Timed writing can take many forms, but there is always a limit on the amount of time you have to complete your writing. Timed writings most commonly occur in an exam situation, where the tester is evaluating how well you understand a topic and/or can explain your thoughts without external assistance. The amount of time and the expected length of your writing will vary based on the instructions.

You can expect to find a timed writing portion on a test or quiz in virtually any subject. It doesn't matter whether you plan to study business, engineering, music, or linguistics, Timed essays are used frequently to demonstrate how you analyze, argue, or create something with what you have learned.

Although this section is about timed writing in general, all of the timed writing tips in this textbook will help you with the 30-minute essay on the TOEFL.

Step One: Recognize the constraints

When you encounter a timed writing prompt, you should consider the time restraints and the requirements of the prompt. Ask yourself the questions below before you begin your timed writing. 

• How much time do I have?
• What length of a response does the teacher expect?
• What aspect of my writing is most important to the teacher?
• Are there other sections of the test that I need to complete?
• Does the testing format provide spell check?

Usually, you will know in advance that there will be a timed writing component to an assessment so you can think about these questions beforehand. This will help you prioritize your time.  

Step Two: Organizing your ideas AND your time

It is common for students to feel a sense of panic when they see a clock counting down the seconds during an exam. Because of this psychological pressure, it is easy to overlook a few important things. 

First of all, an outline will always benefit you. You may think that the best idea is to immediately start writing because the time is limited, but that could lead to a very disorganized presentation of an answer. Read the prompt carefully and make a brief outline of ideas so that you know all parts of the prompt will be addressed and that all of your most important details will be included. 

Second, consider how to use time as your ally. Rather than allowing it to control you, think of how you can use the time to keep yourself on track. For example, if the essay is only a small part of the total grade, control the amount of time you give yourself to write the answer. You might do this by answering the essay in a certain amount of time, leaving yourself enough time to complete the rest of the test. Divide the time you have to work with so you can work smarter.

As an example, you may have 30 minutes to complete an essay. In order to work quickly, you could follow a time schedule like this:

You will obviously need to structure your time differently depending on the amount of time you have to work with. It may also be necessary to adjust the time you spend on certain aspects of your essay depending on what is most important to the teacher. For example, there may be a larger emphasis on accuracy, so you will need to give yourself more time to revise and edit.

Exercises