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Developing a Strategy
You only have 30 minutes to write each essay in the Analytical Writing section. With such limited time, your approach
is crucial and above all things, it must be strategic. With the time limit, you simply do not have the luxury of digging
deeply into the material and spending lots of time exploring all the possible angles from which to approach the essay. 
You have to dive in and attack the essay, and to do that, you must have a comfortable strategy.

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A strategic approach to the Analytical Writing section merits attention to several key areas:
Time Management
Understanding how to best use the allotted time to strategically approach the essays
Essay Format
Structuring your essay so that it is organized, it contains a proper introduction and conclusion, and it addresses
the main components of the prompt
Critical Writing Components
Clearly articulating your position in an appropriate tone, ensuring that you proofread for errors
Key Differences Between the Prompts
Understanding that the Analyze an Issue and Analyze an Argument prompts are very different in terms of the type
of response they require and ensuring your essays align with each essay task
You should work to implement your strategy while preparing for the exam and continue to refine it as you practice with
the sample prompts; test day is not the time to try out new strategies! Let us look at some of the key strategic areas
more closely.
Time Management
Managing your time on the entire exam is critical. However, the Analytical Writing section arguably presents the greatest
challenge in this area. Your time limit starts when the prompt is displayed on the screen. You are tasked with writing a
cohesive essay that offers critical analysis and insight into a randomly generated topic...all within a 30-
minute time limit!
As you begin to work through prompts and write your sample essays, you should first focus on constructing logical
arguments without much worry about the time constraints. It is important to spend some time refining your writing and
making sure you understand key logical constructs and how to avoid common errors first. Then incorporate the element
of time into your study plan. Once you have practiced a few essays focused on writing, then it is time to start exploring
how to put together a high-scoring essay under time constraints.
Your time should be divided among four key tasks: 
• Reading
• Brainstorming and Outlining 
• Writing your Essay

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• Proofreading