SAT Essays – Writing a High Scoring SAT Essay

When taking the SAT, you will have 25 minutes to write an essay on an assigned topic. The content and quality of your SAT essay will determine your essay score. Here are some essay do’s and don’ts to keep in mind when writing your SAT essay.

Do’s

• Do write neatly.
• Do pay close attention to grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
• Do stay on topic. An off-topic SAT essay will receive a zero score.
• Do make sure your argument is supported by genuine examples.
• Do write a well-organized SAT essay.
• Do plan your SAT essay before you start writing.
• Do start with an outline. You can develop your essay from there.

Don’ts

• Don’t write your SAT essay in your test book. You can make notes or write your outline in the book, but the answer grid must be used for the actual essay.
• Don’t deviate too far from your outline. You spent time writing an outline for a reason.
• Don’t write too large. There is only so much room allotted in your booklet for the SAT essay.
• Don’t scribble out large portions of text on your SAT essay. Instead, erase the offending words as carefully as possible. The neater your SAT essay, the better.
• Don’t use conjunctions, slang, or bad grammar in your SAT essay.
• Don’t forget that the clock is running. You only have 25 minutes to complete the essay portion of the SAT test.
• Don’t forget to proofread every sentence in your SAT essay. You don’t want to be marked down for a simple mistake. More SAT Resources