SSAT Practice Essay Topics

Remember, for these essays:

1. Disagree or agree and give reasons why you think this is true (or not true)
2. Give concrete examples (ie, from your life, history, current events, books you've read/movies you've seen) to support your reasons.

Tips: Try to have an opening 'hook' - a sentence that draws the reader in. A opening sentence like 'I agree with this statement' can get a bit boring, though it's OK if you can't think of anything else. So, for a topic like 'the ends justify the means' you might rephrase with a question and say something like: 'does how you do something matter if the end result is the same?'. This proves that you understand the prompt.

Have a kick-butt last sentence/conclusion. A couple examples of good conclusions for a topic like "ends justify the means" could be: “While the ends may sometimes appear to justify bending the rules, declaring that you don't have any standards about how you accomplish your goals is the same as declaring moral bankruptcy.” Or “Being unwilling to change your personal rules at all when circumstances change is a recipe for disaster.”

(An example for 'ends DO justify means' might be Robin Hood. Though sneakily, Robin Hood does have his own code of behaviour that he doesn't cross.)

Here's a list of essay topics to practice with. You have 25 minutes to complete each writing sample.

Topic: Actions speak louder than words.

Assignment: Do you agree or disagree with the statement? Supports your answers with specific examples from your life, current events, history, books you read or movies you've seen?

Topic: All good things must come to an end.

Assignment: Do you agree or disagree with the statement? Supports your answers with specific examples from your life, current events, history, books you read or movies you've seen?

Topic: Better safe than sorry.

Assignment: Do you agree or disagree with the statement? Supports your answers with specific examples from your life, current events, history, books you read or movies you've seen?

Topic: Great minds think alike.

Assignment: Do you agree or disagree with the statement? Supports your answers with specific examples from your life, current events, history, books you read or movies you've seen?

Topic: Pen is mightier than the sword.

Assignment: Do you agree or disagree with the statement? Supports your answers with specific examples from your life, current events, history, books you read or movies you've seen?

Topic: Two heads are better than one.

Assignment: Do you agree or disagree with the statement? Supports your answers with specific examples from your life, current events, history, books you read or movies you've seen?