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Academic Discussion prompt

Is studying history essential for understanding current events and making better decisions? Share your perspective.

Every scored sample answer Reach120 publishes for this prompt, banded so you can see the range rather than one version of "good".

3 sample answersHistory

The prompt

As it appears in practice

Some argue that history provides crucial context for today's issues, while others believe focusing on current data is more practical.

Sample answers, by band

3 published

Reach120 practice band estimate — not an official ETS score How we estimate

Strong response

Band 5.04.0/5 rubric
I believe that studying history is essential for understanding current events and making better decisions. Although some people might argue that it has several drawbacks, I am convinced that this appraoch has numerous advantages. To begin with, I strongly agree with Mira's perspective that Historical context helps us evaluate modern claims. For example, people can examine how a government handled a similar problem in the past. As a result, people can make better judgments about modern policies. Additionally, Historical context provides a better understanding of theories for students. For example, students can use historical context to enhance their critical-thinking skills. As a result, this helps students improve their academic performance and develop new ideas. Moreover, China uses this approach to develop cutting-edge technologies. For example, Chinese companies have developed self-driving cars by applying knowledge from previous research. Taking everything into consideration, history provides useful context both for understanding the past and for helping people develop new perspectives.

What worked

  • Clear thesis statement
  • Use of relevant example
  • Engagement with classmate's perspective

What cost points

  • Lack of detailed examples
  • Minor grammatical error
Read the full feedback on this answer

Strong response

Band 5.04.0/5 rubric
I agree with Student 1 because studying history helps us better understand current events and make wiser decisions. History shows how people respond to similar challenges, such as wars, economic crises, and political conflicts. Learning from these events can help us avoid repeating past mistakes. Although Student 2 argues that historical situations are different from today’s world, I believe many lessons are still valuable. For example, the leadership strategies described in the Three Kingdoms can still teach modern managers how to solve conflicts and motivate their teams. While technology has changed, human behavior has not changed as much. For these reasons, I believe studying history remains an important way to understand the present and make better decisions for the future.
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Middle response

Band 4.53.5/5 rubric
Personally, I believe that understanding history is more beneficial, although some people argue that it has several drawbacks. Despite these concerns, I believe that it offers numerous advantages. To begin with, I strongly agree with Student 1’s perspective that historical context helps students gain awareness of current events. Additionally, I would like to point out that by examining history, we can gain deeper insight into the civilizations of the past and their cultural heritage. Moreover, studying the foundational research of historical figures allows students to discover effective solutions to modern challenges. For instance, by analyzing the discoveries of researchers and scientists from the past, students can understand the process of innovation and make more informed decisions. For these reasons, I firmly believe that studying history is essential for understanding current events and making better decisions.
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How attempts at this prompt actually score

Measured 2026-08-25

Across 41 scored practice attempts at the Reach120 practice prompt "Is studying history essential for understanding current events and making better decisions? Share your perspective.", the mean Reach120 practice band estimate is 3.5 of 6 (measured 2026-08-25; Reach120 practice band estimate — not an official ETS score).

Mean band estimate

3.5of 6

over 41 scored practice attempts

Reach120 practice band estimate — not an official ETS score How we estimate

Band spread

  • 3.0–3.534
  • 4.0–4.53
  • 5.0–5.54

Where attempts lose points

  • Language use2.82 of 5
  • Organization2.85 of 5
  • Content3.28 of 5
  • Format3.28 of 5
  • Contribution3.28 of 5

Source: Reach120 practice corpus, every scored attempt at this prompt, internal and harness-created accounts excluded through the same rule as public_measured_stats(). Attempts scored before 2026-03-23 are excluded: Reach120 changed how it scores on that date, and pooling across the change would describe the change rather than the writing. Recomputed when this page is rebuilt; the date above is when this reading was taken.

Published only at or above 30 scored attempts from at least 10 learners; below that Reach120 shows nothing here.

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