• If possible, practice at home on a similar topic and give yourself the same time frame. Then, make an appointment at your school’s Writing Center to discuss your essay.
• Have breakfast so you can better focus on your writing.
• Be sure to arrive early to class so you can set your materials out and feel prepared.

During the Test

• Mark any significant words that are used in the prompt to help you to organize your essay. Some sample words are: analyze, compare, contrast, discuss, define, describe, evaluate, explain, illustrate, prove, and state.
• Check the expectations for introduction, body, and concluding paragraph format. Be sure that your thesis statement is the last sentence of your introduction. Or, if you do not have to write an introduction then begin with your thesis statement.
• If no body format is given, follow the sample below.

• Manage your time according to the length of the session. If you have a fifty-minute class, spend five to seven minutes brainstorming, thirty-five to forty minutes writing, and five to seven minutes proofreading.
• Write in present tense.
• If you run out of time, be sure to end your essay with one closing sentence. It is better than leaving it open-ended.
• Use transition words to connect your ideas together. Transitions include words or phrases such as also, in addition, on the other hand, besides, and furthermore.
• Proofread your work for clarity, completeness, and grammatical conventions.
• Listen for further directions.