general knowledge essay topics 2022

Essay Scoring Criteria

General strategies for writing the essay, annotation key, sample passing response, sample not passing response, sample essay topic 1, sample essay topic 2.

General Knowledge For Testing until 12/31/2023

Essay subtest.

The following materials contain:

• Essay scoring criteria
• General strategies for writing the essay
• Directions for the essay assignment
• Annotated sample responses with rationales
• Sample essay topics

Your essay will be scored holistically by two raters. The raters will use the criteria listed below when evaluating your essay. The score you receive for your essay will be the combined total of the two raters’ scores. A score of at least 8 out of 12 points must be achieved to obtain a passing score on the Essay subtest of the General Knowledge Test.

Watch the time. Take a few minutes at the beginning of the period to plan your essay and at the end to proofread or revise your work. Use all the time wisely. You should not run out of time before you are done; nor should you write an incomplete essay because you did not use all the time allowed. NOTE: You do not have time to write a rough draft and then completely rewrite it. Spend your time writing and editing your final essay.

Read the instructions carefully. Determine what the topic is asking. Think of how the topic relates to what you know, what you have learned, and what experiences you have had, so you can provide concrete details rather than vague generalities.

Take a few minutes to prewrite. Jot down your first ideas (some you may like; others you may discard). Sketch a quick outline or group your ideas together with arrows or numbers. Begin to "see" your essay taking shape—even before you start writing.

Write a thesis statement that provides a clear focus for your essay. State a point of view in your thesis that guides the purpose and scope of your essay. Consider the larger point you are trying to convey to the reader and what you want the reader to understand about the topic. Avoid a thesis statement framed as a statement of fact, a question, or an announcement.

Develop the essay according to your purpose. Develop paragraphs fully to give the reader examples and reasons that support your thesis. Note that a good essay for the General Knowledge Test may be longer or shorter than the basic five-paragraph format of some short essays. Do not limit yourself to an arbitrary length. The key is to develop a topic by using concrete, informative details.

Tie your main ideas together with a brief conclusion. Provide a concluding paragraph that ties together the essay's points and offers insights about the topic. Avoid a conclusion that merely restates the thesis and repeats the supporting details. Check your time. If the writing period is almost over, wrap up quickly, so you can proofread or revise.

Revise/proofread the essay to conform to standard American English. Look for particular errors you tend to make. Read the essay from the last sentence to the first and make corrections. Look for words, sentences, or even paragraphs that need changing.

You will have 50 minutes to plan, write, and proofread an  start uppercase  ORIGINAL  end uppercase  essay on the topic presented.  start uppercase  READ THE TOPIC CAREFULLY TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU KNOW WHAT YOU ARE BEING ASKED TO DO  end uppercase  .

You must write an  start underline  original essay that specifically and directly responds to the topic  end underline  . Pre-prepared essays or essays that are discovered to contain memorized sentences or pre-prepared passages will be invalidated. For example, if the essay raters discover passages that appear in two or more essays, the essays and the violation will be brought to the attention of the Florida Department of Education and may result in the invalidation of your scores.

Your essay should introduce the topic and then explain the topic and/or take a position on the topic and support that position. In order for your essay to be scored, it  start underline  must address the entire topic  end underline  .

At least two raters will read your essay, and each will assign it a score. Your essay will not be scored on the position you take or the opinions you express. Your essay will be evaluated holistically according to the following criteria:

Before you start writing, take a few minutes to plan what you want to say. Leave yourself a few minutes at the end of the period to proofread and make corrections.

Annotated Sample Responses

The sample responses below include an example that meets the general level of writing skill necessary to receive a passing score as well as an example that does not meet the required standard. All responses are scored holistically, meaning that both strengths and weaknesses are weighed when assigning an overall score. While rationales are provided, it is important to keep in mind that not all strengths and weaknesses are identified and that there may be errors in grammar and mechanical conventions, even in the sample passing response.

 start bold  Essay Topic:  The use of technology in education and access to the Internet in schools can potentially lead to threatening situations for students. Provide an analysis of two aspects that educators should consider when developing a plan to protect students from potential threats.  end bold 

Annotated text using these styles are related to the associated scoring criteria as follows:

• Organization
• Grammar, Sentence Structure, Usage, & Conventions

Please note: The sample response provided below is for review purposes only and should not be used in a response on an operational exam. Use of the exact words and phrases presented in this sample response will result in a Not Passing score due to lack of original work.

