pcat essay tips

pcat essay tips

Effective Strategies for Writing a Stellar PCAT Essay

1. Introduction to the PCAT Essay Section

Become familiar with what will be required of you on the test day. Whether you are taking the computer-based test or the paper test, the first part of the testing will involve the writing of two essays – “Comprehensive Writing” and “Problem Solving Writing.” Responses to the first essay (Comprehensive Writing) will be judged on how well the candidate develops, organizes and supports both the primary ideas and the secondary ideas as well as the inherent relationships between ideas. A composite score will be computed from the two graders’ evaluations on factors such as logic and clarity. Factors attributed to your organization and composition will also influence your primary score.

So you’re taking the Pharmacy College Admission Test, and there’s something that has been worrying you: the PCAT essay section. Don’t worry; thousands of other PCAT students are feeling just as stressed about this section of the test. Yes, this portion of the test can be an issue for many students. The good news is that plenty of students have gone before you and they have left something for you that will help you get through the PCAT – those helpful predecessors have put together a list of strategies and tips that will enable you to face this portion of the test with much more poise and confidence.

2. Understanding the Prompt and Grading Criteria

Using the prompt discussed above, your job is to defend your chosen issue and support it with examples or details that are logical and clearly connect to the issue you have chosen. The clarity of your essay is important with the consideration of spelling and grammar usage, as well as the selection and usage of vocabulary that is appropriate for your chosen issue. The reader would mostly be looking to see if the flow of your essay makes sense, as well as the essay not being off-topic or remotely on another issue.

You will be graded on your ability to carefully and logically connect issues from the topic you have chosen and support your answer with valid examples and details as well as address and defend interpretations of certain complex themes and/or issues.

For your first essay, you must write an essay discussing two of the following: important discoveries in the last 20 years, regrets and missed opportunities can have a potentially lasting negative impact on an individual, over-reliance on technology makes people inert and non-interactive, the cost of physical beauty.

Before you even write your essay, you need to have an understanding of the prompt for your assigned essay topic and understand where you can earn the most points. This will give you the capability of focusing your writing on the necessary information and the ability to leave out any irrelevant information because it is not necessary for its maximum score.

3. Structuring Your Essay for Success

Of course, don’t forget the basics. The aforementioned essay question is only part of your assignment. Expect your writing to be evaluated as a final product that includes (a) relevant, purposeful context; (b) a clear thesis; (c) a carefully structured argument; (d) evidence that supports your points; and (e) a conclusion that has meaningful implications.

Text as a whole Always keep the question in mind. It’s easy to get sidetracked or lose focus when writing an open-ended essay—so don’t. Your task is to answer the question, and every paragraph you write should have a clear purpose that helps establish your thesis or advance your argument. For example, if you’re responding to an essay question such as the one above, identify an issue of importance, propose a solution, and support that solution with evidence and analysis.

Once you’ve selected a topic and narrowed your focus, you’ll need to think about the purpose, audience, and tone of your essay. The information you’ve already gathered answers the reader’s questions “What?” and “So what?” The question that follows is “How?” How should you present your ideas to get your message across most effectively? Use the following structure to help ensure that both your ideas and your writing are clear, compelling, and convincing.

4. Crafting Strong Arguments and Providing Evidence

Research should produce evidence which will support the arguments that the debaters will use to persuade the judges to vote for them. It is at this stage, as debaters are shaping the directions of their cases and preparing for their contests with their opponents, that the more common use of many sources of information comes when each detail must be scrutinized to evaluate whether it supports one’s own position or weakens that of the opposition. Evidence is at every level, from broad generalizations to the characteristic specifics. Some of the generalizations are advanced by experts in their fields – statistics from reputable sources are often used to illustrate them. The student debater, or the instructor pondering how to address the subject in the classroom, will find a background or brief history of the controversy at hand helpful to understand the subject from a different standpoint. Given the recognition of the term and the increasing emphasis on debate in higher education, the seasoned debaters employed by many speech and communications textbooks can also help students understand the position of top debaters – chances are, they are the ones who actually wrote the claims.

Parliamentary-style debate is predicated upon logical, well-developed arguments. In order to develop such arguments, a debater must know their subject thoroughly. Debaters are expected to research and prepare arguments on both sides of public policy issues. Most people just select what they read by their interests, and student researchers are no different. The student, however, cannot afford to limit the research so narrowly. While the student debater must research both sides of the question, the process of creation and presentation is neither unbiased nor detached. The debater’s task is to determine which position overall is best supported by evidence.

5. Polishing Your Essay: Editing and Proofreading Techniques

– Am I making my point as clearly and fully as possible? – Does my point answer the question?

Make a copy of your original essay and leave space in between each paragraph or each thought. Read through the essay and the explanation. Then stop and summarize the paragraph in the margin or in the blank space. Look at each brief in the margin and ask yourself:

4.1 Techniques for Revising for Organization: Review of the Thesis; Development of Ideas

Revising, editing, and proofreading your essay are the very last steps to writing the essay. It is imperative to rearrange and alter your written essay for your final draft. A thorough final revision process will help you catch and correct errors as well as improve the overall quality of your paper.

4.0 Polishing Your Essay: Editing and Proofreading Techniques

Writing an essay involves more than just putting words on paper. You are adding your ideas, logic, and perspective into the mix, ultimately shaping the thoughts and opinions of others. Since your name is going on this piece of writing, it must be your best work. The steps herein do not outline how to write but, rather, how to make sure what is written is clear, effective, and polished.