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.
