In our first module, we discussed the anxiety that living with our symbiotic technology, language, can cause us when we are in situations like job interviews when we have to communicate in specialized ways and so must suddenly be aware of how that technology is functioning. One way to get a handle on such situations is to develop a clear understanding of what is expected and then to practice that kind of specialized communication. The last two modules, which focused on narration and example writing, were meant both to inform you about the kinds of writing you often perform in college and the workplace and to help you practice how to develop that writing. This module will put the skills you’ve developed so far to the test in a kind of “real world” simulation of communicating under pressure.

College students often have to write an essay based on a prompt or question within a limited time period. For example, an essay question on a test in a humanities class may require a short, timed essay without the benefit of resources. Moreover, many job interviews involve writing projects that require applicants to prove their ability to think under time constraints, and of course at work deadlines are always looming, so writing under pressure is an important skill to master.

This course requires students to write, and receive a passing grade on, one timed essay at a testing site. You will have 60 minutes to compose an essay on one of two prompts without benefit of references or resources. For information on scheduling the proctored exam refer to the Proctored Exam Information page located in the Start Here Module of this course.

The essay must be 400 to 500 words long and consist of four or five paragraphs including 1) an introductory paragraph with a thesis statement, 2) body paragraphs supporting the thesis statement, and 3) a concluding paragraph. Prewriting and outlining (the first two steps of the writing process we’ve discussed over the last two modules) can help you develop the key components that need to be included in these paragraphs; for example, the introductory paragraph should include your hook and thesis statement. A grading rubric is included in this module to help you understand how the timed essay will be evaluated.

In this module, you will learn techniques that will help you to succeed at timed writing, such as how to budget time, organize ideas, write an effective thesis statement, and proofread your essay. If you will approach your essay as a process and go through the recommended steps, you can avoid writer’s block and draft with confidence!

Module Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this module, the student will be able to:

1. List the planning steps for writing a timed essay.
2. Differentiate grades for a timed essay, based on the criteria in the grading rubric.
3. Compose an essay within 60 minutes, applying the steps of the writing process adapted for timed writing.