- An overview of the exam’s format and the rubric used for scoring the exam
- Step-by-step instructions for writing the exam that highlight the three key components to the exam response: writing an effective and accurate summary of the reading passage, identifying a significant idea in the passage and explaining its significance, and supporting the writer’s claims with evidence and examples
- Annotated examples that demonstrate how to write the response and provide students with the concrete examples they need
- "Now Try It Yourself” exercises throughout the book to give students the hands-on practice they need to succeed, and a workbook chapter that guides students in drafting a response
- Editing and proofreading tips that focus on key issues for students, such as wordiness and repetition, with exercises to practice these important skills
- Sample responses with scores, so students can see the kinds of answers they will need to produce to earn upper-level scores on the exam
- Ten additional reading passages that students can use to practice writing effective responses
- A grammar and punctuation review that focuses on key issues for native and non-native speakers, such as correcting fragments and run-ons, plus lists of commonly confused (accept/except, its/it’s, they’re/their/there) and commonly misspelled words