In today's society, technology is the core to most of our daily lives. From our personal cellular devices, to televisions, computers, wireless headphones, and tablets we are constantly in contact with technology. This is especially true of our young people who are being exposed to technology almost from birth in many households. In education, technology usage begins in preschool for many programs. The use of technology at these young ages has several advantages for both students and teachers including: allowing teachers to provide immediate feedback to student responses, increasing student engagement with diversified curriculum, as well as exposing students to topics that would be otherwise impossible without digital versions. While all of these positives make it highly beneficial for educators to utilize technology in the classroom there are several disadvantages that can lead to potentially threatening situations for students' personal or educational lives. In order to prevent such situations, educators must be mindful of those situations and prepare curriculum accordingly. Two of primary concern for our students, in particular as they enter junior high and high school, are cyberbullying and lack of focus. Here I will discuss how curriculum plans can be developed to minimize these potential threats. Cyberbullying is an issue that continues to receive attention nationally because of the extreme situations that have occurred. Over the past 15 years the annual number of reported incidents of cyberbullying continues to increase. This has much to do with the fact that students are unable to get away from their bullies because of the constant access to technology. For many students the additional use of technology for educational purposes can be a concern because it can lead to increases in such attacks. It is imperative as educators that we be aware of such situations and prepare our plans to minimize these threats. This may seem like a daunting task, however simple strategies can be employed which can easily minimize threats. First, any and all websites used for classroom discussion boards need to have the capability to be monitored and should be monitored by the instructor. Secondly, any posts made by students should be made using a students actual name and not an ambiguous or anonymous username. These two criteria will reduce the number of students that will post inappropriate, offensive or degrading information because they can easily be caught. Additionally educators should have in place guidelines for punishment if a student does bully another student on such sites. For example, any student that posts derogatory information towards another student on a class site should be issued a referal for such action. Harsher punishments can be given to students who continue to bully. The second topic which affects educators in regards to technology in the classroom and threatens students learning is a lack of focus. In particular, when students are utilizing their own devices in the classroom or at home they can easily become side tracked playing many of the games or visiting websites that are not a part of the assignment. How we as educators prevent this in our use of technology can be tricky, but with appropriate planning can be managed. As a classroom guideline educators should institute strict policies for when it is acceptable to have personal devices in use for classroom activites. When the devices are being used students may have them out but otherwise they should be kept away. Additionally, to prevent students from getting off task during times of acceptable technology use, teachers should establish strict timelines for such activities. These timelines will prevent students from getting off track otherwise they will not be able to complete their work. When educators are having students use school devices, they can utilize websites and softwares which lockdown browsers preventing students from accessing alternate sites. The use of technology both in the classroom and at home is not going away. It is an important tool that can be used to enhance student engagement and learning, but it is not without its problems. We as educators must be aware of the situations that threaten our students personal and school growth and prepare lesson plans that take these factors into account. By minimizing cyberbullying using monitored platforms and keeping students focused by structured and timed curriculum we can take advantage of technology without threatening our students.

This essay is Passing based on the following performance characteristics:

Look how far technology has taken us, from a man landing on the moon, to a car driving itself, to giving those who cannot hear, the opportunity to hear for the first time. Technology has not only taken the world to places we have never dreamed of, but in education it has given teachers, students and future teachers like myself a chance to enhance lesson plans, and open student's minds to new and exciting possibilities. But we can always find something bad in any goodthing. With technology students are not safe, they do not underestand the dangers of the internet. That is why I am developing a plan to protect students from the potential threats of the interent. My plan will start by creating bookmarks in every computer on the school, and make monthly group chats, where students, teachers, and spokes person can visit and talk to the students about being safe on the World Wide Web. Kids are very curious, they will open up any tabs that will pop-up on the computer without a hesitation. Creating bookmarks with all the sites the students are able to use will be a good way for the students to stay on subject and not wonder off. Letting the parents in on what the school is doing is a good source on having more people address the issue. Some parents do not even know how to use the internet or even a cellphone. So they do not even know what their kid is doing online. Having classes for the parents will help the students be safe as well. These classes will show parents how to make bookmarks, put parental settings on the computers and televisions as well. In higher grades such as, middle or high school having monthly group charts with the students, will give them an opportunity to see the interent in a different way. Students need to be aware of the dangers and benefits of using the internet and cellphones. Issues such as cyber bullying. Sending naked pictures of themselves and talking to strangers. Remembering that everything you do or say stays there forever. These group chats will not only enhance students knowledge on the internet, but they will start to open up and talk to teachers or mentors if they are being bullied. In conclusion, I believe that having bookmarks, and group chats in all grade levels will be a good way to keep students safe online, teach them about the interent and make it fun at the same time. Technology allows us to connect to people from all over the world. Yeah it has its ups and downs, but you just have to know how to use it safely.

