Phase 1: Untimed Practice

Before you write a single timed essay, you must first develop the component skills in an environment free from time pressure. Jumping straight into 40-minute practice is one of the most common and most damaging preparation mistakes. It produces essays that are rushed, poorly structured, and demoralising — none of which helps you improve.

Phase 1 is about building quality without worrying about speed. Speed comes later, and it comes more easily when the underlying skills are strong.

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The Logic of Untimed Practice

Consider learning to drive. You would not begin your first lesson on a motorway in rush hour. You would start in a quiet car park, practising individual manoeuvres until they become second nature. Only then would you move to busier roads, and eventually to the motorway.

Essay writing under time pressure works the same way: