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Step 1
Determine the number of points or the percentage of your students' overall grade that the diagnostic essay will be worth. Be clear that the diagnostic can alter their grade, as students will often turn in lackluster work because they think a diagnostic isn't a serious, important assignment.
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Step 2
Decide what your course and essays will primarily focus on. For instance, decide if you want your students to master argumentative, informative, narrative, literary or compare-and contrast-essays, among other choices.
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Step 3
Assign a diagnostic essay that closely approximates what you will have thee students write throughout the semester. For instance, if your students will be primarily responsible for argumentative essays, you do not want to assign a personal narrative. Instead, make them argue for or against something.
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Step 4
Provide a topic for the diagnostic essay that bears a strong resemblance to the course material that will be discussed throughout the semester. If you want to lecture on the 18th century British novel, do not assign a diagnostic essay about the most important technological innovation of the 20th century, or even the most influential 20th century novelist.
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Step 5
Grade the essay harshly. This is in the best interest of your students. Mark up and critique the essay as much as possible, even if you will not be this picky when grading their regular papers. This gives the students a clear idea of what they should and should not do in their future essays, and it lets them know that they need to dedicate themselves and make a concerted effort on every assignment.
