What Writing Skills Are Required on the PERT Test?

The PERT test is the state of Florida’s general placement test, which is typically used for colleges and some state universities.

The PERT measures your ability to operate using the information and skills you are required to learn in high school, gauging whether or not you are prepared to enter secondary education.

Writing on the PERT

One of the skills the PERT measures is writing. You won’t see a prompt to write your own essay, but you will have to answer multiple-choice questions about the writing of others and identify ways to make that writing better. The writing skills you must have in order to do well on these questions span several areas, including writing conventions, synthesizing information, and organizational skills.

Writing Conventions

Writing conventions include all of the basics of writing structure:

• punctuation

• word choice

• grammar

Learning where you should use each of the different punctuation marks (a period, question mark, and exclamation point)—as well as commas, colons, and semicolons—will go a long way in preparing you for the PERT test. These skills are best developed through writing practice and reading aloud, as reading aloud helps you find the natural rhythm and cadence in language, in order to identify where these punctuation marks belong.

Synthesizing Information

To synthesize information, you must be able to accurately and carefully identify different parts of a piece. These include:

• topic sentences
• thesis
• supporting details
• style
• conclusions
• proper usage
• different types of arguments

In order to write and successfully complete the writing questions on the PERT, read through information and practice pulling out each of these elements in the different pieces you read; these writing skills are best amplified by regular practice.

Organization in Written Work

Finally, the PERT will measure your organizational skills, which allow you to correctly and effectively organize information. An essay, for instance, should have a beginning, middle, and end, with a thesis at the outset, supporting details in the middle, and a conclusion at the end. Interspersed within the body of an essay or piece of literature, there should be evidence of the writer’s style, the tone of the piece, the purpose of the piece, and the author’s intended audience.

How Can You Prepare for Writing on the PERT?

Of course, the best practice for a test on any skill is actually doing it, so the more you write and refine your own writing skills, the more prepared you’ll be for the PERT Writing test. But for this test, you need to be able to analyze given writing and identify ways to improve it.

First, check out our free PERT Writing study guide. Then try your hand at our (equally free!) PERT Writing practice questions and flashcards.