Timed writing combines reading the prompt and building an argument under a clock. On the AP English Language exam, as given today, students write three essays (synthesis, rhetorical analysis and argument) in two hours and fifteen minutes, including a 15-minute reading period: about 40 minutes per essay.
Key idea
Read the prompt closely, plan for about a tenth of the time, state a clear thesis early, give each reason a paragraph with evidence and commentary, and save a few minutes to reread.
Why it works
Planning feels like lost time, but it saves time: an essay with a plan doesn’t wander, and a clear thesis tells the reader (and you) what every paragraph is for. The reread catches the missing word or wrong name that would make a reader doubt you.
A 40-minute budget
| Step | Minutes |
|---|---|
| Read the prompt twice; mark the task | 2 |
| Plan: thesis and two or three reasons | 4 |
| Write | 30 |
| Reread and fix | 4 |
Worked example: Running out of time
Ten minutes are left and you have written two body paragraphs of a planned three. What should you do?
- A missing conclusion leaves the essay unfinished; a missing third reason only makes it shorter.
- Write a short third paragraph (or fold its point into a sentence) and a two-sentence conclusion.
- Use the last minutes to reread for errors.
Answer: Finish the essay: a brief last point, a short conclusion, then a quick reread.
Common mistake
Starting to write at once and drifting from the prompt, or running out of time before the conclusion. Check: before writing, can you say your thesis in one sentence and name your reasons? Glance at the clock at the end of each paragraph.
Debaters practice thinking on a clock too; see Impromptu and Extemporaneous Speaking.