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Strategies for Writing Essay Tests 1. Do not start writing immediately. 2. Analyze the question that you answer by underlining the cue words and key words. 3. Use a writing process as much as possible within the constraints of the time limit. Try to allot time to plan and revise. For a one-hour test of one question, take about 10 minutes to jot down preliminary ideas about content and organization, and save about 10 minutes to reread, revise and edit your answer. If you feel blocked, try free writing to get your hand and your thoughts moving. 4. Support any generalizations with specifics. 5. Beware of "going off the topic". Respond to the cue words and key words in the question, and do not try to reshape the question to conform to what you might prefer to write about. Remember, your reader expects a clear line of presentation and reasoning that answers the given question.
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