10 Tips for Scoring 6 on the Essay

There are two types of essays that come on the GRE test. They are the Issue Essay and the Argument Essay. Following are useful tips to score good marks on both the essays.

1. While writing each point or argument, try to support your point by using an example for every argument. This is most crucial for both essays on the GRE.

2. Use transition verbs and phrases so that your essay looks coherent and the flow of the essay is maintained. Learn some transition words and implement them in your sample essays so you get used to the pattern.

3. Make sure you include one paragraph in the beginning as an introduction and one in the end as the conclusion. These two can be written after the main body of the essay, as that is what is most important. The intro and conclusion can be omitted if one doesn’t have enough time, but they make the essay look good and organized, so try to incorporate them.

4. Do not write your essay as one big paragraph, but instead as three to five small paragraphs. It not only makes the essay look presentable, but also will make the examiner think it is well organized.

5. Try to have perfect grammar, sentence structure, strong vocabulary and varied word usage in your essay. These are the building blocks of a winner’s essay. Do not spend too much time on these, but make them at least near perfect. You won’t be penalized for one or two mistakes.

6. Let your essay maintain a standard tone till the end. Avoid slang and too much technical jargon. The essay should not be funny but a formal and serious one. Avoid using sayings and proverbs too.

7. It is ok to use abbreviations in some places. Like ‘won’t’ instead of ‘will not’, etc. Try not to include superfluous phrases like ‘It is my opinion that’ and ‘From my point of view’ etc.

8. Do not try to score more points using your vocabulary. It is good to have a few complicated words in your essay but do not over do it. Do not try to mask poor content with big words as the examiners would like to see good content and not your vocabulary.

9. Reserve at least five minutes at the end to review your essay and make minor changes. You can use this time to check spelling mistakes, grammatical errors etc. Make your introduction paragraph strong as the first impression is always good on the examiners.

10. Do not write sorry notes or apologies for presenting a bad essay, or not having enough time to complete or so. This makes your entire essay look bad and unorganized. Do not write crude or rough drafts of your essay either in bullets or in a haphazard manner. Try to use the time conservatively and practice as much as possible before the exam.