85 W W riting an essay in an exam situation, with the clock ticking, is very different from
other types of essay writing. Of course, the fundamentals of good writing do not
change (which is why Chapters 1–4 apply to any type of essay). What changes is
your approach. When you have just 25 minutes (SAT), 45 minutes (GED), or an hour (many
state tests, such as Regents’), you must use your time wisely. Every minute counts.
The way to take full advantage of every minute is to prepare; gather all available infor-
mation about the test beforehand, and develop a strategy that will take you through the essay
writing process. Understand the topics, know how to organize your thoughts, and be able
to expand prewriting notes into paragraphs. Take timed practice exams to get used to the
situation, and also to identify your strengths and weaknesses. The weeks before the exam
are when you should figure out which topics you write best on, and which grammatical errors
you make most frequently. When you take a timed essay exam, preparation can mean the
difference between a great score and a poor one.
C H A P T E R Timed Essay Writing Strategies
