What are the three prose constructed-response tasks on LEAP English, which two does a student do, and what does every text-based response have in common?
Understanding the written response tasks on LEAP English I and II: the three prose constructed-response (PCR) tasks (Literary Analysis Task, Research Simulation Task, Narrative Writing Task), the rule that every student does the Research Simulation Task plus either the Literary Analysis Task or the Narrative Writing Task, and what all text-based responses share: a response built from the provided passages, not a free-topic essay.
An overview of the LEAP English I and II prose constructed-response tasks: the Literary Analysis Task, Research Simulation Task, and Narrative Writing Task, and the rule that every student does the Research Simulation Task plus one of the other two. What every text-based response shares and why none is a free-topic essay.
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What this skill is asking
LEAP English I and II ask every student to write two prose constructed responses (PCRs), and knowing the system before you sit the test is half the preparation. There are three task types, the Literary Analysis Task (LAT), the Research Simulation Task (RST), and the Narrative Writing Task (NWT), and every student does the Research Simulation Task plus either the Literary Analysis Task or the Narrative Writing Task, depending on the form. This page is the gateway to the writing module: it maps the three tasks, the combination you will face, and the feature they all share, that each is a text-based response built from the provided passages. The transferable skill is understanding the writing demand of the test so you can prepare for both possible forms and approach any task the right way: read first, then write from the page.
The three tasks and the combination
You will not know in advance which second task you get, so prepare for both.
Because the Research Simulation Task is universal, it deserves the most preparation, but you must be ready for either the Literary Analysis Task or the Narrative Writing Task as the second response. The two analytic tasks (LAT and RST) share a scoring rubric and a method, build a claim, support it with evidence, organize it, write cleanly, while the Narrative Writing Task has its own rubric and rewards storytelling craft. Knowing the combination tells you what skills to rehearse. The sessions of the test carry these tasks across the three timed blocks, which the exam-strategy module covers.
What every text-based response shares
The single most important fact is that none of these is a free-topic essay.
This text-based design is why the reading and writing modules are so tightly linked: the close-reading skills feed directly into the responses. It is also why reading the passages carefully before writing is not optional but the foundation of a good response. Using text evidence well is the skill that connects reading to writing across all three tasks, and the rubrics reward exactly that. Understanding the writing demand, two responses, both text-based, is the orientation the rest of the module builds on.
Approaching the tasks
Try this
Q1. Which two tasks does every LEAP English student complete? [Recall]
- Cue. Every student does the Research Simulation Task plus either the Literary Analysis Task or the Narrative Writing Task, so two prose constructed responses in total. The Research Simulation Task is universal.
Q2. A friend plans to revise only narrative writing for LEAP. Why is that risky, and what should they do? [Short explanation]
- Cue. It is risky because the Narrative Writing Task is only one of two possible second tasks, and the Research Simulation Task is required for everyone. They should prepare the Research Simulation Task above all, and rehearse both the Literary Analysis Task and the Narrative Writing Task so they are ready for whichever form they get.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of LDOE exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
LEAP 2025 English I (style)1 marksWhich combination of writing tasks does every LEAP English student complete? (1) Three tasks: Literary Analysis, Research Simulation, and Narrative. (2) The Research Simulation Task plus either the Literary Analysis Task or the Narrative Writing Task. (3) Only the Narrative Writing Task. (4) No writing tasks, only reading.Show worked answer →
Answer: (2). Every student completes the Research Simulation Task, and then, depending on the test form, either the Literary Analysis Task or the Narrative Writing Task. So you write two prose constructed responses, not three and not none.
Why not the others: (1) overstates it, since you do not do all three; (3) leaves out the required Research Simulation Task; (4) is wrong because writing is central to the test. Knowing you will do the Research Simulation Task plus one other lets you prepare for both possibilities.
