Source-based essay | Quick guide

Source-based essay (30 minutes)

What is the source-based essay?

This essay task will prompt you to extract information from two provided sources to identify important concerns related to an issue.

While the topic should be somewhat familiar, the sources will be highly specific and academic. You will need to read the sources closely to gain insight into the topic.

You should approach the prompt by drawing heavily from both sources and engaging directly with the arguments they contain.

How is it graded?

Your essay will be evaluated by two graders on a scale of 1 to 6. Those scores will be averaged and incorporated into your overall Writing score.

Explore the rubric in detail to see what graders are looking for:

Score of 6

A 6 essay demonstrates a high degree of competence in response to the assignment but may have a few minor errors.

An essay in this category:

insightfully explains why the concerns are important, supporting the explanation with effective links between the two sources and well-chosen reasons, examples, or details
incorporates information from both sources to identify and explain important concerns regarding the issue discussed in the sources
organizes and develops ideas logically
displays effective sentence variety
clearly displays facility in the use of language
is generally free from errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics
cites both sources when paraphrasing or quoting

Score of 5

A 5 essay demonstrates clear competence in response to the assignment but may have minor errors.

An essay in this category:

clearly explains why the concerns are important, supporting the explanation with clear links between the two sources and relevant reasons, examples, or details
incorporates information from both sources to identify and explain important concerns regarding the issue discussed in the sources
organizes and develops ideas clearly
displays some sentence variety
displays facility in the use of language
is generally free from errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics
cites both sources when paraphrasing or quoting

Score of 4

A 4 essay demonstrates competence in response to the assignment.

An essay in this category:

adequately explains why the concerns are important, supporting the explanation with some links between the two sources and adequate reasons, examples, or details
incorporates information from both sources to identify and explain important concerns regarding the issue discussed in the sources
shows control in the organization and development of ideas
displays adequate use of language
shows control of grammar, usage, and mechanics, but may display errors
cites both sources when paraphrasing or quoting

Score of 3

A 3 essay demonstrates some competence in response to the assignment but is obviously flawed.

An essay in this category reveals one or more of the following weaknesses:

limited in explaining why the concerns are important
incorporates only one source to identify and explain concerns regarding the issue discussed in the sources, or incorporates two sources inadequately
limited in supporting the explanation (establishes only a weak link between the sources and/or offers inadequate reasons, examples, or details)
limited control in the organization and development of ideas
an accumulation of errors in the use of language
an accumulation of errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics
cites sources when paraphrasing or quoting

Score of 2

A 2 essay is seriously flawed.

An essay in this category reveals one or more of the following weaknesses:

fails to explain why the concerns are important
incorporates only one source weakly or fails to identify concerns regarding the issue discussed in the sources
offers weak support for the explanation (no link between the sources and/or few or no relevant reasons, examples, or details)
weak organization or very little development
frequent serious errors in the use of language
frequent serious errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics
fails to cite any sources when paraphrasing or quoting

Score of 1

Tips and strategies

Top tip: Read closely

Success on the source-based essay relies on how well you engage with the provided sources.

Don't be in a rush to start writing! Take a few minutes to read the sources closely so that they are reflected accurately in your essay.

Top tip: Compare the sources

The sources will provide two separate perspectives on the same issue. On what do the sources agree? On what do they disagree?

By thinking and writing about the sources in this way, you will greatly increase your ability to identify the most important aspects of the issue under discussion.

Top tip: Introduce original analysis

Success on the source-based essay is primarily based on how well you use your sources. But don't just include summaries and quotations.

Use your own words and ideas to supplement and evaluate the information included in the sources. Doing so will improve your essay and increase your score.

Top tip: Proofread

Even if you're not quite done writing, use the last minute or two of your allotted time to proofread your essay. While your essay isn't expected to be highly polished, fixing even a few grammar errors can make a sizable impact on your essay score.

Want to join the conversation?

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Jairus Chow
Posted 4 years ago. Direct link to Jairus Chow's post “Could we get samples of h...”
Could we get samples of how to write each essay
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(10 votes)
Answer
V A
Posted 4 years ago. Direct link to V A's post “Please describe the metho...”
Please describe the method that Praxis expects for citing. E.g. (last name, date) with references listed at the bottom?
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(8 votes)
Answer
- m k
  Posted 4 years ago. Direct link to m k's post “very good question. not s...”
  very good question. not sure when im taking the test as i have to take it asap but for discussion in case we do not receive an answer, i would assume mla? what's your thoughts? i would assume (last name, first) or (last name, year/date) upon availability to whatever the source gives us.
  Comment on m k's post “very good question. not s...”
  (1 vote)
dwi1843
Posted 3 years ago. Direct link to dwi1843's post “Where are the sample essa...”
Where are the sample essays?
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(5 votes)
Answer
raeannowen
Posted 3 years ago. Direct link to raeannowen's post “Would love to have six to...”
Would love to have six to ten source-based essay prompts for practice! It is easy to find lots of argumentative essay prompts in random places online, but the source-based version is rather scarce. Thanks so much! I rocked the Math and Reading PRAXIS with the help of Khan! Just have the Writing left to take this week...
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(4 votes)
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neetakangutkar
Posted a year ago. Direct link to neetakangutkar's post “could you please give som...”
could you please give some examples for source based essays
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(2 votes)
Answer
Nibha
Posted a year ago. Direct link to Nibha's post “what grade is this for?”
what grade is this for?
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(2 votes)
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- LavenderBloom
  Posted a year ago. Direct link to LavenderBloom's post “Probably for college prep...”
  Probably for college prep classes.
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  (1 vote)
cmaryann316
Posted 2 years ago. Direct link to cmaryann316's post “how do i begin to write a...”
how do i begin to write an essay
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(2 votes)
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- Nibha
  Posted a year ago. Direct link to Nibha's post “with an introduction”
  with an introduction
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  (1 vote)
sw720669
Posted 8 months ago. Direct link to sw720669's post “when can we start writing...”
when can we start writing essays for the amount of time that we have, so that way we want have to wast our time trying to write one?
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(1 vote)
Answer
Rithvik Suryadevara
Posted a year ago. Direct link to Rithvik Suryadevara's post “Can we examples”
Can we examples
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(1 vote)
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Ma Lourdes Torres Almanza
Posted 4 years ago. Direct link to Ma Lourdes Torres Almanza's post “Puedes dame un ejemplo de...”
Puedes dame un ejemplo del ensayo basado en la fuente?
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(1 vote)
Answer