How to Prepare for the Academies of Loudoun Writing Assessment
Aman A. · November 4, 2026
Applicants to the Academy of Science (AOS) and the Academy of Engineering and Technology (AET) take two assessments: a STEM thinking-skills test and a timed writing assessment. The STEM test gets most of the attention, but the writing assessment is where steady preparation shows most clearly.
What the writing assessment asks for
Students respond to a prompt in a short, timed sitting with no advance preparation. Prep companies citing LCPS materials for 2026 describe about 30 minutes, scoring on several indicators, and grammar and spelling not counted against students. Always check the latest LCPS instructions, but the skills to build are clear:
- Taking a clear position early
- Supporting it with specific reasons and examples
- Organizing ideas so a reader can follow them
- Finishing on time with a short conclusion
A simple structure that works under time
- Plan for 3–4 minutes: write your position and two reasons in a few words each.
- Open with your position in one or two sentences.
- Give each reason its own paragraph, with one concrete example from science, technology, school or daily life.
- Acknowledge another view in a sentence, then explain why your position still holds.
- Close in two sentences and leave 2 minutes to reread.
A month-by-month plan from 7th grade
| When | Writing focus |
|---|---|
| Fall of 7th grade | Clear thinking on paper: stating a position and supporting it, across different essay types. |
| Winter | The format: practicing the structure above until it is automatic. |
| Spring | Past-style prompts on science, technology and current issues, untimed at first. |
| Summer and fall of 8th grade | Two or three timed responses a month, with written feedback, building to full test-length simulations. |
Try a practice prompt
Here is a practice prompt in a similar style (written by us, not an official prompt): "Some people believe every middle school student should learn to code. Do you agree or disagree? Support your position with reasons and examples." Set a 30-minute timer and use the structure above.
Feedback is what makes practice count
Writing more helps only when someone shows the student what to change. In our year-long Academies of Loudoun program, every 2-hour class includes an hour of writing, and every timed essay comes back with written feedback on ideas, structure and clarity. Students alternate Academies of Loudoun and TJ prompts, so the same practice also prepares them for TJ.
Admissions details are set by LCPS and can change. See our Academies of Loudoun admissions guide for sources and dates.
Aman A.
Founder, Coherence Learning
Aman has taught Physics, Math and SAT prep for about 20 years and has prepared Loudoun students for the Academies of Loudoun and TJ since 2015.