LEAP 2025 English II (style)2 marksWhat do the Literary Analysis Task, Research Simulation Task, and Narrative Writing Task all have in common, and why does it matter? (2 points: the common feature and its consequence.)Show worked answer →
All three are text-based: each response is built from the passage or passages provided in the task, not from a free topic or from outside knowledge. The Literary Analysis and Research Simulation tasks ask you to analyze and use evidence from the texts; the Narrative Writing Task asks you to write a narrative connected to a stimulus text.
This matters because it changes how you prepare and write: you must read the passages closely first, plan a response grounded in them, and draw evidence or inspiration from the page. A response that ignores the texts, or that is copied from them rather than using them, will not score well, because the tasks reward your own writing built on the provided material.
Related dot points
- The Literary Analysis Task on LEAP English I and II: reading one or more literary texts, building an analytic claim about how the author develops theme, character, or structure, and writing an essay that supports the claim with specific text evidence and explanation, scored on the combined Reading Comprehension and Written Expression dimension plus Knowledge of Language and Conventions.
How to write a strong Literary Analysis Task essay on LEAP English I and II: reading the literary text or texts, making an analytic claim about how the author develops theme, character, or structure, and supporting it with specific evidence and explanation. Scored on combined Reading Comprehension and Written Expression plus conventions.
- The Research Simulation Task on LEAP English I and II: reading several related sources (often informational, sometimes with charts or other media), answering text-dependent questions, and writing an essay that analyzes or explains ideas across the sources using evidence from more than one, scored on combined Reading Comprehension and Written Expression plus Knowledge of Language and Conventions.
How to write a strong Research Simulation Task essay on LEAP English I and II: reading several related sources, then writing an evidence-based essay that synthesizes ideas across them using evidence from more than one source. The Research Simulation Task is required for every student and scored on combined reading and writing plus conventions.
- The Narrative Writing Task on LEAP English I and II: reading a stimulus text and writing an original narrative connected to it (a continuation, a new point of view, or a narrative reflecting its theme), using effective narrative technique, a well-structured sequence of events, and precise detail, scored on the narrative Written Expression dimension plus Knowledge of Language and Conventions.
How to write a strong Narrative Writing Task response on LEAP English I and II: reading a stimulus and writing an original narrative connected to it with effective technique, clear structure, and precise detail. Scored on the narrative Written Expression dimension (holistic 0 to 4, times 3) plus conventions, with its own rubric.
- Using text evidence in the written response: selecting relevant and specific evidence from the provided passages, integrating it smoothly (quoting or paraphrasing), and explaining how each piece supports the claim or controlling idea, with attention to drawing on more than one source on the Research Simulation Task, for the LEAP English I and II analytic prose constructed responses.
How to use text evidence in a LEAP English I or II written response: choosing relevant, specific evidence, integrating it by quoting or paraphrasing, and explaining how each piece supports the claim. The point-evidence-explanation habit drives the Reading Comprehension and Written Expression score on the analytic tasks.
- The LEAP writing rubric and scoring: how the two prose constructed-response rubrics work, the analytic rubric for the Literary Analysis and Research Simulation tasks (Reading Comprehension and Written Expression, holistic 0 to 4 times 4, plus Knowledge of Language and Conventions 0 to 3, up to 19) and the narrative rubric for the Narrative Writing Task (Written Expression 0 to 4 times 3, plus conventions 0 to 3, up to 15), the rule that an unscorable response earns 0, and how to write toward the top of each, for LEAP English I and II.
How the LEAP English I and II prose responses are scored: the analytic rubric (Reading Comprehension and Written Expression 0 to 4 times 4, plus conventions 0 to 3, up to 19) for the Literary Analysis and Research Simulation tasks, and the narrative rubric (Written Expression 0 to 4 times 3, plus conventions, up to 15). What each dimension rewards and how to write toward the top.
Sources & how we know this
- LEAP 2025 Assessment Guide for English I and English II — LDOE (2025)
- Louisiana Student Standards for English Language Arts — LDOE (2025)