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Essay Strategies
1. Write only on the assigned topic. The directions for this part of the Writing Test are very clear
on this score: you must write on the assigned topic. On the other hand, that should not be difficult. Given
that the assigned topic is “vacuous,” you should have no problem coming up with something to write.
2. Let the topic be your prompt. As noted above, the topic is intended to be a prompt, and prompts
are designed to encourage students to write. In fact, if you pay careful attention to the language of the
prompt, it can actually help you to get started. Consider our example above. The topic explicitly invites
you to choose an example of kindness or compassion from history, current events, literature, or even
personal experience. Thus, you could write about the end of a war (history), or a mission of humanitarian
aid (current events), or the self-sacrifice of a fictional character (literature), or even about the day that
your family helped a stranded motorist (personal experience). What you have to say is not as important as
how you say it.
3. Do not try to do too much. In 20 minutes, you just are not going to be able to write a great work
of literature—so don’t try. At the most, you will probably be able to write only three or four paragraphs.
It is better to finish what you start than to try to do too much and run out of time before you can finish.
Ideally, you want to have the opportunity to proofread your essay before time is called.
4. Organize your essay before you begin to write. Given the 20-minute time limit, you just are not
going to have time to write and then rewrite the essay. So before you begin to write, you should take a
moment to organize the essay in your mind. (You won’t have time to make an elaborate written outline.)

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Lesson 2
22
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ARCO
■ SAT II Subject Tests
The first step in organizing the essay is to identify the two or three (perhaps four) important points
that you want to make. Next, you must decide on the order of presentation for those points. Then, in your
writing, as you come to each important point you should pause to organize the details of that part of the
discussion.