This essay is Not Passing based on the following performance characteristics:

 start bold  Online schooling has expanded to include even the primary and secondary level, while some believe that it cannot provide everything that traditional instruction can. Analyze the advantages and disadvantages of online schooling.  end bold 

In the box provided below, please write your  start uppercase  ORIGINAL  end uppercase  essay based on the topic presented. Note that you are limited to 8,000 characters. As you type your response, a character count will appear at the bottom of the response box.

 start bold  Note:  end bold  Beginning October 1, 2023, the response limit to the essay topic will be 1,500 words, instead of 8,000 characters.

 start bold  The sentiment has been expressed that it "has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity." Evaluate whether or not our technology has exceeded our humanity.  end bold 

In the box provided below, please write your  start uppercase  ORIGINAL  end uppecase  essay based on the topic presented. Note that you are limited to 8,000 characters. As you type your response, a character count will appear at the bottom of the response box.

Copyright © 2018 by the State of Florida, Department of State

College Essay Topics for 2022

Overwhelmed by the many college essay topics you can write about? Don’t be. We’ll show you potential topics you can choose for your college essay.

As discussed in the post about   How to Choose an Essay Topic , don’t start with the Common App, Coalition App, or other college application essay prompts. Instead, begin writing your essay and go back and choose the prompt it answers best later.

Key Takeaways

• The college essay starts with a compelling essay topic.
• It's not easy to come up with a college essay topic that is interesting, original, and supports the overall theme of your college application.
• Start here for ideas on the best college essay topics of 2022

Table of Contents

What is the college essay.

The college essay is the piece of writing in your college application where you tell admission officers:

• Who you are
• What value you’d bring to the campus community
• Why they should accept you. 

The college essay brings color to your file and can give “aha” moments to highlight or bring clarity about why you’re a good candidate for the college. Your college essay is so important that a great essay can push you over the edge if it’s between you and another candidate. A bad college essay will likely lead to a decision to decline your application. College essay topics set the tone of the entire essay.

2020 is the first year that most colleges considered files without test scores. They placed more emphasis on the college essay. Things will be the same in 2020. The University of California and many other colleges have announced that 2021-2022 will also be test-optional.

While we never know the exact impact of the college essay on admissions, before COVID-19,  75% of admissions officers responded that they found the college essay to be a factor in their decisions . This shows that the college essay is important. The essay you write is guided by the college essay topics you choose.  With so many things happening in your life, how do you choose which to write about? 

This post digs into the most compelling topics of the 2022 college application season. The examples presented here will get you started on writing an essay that is unique to you and makes the case for your admissions.

Something you're afraid of

Fear is a great topic to explore in your college essay. It’s one of the most primal of all human emotions. Fear keeps us from making decisions that can hurt us. But more often than not, fear also holds us back from doing things that will help us grow. With a key objective in your essay to show growth, writing your essay about something that keeps you up at night is sure to be a winner. 

Some examples can include the fear of loneliness, fear of failure, or the fear of success . I had a former student write an essay about his fear of heights and how he overcame that fear and worked his way up to riding the Tower of Terror at Hollywood Studios. Here’s an excerpt from the student’s essay:

"I am scared of many things (needles, sharks, blood), but no fear has conquered me more than height fright. I spent a decade visiting Disney World with my mom, dad, and younger brother and never set foot on a thrill ride. I especially feared The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, a Hollywood Studios headliner, engineered to drop at accelerated speeds while being struck by lightning bolts or what epitomized my waking nightmare. In August 2011, when my dad suggested we ride Terror, I profusely refused. His stone-cold face glared at me down when he said, "Logan, this ride isn't even scary!" But I, arms crossed and standing my ground, wouldn't waver. Of course, I got my way, and he stayed back with me. Although relieved for the time being, upon returning to New York, I felt bad that I had burdened my family with my fear, which persisted for five more years. Then, last year, I rode Terror and haven't looked back since. Here's how I did it." Student Writer

Something you're grateful for

This topic perfectly aligns with the Common Apps new 2021-2022 essay prompt that says: 

Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?

