Am I writing enough?

[Lolly]

Hello everybody. I’ve been really happy with my progress just lately, but I'm having a bit of trouble with writing an adequate amount of content within one hour.  I know that the highest scoring essays are usually 1000-1300 words, but on a good day I usually only manage around 800-1000. That said, I've been doing reasonably well, scoring between 17 and 19 for my close analyses.
 I’m just wondering if this is going to be more of a problem in the exam?

 I guess the only answer is to practise more, but to be honest, I’ve been practising all year and I can’t seem to get past that 1000 word threshold - well, apart from SACS when they give us an obscene amount of time.

[Lado]

I share the same issue! I'm usually more of a 900-ish word essay writer myself, and honestly it is beyond my limits to write 1300 words in an hour. I think it's more imperative to have written a quality essay in fewer words than one that is expanded out merely for length. Practicing more to produce a longer essay is the only advice I can offer, but if you really can't get past the 1000 word limit, don't push yourself. It's the content within the essay that matters, as that is what you will be assessed on - not the amount of words you've written (though of course a longer essay has the potential to hold more substance).

[charmanderp]

At last year's VATE lecture one of the examiners said that she'd given pieces that are around 800 words full marks before. Obviously they would need to be of really high quality - probably more so (by a tiny bit) than essays which are in that 1200-1400  range.

[LittleMissSunshine]

Hi! I'm in the same boat as you, but I've noticed that some of the example essays my teacher has given me are only 800 words, and they are usually published by VCAA as high responses, so I don't really think you have anything to worry about. I think the main thing with passage analysis is to write a well-structured piece with good language, that covers all of the assessment focuses. If you do that, you will be fine! Remember, quality over quantity! 

[Lolly]

Hi! I'm in the same boat as you, but I've noticed that some of the example essays my teacher has given me are only 800 words, and they are usually published by VCAA as high responses, so I don't really think you have anything to worry about. I think the main thing with passage analysis is to write a well-structured piece with good language, that covers all of the assessment focuses. If you do that, you will be fine! Remember, quality over quantity! 

I hope I'll be fine, but I'm presuming that having both quality and quantity would be more likely to score higher...Oh well. Just gotta keep trying
On a side note, I wouldn't use the presumedly high responses published by VCAA as a measuring stick to go by. The ones I have read aren't terrible, but they're not exactly brilliant, either.

[LittleMissSunshine]

Hi! I'm in the same boat as you, but I've noticed that some of the example essays my teacher has given me are only 800 words, and they are usually published by VCAA as high responses, so I don't really think you have anything to worry about. I think the main thing with passage analysis is to write a well-structured piece with good language, that covers all of the assessment focuses. If you do that, you will be fine! Remember, quality over quantity! 

I hope I'll be fine, but I'm presuming that having both quality and quantity would be more likely to score higher...Oh well. Just gotta keep trying
On a side note, I wouldn't use the presumedly high responses published by VCAA as a measuring stick to go by. The ones I have read aren't terrible, but they're not exactly brilliant, either.

Yes I know what you mean, sometimes some of them aren't that great!  I read one yesterday that had quite a few things wrong with it 

[zombiesatemybrain]

Quality is more important. I think I wrote around 850 words for the exam and got a SS in the high 40s. So yeah, it's fine. Stay concise and precise.

[charmanderp]

Yup I wrote two pieces of 1500+ words in my exam - got 31/40 for the one that was all rambly and panicked and made extremely little sense across the entirety of the essay and 39/40 for the other one which was totally measured. In hindsight I wish I'd written about half for the first piece, would have gotten me a much better mark!