Gace Guide To Approaching Essays Like A Test Pro

When it comes to approaching the much-feared GACE test essay, the usual line of thinking follows this thought...

I've either got the ability to do this, or I don't.

With this kind of attitude in mind, it's no wonder that the essay section on the GACE can give would-be Georgia teachers the most trouble!

However, as a GACE testing coach, I find it hard to blame the students for this mindset. After all, apart from the third grade, when was the last time we were taught how to write an essay? Sure, we know that the average essay follows a kind of formula: make sure that it's composed of five paragraphs, one of which is the introduction and one of which is the conclusion.

But that's it. Done. Finito. So what happens when you still have trouble writing a strong essay that really gets to the heart of what you have to say...

...Especially when you're dealing with the timing pressure of testing?

How Do You Study for a GACE Essay?

When it comes to the verbal and mathematical sections, GACE study is pretty simple.

But how do study for an essay? Should you write hundreds of essays and hope that the secret to a strong and powerful answer will suddenly appear from the tip of your pen? Should you study up on that high school grammar book that you stored up in your attic years ago?

Let me clear a few things up for you: don't do any of these methods!

Nothing wastes more of your precious study time by approaching that tough essay section from the wrong angle. If you're not that great of a writer, don't think that you're doomed before you've even taken the test. And even if you're a stellar writer, I've got a few tips and tricks up my sleeves that even you can benefit from.

And I'm about to expose them to you right now.

Approaching the Essay on Your GACE Tests

Are you ready for this? Good - because you're about to learn how to approach the essay on your GACE tests!

*You know that you should always start by reading the question - you don't need a GACE study guide to tell you that! But while reading it, draw a circle or underline the keywords that let you know what the question wants from you. For example, does it want you to draw a conclusion? Compare or contrast two concepts? Provide examples that support the statement?

*Restate the question to yourself before you begin to write the essay.

*Quickly jot down the facts and information that you'll need to answer the question in your test booklet. If your mind goes blank while you're writing the essay, you can refer back to these notes to help refresh your mind.