XAT 2014: 8 key points for effective Essay Writing

In the second article on Essay Writing skill author and expert in Verbal Area, Prof SK Agarwal, shares the tips and tricks to learn how to develop key skill to write a good essay in XAT 2014 and WAT.
MBAUniverse.com has already given well composed information to the aspirants on the importance of essay writing in IIMs, XLRI and IIFT in the first article.

The purpose of Management programme is to develop such managerial qualities as would be required to manage the affairs. This in turn requires good writing skills. The candidate should be able to express his ideas in a clear, logical and coherent manner. The essay writing by the aspirant is a manifestation of this skill and aptitude.

XLRI or IIMs are not in the search for an English literature professor but for the right person who can express his thoughts well in a written form and who is well read and well informed about the various prevailing important national and international issues as well as their effects on businesses. It will definitely have its due impact on business managers. Besides it conveys whether the aspirant is free from biases and is able to understand the things without prejudice.

Key points to remember for effective XAT 2014 essay writing
1. Plan and Outline your work
Without an outline, youll walk through a minefield of disorganized and wayward thoughts. Starting to write a paper without organized thoughts is nothing short of trying to build a house without a blueprint of design and foundation. The end product ends up a mess of disorganized and illogical thoughts and redundancies and irrelevant material. Dont go for confused concepts. Unfortunately, once you put the disorganized ideas down before the examiner, it would result in an inferior product to the one if the author had outlined the work-just like a poorly designed house with disorganized spaces, layout, wiring and plumbing. So give a few seconds to organize your thoughts before proceeding to write the essay.

2. Practice a lot
Writing is hard work for the novice and experienced writer alike. With a lot of practice, youll eventually get to that more confident place, a place in which your writing really sings with simple and lucid sentences and paragraphs, and really tells your reader everything that you meant to say.

3. Read more to become a good writer
What should you read? Read something basic, not directly in your field of expertise. Theres a host of journals-most fields have journals that are considered very good in their field. Reading good literature in general is essential to re-training your brain to good English construction and style. Read articles and editorials in news paper, periodicals like India today, Economist, Readers Digest, Time and Magazines of interest to you. Read well-written material regularly.

Prepare for XAT 2014, NMAT, SNAP, IBSAT, CMAT, MAHCET 2014
XAT 2014: Paper pattern, Key dates, B schools using XAT Scores
IIFT 2013 Preparation: Learn 5 most important areas and tips
IIFT 2013: 10 things to avoid during the test
NMAT 2014 Exam pattern, Paper pattern and Test schedule
XAT 2014, NMAT, SNAP, IIFT & IBSAT: Focus on other exams after CAT
IBSAT 2013: ICFAI B Schools, IBSAT 2013 exam Pattern and key dates
CMAT 2014: Dates announced, exams to start from Feb 20, 2014
MAH CET 2014 Exam pattern and updates

4. Know your reader who is going to read your essay
When you write an essay in XAT 2014, who you are writing for? For yourself to read or for examiner to read? Do not write for yourself ignoring your overarching goal-writing for the reader, who happens to be the examiner. Later on, the writing piece may become a part of questions in Personal Interview. Without considering who will read your article, you will not first consider how fully you should explain the ideas. What figures, data, quotes to include, what terms and concepts you need to define.

Before you start writing the essay in neat handwriting (Yes quite necessary) consider that your learned reader will have to examine number of essays, so you have to write in such a manner that would hook your reader in the first paragraph itself. Pour your knowledgeable ideas in a systematic way to maintain consistency and conclude it gracefully. It will serve you well.

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5. Manage time with good writing
Good writing requires dedication and concentration, and time. While you have former two at your disposal the latter (time) is limited- so it has to be managed in the best professional way. Your essay may be the first one, in middle order or may be the last to be examined by the designated examiner. Unless you have something different and interesting to write-how do you expect him to read it the way you want? Essay must not turn into a nightmare of confused paragraphs and differing styles that sometimes is not even properly read by the examiner. So, practice with a thoughtful writing style.

6. Learn the elementary rules of punctuation and use them to your advantage
Skillful punctuation is the backbone of good writing. As a classic example, if you read Woman without her man is nothing, the reader wonders if it should be punctuated as Woman, without her man, is nothing. Or, Woman: without her, man is nothing. Skillful use of semicolons, comas, parentheses, dashes, and periods can clarify a confused sentence or string of tangled thoughts, assuming the message is all there. In general, the suggestion is to have clarity on punctuation marks.

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7. Lessons from Professional Writers
Look how they have written. You may find many essays written in a simple but interesting manner using simple vocabulary words. Observe their writing pattern, the beginning, the main body, the conclusion. There is no need to go for floral and figurative language. Express your flow of thought in simple and short sentences.
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8. Transition thoughts
Ideally one paragraph should contain one thought. So avoid writing such words as nevertheless/ hitherto/ henceforth/ therefore/ however/my point is/I am writing about etc. These words indicate transition from sentence to sentence or from one paragraph to another; if their usage is not clearly understood and if one point is not completed, it will have a bad impact on your reader. So be careful while moving to your next idea.

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Next Article in this expert series will be on sample essays for XAT 2014 and Written Ability Test (WAT)
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