The motivation for this question update is that so much has happened in the last two years. After the COVID-19 pandemic, the world will never be the same. We have lost so many lives. Also, there is social unrest, economic decline, and lots of uncertainty. Some people liken what’s happening to the early 20th century, ironically in the same 20s decade. If you’re alive, breathing, and have had good fortunes this year, this may be an excellent topic for you to dig into further.

Someone who has inspired you

For this essay topic, you’d write about a real person in your life . Avoid choosing a celebrity, popular politician or pubic figure, out of the risk of being too clich é . The person you choose should have a direct or indirect influence on the person you have become. 

This could be someone like your mom or dad, a grandparent, aunt or uncle, cousin, friend, teacher, coach, or anyone else who you can speak vividly and candidly about lessons they have taught you. This person can be living or may have passed on. The essay you write will illustrate what insights and learnings you can apply to your life because of the influence they have had on you.

Here’s an excerpt from a sample student who wrote about her late father: 

"In his final days, I recall my father reclining on a plush black couch. His expressionless face was attached to a gas mask and oxygen tank. It still brings me to tears that the father I loved - the man who walked ten blocks every Sunday to Parisi's Bakery to buy his little girl strawberry-filled bread cookies - was losing his battle with lung cancer. Even as his health started to deteriorate, my father proved himself to be a hero. Like a devout Muslim, he read his favorite Koran passages and prayed five times daily until the eleventh hour. Oblivious to his weakening condition, I sat by his side, asking questions about everything like spelling a word, the question to a Jeopardy answer, and what a fact means. Hoarse and out of breath, my father always gave me an answer. He was aware that this moment might be the last time we would have together. But I believed that he would pull through cancer and be around forever. After all, real heroes never die, right? While difficult to be fully expressed in words, my father strived to be a good parent to my brothers and me. He made sure we got to school on time, taught us how to save for the future, and encouraged us to value our Muslim beliefs. Still, more importantly, he made us earn his approval. On those rare occasions, when I could get him to share a proud smile for something that I achieved, I felt like my world was complete. For example, my father walked with my brothers and me to Rainey Park on Saturdays, where he challenged us to a relay race. Of course, he always won. But during each race, he yelled at me to run faster, pull through the pain gushing through my legs, and pump harder and harder. After following his advice, on one particular Saturday afternoon, I beat him! And when I waited for his expression, his grave eyes finally gave me the approval I yearned for. On the way home, he stopped at the store to buy me red Baby Bottle Pop candy. It was the perfect day!" Student Writer

Something you're fighting for

2020 is arguably the year of the most protests in your lifetime (and my lifetime!). Mashable featured a great article about the 15 protests of 2020 that you’ll tell your children about. Why wait? Your college essay is a great place to start, especially if you’ve been part of any of the protests. Nothing explains who you are and what you stand for than sharing causes that you care about. 

Something you're sacrificing for

One of the most incredible moves you can make in your life is sacrificing something in your life for the greater good. For example, maybe you’re an aspiring teen entrepreneur and next founder or creator. You’re building a business, like a few of my students. 

One has a jewelry company and sells her products on Etsy. Another is buying and selling cryptocurrency on an exchange. Running a business comes with sacrifices, such as missing out on having fun with friends. Or perhaps your grades. Many of my entrepreneurial students have less than stellar grades or limited extracurricular involvement because they’ve spent more time building their businesses. 

This essay would serve a dual purpose of explaining why their grades aren’t perfect (addressing something that admissions officers would want to know) and showing their passion for something worth sacrificing the time and energy they’d spend elsewhere that wasn’t as significant.

Something or someone you value

A classic topic, you can use it as your general essay. Some schools, like Stanford University, use this topic as a supplemental essay. At its core, motivation, and passion lead to action. In this essay, you can show admissions officers what type of person you are, how you show up in the world, and your plans for the future – for yourself, the campus community, and society. 

