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| The Writing section of the OGT includes essay and short answer prompts as well as a few multiple choice questions on sentence structure and writing mechanics. The essay and short answer sections allow you to express your own ideas or opinions. The readers will not be looking for one specific answer. Just about any answer will be acceptable if it is well-written and includes logical reasons to support it. |
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| Brainstorm |
| Before you attempt to write your essay, take a few moments to think about what position you want to take and how you can back up your point of view. |
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| Use a Graphic Organizer |
| Put your thoughts, your reasons for your opinion into a logical sequence. A brief outline or graphic organizer can be used to plan what you want to write. |
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| Structure Your Time |
| Try to spend about five minutes in the pre-writing activities of brainstorming and creating the graphic organizer. Spend the next 15 minutes writing your essay. Use less time if you are working on the short answer section. Spend an additional five minutes proofreading your work for spelling, punctuation, and grammar mistakes. |
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| Anticipate the Scoring System |
| Multiple choice questions are worth one point each. Short answer questions are worth two points each. The essays are worth 18 points. Take extra care on the questions worth more points. Do not skip any of the writing prompts. Tackle the two essays first, while your energy and concentration are high. Attempt the short answer and multiple choice questions after the essays are done. |
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| Write Legibly |
| You can't earn points if the scorer cannot read your work. If your handwriting is poor, consider printing your responses. |
