 'The reading says X, the lecture says Y, and I think Z.' What is the key problem with this structure?
- The response includes a personal opinion, which may be off-topic in a synthesis task (Correct answer)
- The sources are cited in the wrong order
- The response is too short
- The student should not use 'I' in any academic writing
Correct answer: The response includes a personal opinion, which may be off-topic in a synthesis task
In a CAEL synthesis task, adding personal opinions shifts focus away from integrating the sources, which is the primary evaluation criterion.
Question 6: Which of the following best describes the difference between a summary and a synthesis in a CAEL short response?
- A summary is shorter than a synthesis
- A synthesis connects ideas across sources and shows relationships; a summary reports each source separately (Correct answer)
- A summary uses more quotations than a synthesis
- A synthesis requires more formal vocabulary than a summary
Correct answer: A synthesis connects ideas across sources and shows relationships; a summary reports each source separately
The essential distinction is that synthesis establishes relationships between source ideas, while summary simply reports what each source says.
Question 7: If both sources present the same solution to a problem but for different reasons, how should this be expressed in a synthesis?
- State that the sources disagree because they give different reasons
- Note that both sources advocate the same solution, then explain that each source supports it on different grounds (Correct answer)
- Only mention the reason given in the reading source
- Treat the different reasons as contradictions requiring resolution
Correct answer: Note that both sources advocate the same solution, then explain that each source supports it on different grounds
Agreement on a conclusion but with different supporting reasons is a nuanced synthesis point that should be explicitly articulated.
CAEL Writing: Short Response Synthesis 4
On the CAEL exam, how much time is typically recommended for planning a short response synthesis before writing?