To be sure, this is a BIG essay to write. If you select this topic, be sure to focus on one thing (as opposed to ten) that is meaningful and most important to you. Avoid repeating anything you have said in another part of your application. A great example of this essay is a student who wrote about a memory box where she keeps her most precious treasures. She speaks about each treasure, a book from her mom and a pair of gold hoop earrings, and the significance they’ve had in her life. Here’s an excerpt:

Here’s a college essay excerpt from a student who wrote about a box for her most precious treasures: 

I am a collector. It started with a box. But my head is ingrained with the idea that every object worth saving has a story worth remembering. Peeking out from the edge of the box was Our Moon Has Blood Clots, a book my mom had given me two years ago to read. It vividly details Kashmir's purge of the Kashmiri Pandit community, a part of our history my mom felt was important to understand. But I avoided it. For me, it was too uncomfortable to face a past ridden with war, violence, rape, and exile. I didn't want to relive my parents escaping their homes with only a few documents, living in tents, and everything they worked for and knew was gone and forced to restart their lives from ground zero. Instead of reading it, I buried it, deep, in my memory box. Although I was born 13 years later, I read in a PBS article that trauma is an inherited trait. And like so many victims of trauma, be it first-hand or through DNA, we hold on to things but put memories away. I am without a piece of myself. One day, I'll face the truth and accept how the mass exodus has shaped me. But today, I find solace in understanding that my parents' struggle gave rise to more opportunities I could hope for given their arrival as American refugees. By taking advantage of everything at my disposal, I am grateful for my education and relationships, all assets no one can ever take away." Student Writer

Something you're passionate about

This essay topic is a great way to show your curiosity and hunger for knowledge or mastering a skill . You wouldn’t want to write this essay about anything already in your college application, like why you enjoy biology or why you joined your school’s video club. Instead, you’d write about something that shows your interest in something that would not fit anywhere else. You enjoy something so unique that your application would not be complete unless they knew this about you.

Interests you can write about like:

• Podcasting and video blogging
• Bitcoin and cryptocurrency
• Real estate investing
• Running your own business or nonprofit
• Spoken word poetry
• Knitting, scrapbooking, or other creative arts
• Social media and being an influencer

These are a few examples, and you likely have your own examples of interests you’re passionate about that you do on your own and outside of school. Speaking about your hobbies and interests can give insight into what else you’ve been up to during your high school years. Often for students, these interests may lead to career options or influence how you’ll engage in the campus community, both of which admissions officers are very interested in learning about you.

Your cultural roots and background

If you’re a newcomer to the United States or a first-generation American with parents who migrated to our country, this may be a good topic for you to explore. You have a unique voice and perspective that college admissions officers highly value. You can speak about so many things — experiences, culture, food — what meaning these things have had in your life, how you’re balancing with ideals in American culture.

You can speak about it directly, such as telling the reader about your journey as a newcomer or first-generation American student. Or you can talk about it indirectly, as one of my students from last year did. The student wrote about his joy in making empanadas. He shares his grandmother’s recipe and what it’s like making them with her and ties it to his cultural ties to Equador and being of Italian heritage. Here’s an excerpt from his essay:

Here’s a college essay excerpt from a student who wrote about his joy of cooking empanadas for his family: 

"I have become more comfortable with the recipe, and I am confident that I can make any empanada I want. I like making empanadas for several reasons. First, I can be very creative with them, changing the ingredients every time I make them. Over the years, I have made empanadas with all kinds of varieties of beef, chicken, cheese, and vegetables. But if I wanted to, I could fill it with tomato sauce and cheese to make a pizza empanada or American cheese and beef to make a cheeseburger empanada. From start to finish, no matter what you put inside, it takes half an hour, and you have yourself a meal. Also, around the time that I made my first empanadas, it was not often that I would find a restaurant that sold them. I had to make them myself. However, as time has passed, I have seen more restaurants and food trucks that strictly serve empanadas open in my neighborhood, where there are few from my Ecuadorian culture living here. And like so many other things, empanadas have arrived in mainstream American culture, making their mark on the world, something so unique, diverse, and delicious. But most importantly, empanadas represent a significant part of Ecuadorian culture, to which I've always felt connected through my grandma's stories. Growing up, I remember vivid stories about her life in Ecuador. She eventually moved to the United States at 18-years-old and was immersed in American culture as a young woman and immigrant. Learning to cook empanadas and staying true to her recipe has strengthened my relationship with my grandma. While I have never traveled to Quito, Ecuador's capital city, where she was born, the empanadas link me to my cultural roots." Student Writer

Once you decide on a topic, then you can proceed to write your college essay. Start here with this post about Writing a College Essay. Also, you can check out an upcoming College Essay Workshop .

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