PERT writing practice test: the grammar rules that score

The PERT Writing subtest is 30 adaptive multiple-choice questions, 25 of them scored, on sentence structure, grammar, punctuation, word choice and organization: you fix sentences and improve short drafts, and you do not write an essay. A score of 103 is college ready, and with Reading 106 it opens ENC 1101. The free drill below is 12 original PERT-style writing questions with every answer explained.

30
writing questions, 25 scored: 103
college-ready minimum: 0
essays to write: 12
questions in the free drill

Last checked 22 October 2026 · Test facts from Florida college testing centers and the P.E.R.T. study guide

Free Writing drill: 12 original PERT-style questions at an 18-minute practice pace, then every answer explained. No sign-up.

12
questions
18 min
time limit
Free
every answer explained

By the LifeScore Editorial Team · Updated 22 October 2026 · How we check facts · How this is scored

What is on the PERT writing test?

Multiple-choice questions about sentences and short drafts: fragments and run-ons, agreement, pronouns, verb tense, modifiers, punctuation, word choice, transitions and where a sentence belongs.

The two kinds of writing question

Single sentences
A sentence with an error to find, a part to replace, or a blank to fill: the right verb, pronoun, punctuation or word.
Find the subject and verb first.
Short drafts
A paragraph or two with numbered sentences: combine two, choose a transition, cut a sentence that does not belong, or put one in the right place.
Ask what the paragraph is for.

There is no essay on the PERT, unlike the TSI. All the writing points are in multiple-choice questions, so learning the rules below moves your score directly.

What grammar is on the PERT writing test?

A short list used again and again: sentence boundaries, agreement, pronouns, verb tense, modifiers, parallel structure, commas and apostrophes, confused words and transitions.

Our study list, with the check that catches each error
Rule	The check
Fragment	Every sentence needs a subject and a verb and must make sense alone.
Run-on and comma splice	Two complete sentences need a period, a semicolon, or a comma plus and, but, or, so, yet.
Subject-verb agreement	Cross out the phrase between subject and verb; with "neither ... nor", match the nearer subject.
Pronoun case	Drop the other person: "Sam and I left" because "I left".
Pronoun agreement	A pronoun matches the noun it replaces: the company and its workers.
Verb tense	A time marker such as "last summer" decides the tense of every verb.
Modifiers	An opening phrase describes the noun right after the comma.
Parallel structure	Items in a list take the same form.
Confused words	their, there, they're; its, it's; affect, effect; than, then.
Transitions	However for contrast, therefore for result, instead for replacement, for example for an example.

What do PERT writing questions look like?

One question about a misplaced opening phrase and one about verb tense; both are worked step by step.

PERT-style question 1 · Modifiers
Which sentence is written correctly?
1. ARunning for the bus, Lena dropped her phone on the sidewalk.
2. BRunning for the bus, the phone fell out of Lena's pocket.
3. CRunning for the bus, the sidewalk was where Lena dropped her phone.
4. DLena's phone, running for the bus, fell on the sidewalk.
Worked answer
A: Running for the bus, Lena dropped her phone on the sidewalk.. The opening phrase "Running for the bus" must describe the noun right after the comma. Only Lena can run for the bus.
1. Ask who is running for the bus: Lena.
2. The noun right after the comma must be Lena.
3. Only the first option puts Lena there.
The trap: The second option sounds natural in speech, but it says the phone was running. Check the first noun after an opening phrase.
PERT-style question 2 · Verb tense
Last summer, Dana works at the city pool and saved enough money for a used car. Which change corrects the sentence?
1. AChange "works" to "worked"
2. BChange "saved" to "saves"
3. CChange "Last summer" to "Every summer"
4. DNo change is needed
Worked answer
A: Change "works" to "worked". "Last summer" sets the sentence in the past, and "saved" is past, so "works" must become "worked".
1. Find the time marker: "Last summer", which is past.
2. Check each verb: "works" is present, "saved" is past.
3. Change the one that does not fit: works → worked.
The trap: Changing "saved" to "saves" makes the verbs match each other but not "Last summer". The time marker decides the tense.

More writing practice like this

Four writing drills and eight full PERT-style mocks, every answer explained like the ones above.

The PERT Pass Pack gives you 8 full mocks on the real clock, 12 drills of 12 questions for the sections that cost you points, and a predictor that turns your mocks into the odds of reaching your target. One payment, no subscription, and your free score stays free.

Prep courses for these tests usually cost $19 to $129. The PERT Pass Pack is US$39 (£29), once.

See the PERT Pass Pack How our questions are built and checked

8
timed mocks: 12
topic drills: 1
score predictor

What is the fastest way to check a PERT writing answer?

Find the subject and verb, check the joins between complete thoughts, check agreement against the subject, then read your answer back in place before you commit.

Find the subject and verb of every clause the question touches.
Check the joins: a period, a semicolon, or a comma plus a joining word between complete sentences.
Check agreement, pronouns and tense against the subject and the time markers.
For a draft question, name the paragraph's purpose before choosing.
Read your answer back in place. If it sounds wordy or changes the meaning, look again.

"No change" is sometimes right. Choose it when you have checked the sentence and found nothing wrong, not when you are unsure.

How do I answer PERT questions about a draft?

Read the whole draft once, name what each paragraph is for, and judge each change by whether it serves that purpose in the fewest clear words.

Organization questions are less about rules and more about purpose. "Which sentence does not belong?" is the one about a different subject. "Where should sentence 5 go?" is answered by the words that point back to something, such as "this plan" or "after that".

For combining questions, the best answer keeps every idea, removes repetition and makes one correct sentence. It is usually the shortest correct option.

What are the common PERT writing traps?

Options that sound natural in speech but break a rule, fixes that repair one error and create another, and "No change" chosen because the sentence sounds fine on a quick read.

The spoken-English trap: "Running for the bus, the phone fell" sounds normal aloud, but it says the phone was running.
The nearest-noun trap: a verb that agrees with the noun just before it instead of the subject several words back.
The half-fix trap: an option that cures a comma splice by adding "and" but leaves the comma out, or puts it in the wrong place.
The matching-verbs trap: changing a verb so it matches the other verb when both should match the time marker.
The wordy trap: an option that is correct but longer and vaguer than another correct option.

Each trap has a check from the table above. When two options both look right, the one that keeps the meaning in fewer words is usually the answer.

How should I practise PERT writing?

Take the free drill, learn the rule behind every miss, practise one rule a day from the table above, and take the full practice test at the end of the week.

Writing points come back faster than anything else on the PERT, because the rule list is short. Learn one rule a day, then find it in a drill. By the end of the week, run-ons and agreement errors start to stand out on the first read.

Then take the full PERT practice test. Reading and Writing together decide ENC 1101, so practise the PERT reading practice test too. The full plan is in how to pass the PERT.

Frequently asked questions

Is there an essay on the PERT?

No. The PERT Writing subtest is multiple choice only, so every writing point comes from the rules you can learn.

What PERT writing score do I need?

103 or higher is college ready. With a Reading score of 106 or more, it lets you take ENC 1101.

How many writing questions are on the PERT?

30, of which 25 are scored and 5 are unscored field-test questions.

Do I need to know grammar terms?

No. The questions ask you to fix sentences, not name rules. The checks in the table above are enough.

Write your way into ENC 1101

Four drills for each PERT subtest, eight full mocks and every answer explained, in one payment.