GMAS Writing Tasks and Genres 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What are the three main writing genres assessed on the GMAS?
- Narrative, Descriptive, Persuasive
- Argumentative, Informational/Explanatory, Narrative (Correct answer)
- Expository, Creative, Technical
- Analytical, Comparative, Descriptive
Correct answer: Argumentative, Informational/Explanatory, Narrative
GMAS assesses argumentative, informational/explanatory, and narrative writing genres aligned to Georgia Standards of Excellence.
Question 2: In GMAS writing assessments, what does an argumentative writing task typically require students to do?
- Tell a story based on personal experience
- Describe a process or explain how something works
- Take a position and support it with evidence and reasoning (Correct answer)
- Write a poem using figurative language
Correct answer: Take a position and support it with evidence and reasoning
Argumentative writing requires students to claim a position and support it with evidence, reasoning, and counter-arguments.
Question 3: Which GMAS grade levels typically include a narrative writing task?
- Only grades 9-12 (EOC)
- Only grades 3-5
- Grades 3-8 (EOG) and some EOC courses (Correct answer)
- Only grades 6-8
Correct answer: Grades 3-8 (EOG) and some EOC courses
Narrative writing tasks appear on GMAS EOG assessments in grades 3-8 and in select EOC ELA courses.
Question 4: What is an 'Extended Writing Task' on GMAS?
- A timed reading passage with comprehension questions
- A longer writing response that requires planning, drafting, and revising (Correct answer)
- A vocabulary matching exercise
- A multiple-choice grammar test
Correct answer: A longer writing response that requires planning, drafting, and revising
Extended writing tasks on GMAS require students to produce longer written responses demonstrating planning, organization, development, and revision skills.
Question 5: On GMAS, what source materials do students typically use when completing informational/explanatory writing tasks?
- Only their personal experiences and opinions
- Provided reading passages or texts as evidence (Correct answer)
- Memorized facts without any text support
- Teacher-provided notes and outlines
Correct answer: Provided reading passages or texts as evidence
Informational/explanatory writing tasks on GMAS require students to draw evidence from provided passages or texts to support their explanations.
Question 6: Which writing component is assessed when students are asked to 'write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences'?
- Argumentative writing
- Informational/explanatory writing
- Narrative writing (Correct answer)
- Descriptive writing
Correct answer: Narrative writing
Narrative writing tasks on GMAS ask students to develop real or imagined experiences using effective narrative techniques.
Question 7: What does GMAS use to evaluate student writing quality?
- Word count only
- Spelling and grammar checks only
- Scoring rubrics that assess multiple writing dimensions (Correct answer)
- Peer evaluation by classmates
Correct answer: Scoring rubrics that assess multiple writing dimensions
GMAS uses holistic and analytic scoring rubrics that evaluate writing across dimensions such as organization, ideas, style, and conventions.
GMAS Writing Tasks and Genres 1
What are the three main writing genres assessed on the GMAS?