What the exam asks
In Bluebook, you are given three short source summaries (Source 1, Source 2, and Source 3), each including an introduction, method, results/discussion, and citation. Suggested pacing is 45 minutes (about 15 minutes to read and plan, 30 minutes to type).
The prompt always follows the same five-part structure totaling 7 points:
| Part | Task | Points | Science Practice |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Propose a specific, defensible claim based in psychological science that responds to the prompt. | 1 | Practice 4.A |
| B(i) | Provide one piece of specific, relevant evidence from one source with a proper citation. | 1 | Practice 4.B |
| B(ii) | Explain how the evidence in B(i) supports the claim, applying a psychological perspective, theory, concept, or research finding. | 0–2 | Practice 4.B & 1.A |
| C(i) | Provide one piece of specific, relevant evidence from a different source with a proper citation. | 1 | Practice 4.B |
| C(ii) | Explain how the evidence in C(i) supports the claim, applying a different psychological perspective, theory, concept, or research finding from the one used in B(ii). | 0–2 | Practice 4.B & 1.A |
Core ideas
Part A: Writing a defensible claim (1 point)
Your claim is your thesis statement. Prompts may ask you to make a recommendation, evaluate a policy or social norm, or take a position on a psychological question. To earn the point, your claim must:
- Directly answer the prompt and take a clear stance (support, refute, or modify a policy or claim, including its nuances).
- Be specific and defensible: state a clear effect or recommendation that evidence can support. Pick a claim that at least two of the sources back up, because Parts B and C need evidence from two different sources (the claim point itself does not depend on them).
- Go beyond restating the prompt or a single study’s finding. Writing “Sleep affects memory” is a vague truism; writing “Schools should delay start times for adolescents because increased REM sleep improves memory consolidation and emotional regulation” is a specific, defensible claim.