Everyone who has taken the SAT is familiar with the pressure of having to write a high-quality essay in a very compressed period of time: the written section of the test demands that you respond to a prompt with a well-constructed, thoughtful essay in only twenty-five minutes. And once a student enters college, this daunting challenge of writing high-quality essays must be faced once again by the student on blue book tests and take home essay sections. It is very tempting to throw up your hands and wail that it is simply not possible to write a decent essay in such a short period of time. However, by remembering a few simple steps, you can reduce the terror of having to ‘beat the clock.’

1. Answer the question. It’s very easy in the panic of the moment just to write and write. However, no essay is going to ask you to ramble on about everything that you know. Take a deep breath, and focus on the specific points the essay asks about, whether you are confronting the question for the first time (as with an SAT prompt) or whether you have prepared for the test, as is the case with a conventional exam.

2. Outline. Don’t just start writing gibberish to have something on paper. Since you don’t have much time, your teacher or the test grader wants a controlled, focused essay. Before beginning your essay write down what you want to say (your thesis) and also how you want to say it—your critical points or pieces of evidence. You don’t have to worry about Roman numerals or creating a formal outline, but have a general organizational map to follow.

3. Have a clear, relatively narrow thesis. It’s unlikely that you can touch upon every aspect of existentialism or the causes of the Civil War in less than an hour. Whether persuasive or informative, have a particular point-of-view on the subject and several (depending on the length of the essay) points that support your thesis.

4. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel. It’s not boring to stick with the five-paragraph format. In fact, having an introduction, three supporting paragraphs, and a conclusion is often the best route to take when you’re pressed for time. Your teacher is a human being and the easier your essay is to follow, the better your grade will be. Oh, and decent penmanship doesn’t hurt, either.