A diagnostic assignment is not a cause for concern, even if you’re just hearing about it for the first time. It’s much different from other papers but in a good way. Let us show you why a diagnostic paper is the best thing to happen to you and how to make the most of this opportunity.
What Is a Diagnostic Essay?
A diagnostic essay is the first assignment of the course that lets your professor assess (or diagnose) your current writing style and capabilities. Teachers want to understand what they are working with, your strengths and weaknesses to help you improve and leave the class a better writer. For this reason, most professors do not grade diagnosis assignments. While you won’t get any points to add to your course grade, it is still vital to turn this paper in on time and make a good first impression.
Now that semantics are out of the way, let’s take a closer look at what you might expect from a diagnostic assignment and how to ace it.
How to Write a Diagnostic Essay
First, let’s get your priorities straight so that you don’t get into trouble.
If you’re taking a class that calls for multiple essays, you want to improve your writing, and with every assignment, your skills should improve. The professor is there to make sure of that.
So there’s no reason to cheat on a diagnostic essay.
If you jump over your head and turn in your best work yet, the professor will expect even better results as the term progresses. Ultimately, you won’t have enough time to produce the same quality writing, and your grades will suffer. And you will hate the class, the professor, and school as a whole.
Alternatively, you can half-ass the paper in the hopes of setting low expectations. The worse your writing is at the beginning of the term, the greater the improvement will seem, and the better your grades will be. At the same time, you run the risk of getting booted from the class because your writing skills don’t fit the bill. Besides, your writing skills may deteriorate instead of growing.
The best strategy for writing a diagnostic paper is to do a good job without over-or underachieving. You should feel good about your piece before you turn it in.
What to Expect From Diagnostic Essay Topics
We’re loath to disappoint you, but there won’t be a list of ideas and topics for your diagnostic assignment here. It would be nothing but a waste of your time because most professors provide a specific prompt or two for the whole class. According to our undercover academics, it is easier for professors to evaluate the general writing level and individual prowess when everyone works on the same topic.
Is there no way to predict a diagnostic essay topic?
Even if you’re a pro at reading tea leaves, you won’t know the exact wording. But there are some hints we can share after years of analyzing diagnosis assignments:
- the prompt will be closely connected to the course topics;
- it might be based on a book from a required reading list;
- the topic may call on the knowledge gained in previous classes;
- you may get two or more options to choose from.
Here are a few sample topics:
- Analyze and interpret the core message of “Salvation” by Langston Hughes.
- Prove that cellphones restrict teenagers’ freedom and independence.
- Argue against college athletes getting paid for their performance in championships.
Common Diagnosis Paper Requirements
While other essay types have general requirements that don’t differ much among colleges and classes, diagnosis writing is much different. Every professor has their own approach to diagnosing your writing skills, so there’s no way to predict the requirements. Still, our undercover academics gathered and analyzed the handouts in their respective schools and came up with four common types of diagnostic assignments:
- Self-diagnostic paper. In this case, you have to assess your writing style, strengths and weaknesses, describe your class goals and aspirations. Such assignments are common for Writing courses, both beginner-level and advanced.
- SAT-style argumentative essay. With a time limit and no outside sources, you have to rely on your knowledge and skills to showcase your reasoning, persuasive, argumentative, and writing capabilities. Professors use this type of papers across a variety of classes, from Social Studies to Nursing.
- Diagnostic summary, analysis, or interpretation of the primary source. These types are most common in English and Literature classes. Professors allow you to use quotes and paraphrase the work of literature without relying on any other sources.
- Informative or research paper. These assignments are designed to evaluate your ability to research a topic, find credible references, and use them with maximum efficiency. Professors may assign this type of diagnostic essays in Science classes.
As you see, there isn’t one perfect formula, and even these four types of diagnostic papers do not cover the full range of possibilities. The only way to know for sure is to take the class and see for yourself what type of assignment you’ll receive.
How to Choose the Right Diagnostic Essay Format
Your professor will provide the formatting and citation style within the prompt. If the requirements aren’t clear, don’t be afraid to ask the teacher to specify the right format. It’s as easy as that. MLA, APA, and Chicago are the most common styles, and you can easily find detailed citation and formatting guidelines online.
Still, there are commonalities between dozens of the assignments we’ve seen:
- Your essay must have an introduction and conclusion.
- The introduction must include a thesis statement.
- Every body paragraph must cover one argument or point.
- Each body paragraph must have a topic sentence.
- The points should flow seamlessly and logically into one another.
- Errors and typos must be edited out before submission.
- The paper must be formatted according to the requirements.
- All sources (if they are required) must be properly cited.
- The paper must stay within the word count (usually around 500 words).
If you’ve ever written an essay before, none of these should be new or intimidating. Still, you should pay close attention to the professor’s specific requirements. Using the wrong format or including references when none are allowed will not make a good impression.
Why Any Diagnostic Essay Sample You Find Is Useless
By now, you should realize that a diagnosis essay is unlike any other school assignment. It has more to do with your writing skills and style than the contents of the paper. It’s about measuring your progress throughout the term and becoming a better writer.
So what would you do with a diagnostic essay sample?
Copying the writing style will do you more harm than good in the long run, even if you do it unconsciously. And you’re unlikely to find a paper on the same topic your professor chooses. You will just waste your time scouring the web for samples, and most of them aren’t even that good.
Instead of looking for a piece to copy or mimic, skim your best essays that got the highest grades to see what tricks you can use in the assignment. Those are the only examples of good writing you will ever need!
Do not think of a diagnostic essay as a punishment. Instead, consider it a challenge and an opportunity to get feedback without risking your grade. Think of it as the first step of your writing journey and make most of the chance to become better!