When students are required to write a diagnostic essay, they become frightened because they don’t know how to write this paper. Most of them postpone working on this assignment till the last minute. And this increases their chances of failure.
A diagnostic essay is somehow different from a typical essay. Its goal is to test several skills that you should have in college. It’s usually assigned by college professors at the beginning of the academic year to evaluate the knowledge of students. Like any other assignment, some guidelines have to be followed when writing a diagnostic essay.
Diagnostic essay expectations
A diagnostic essay is not different from other types of college essays when it comes to structuring. It has an intro, body, and conclusion. It also has a thesis statement that helps readers understand your opinion on a particular topic.
Effective time management is key when writing a diagnostic essay. In most instances, you’ll be limited to an hour. Therefore, you need to plan everything early to boost your productivity and performance.
The best strategy to use when working on a diagnostic essay
After your tutor assigns you a topic for your essay, you need to start formulating your concept. Start drafting your thesis statement and create your outline based on the main points of your essay. Also, always spare five to ten minutes to edit and proofread your work after writing.
With the right procedure, writing a diagnostic essay is easy. Here are the important rules that you need to keep in mind when writing a diagnostic essay:
1. Choose the right topic
If your tutor allows you to choose a topic, you should always go for one that you are passionate about. The topic shouldn’t be too broad or narrow. Picking the wrong topic will make your essay writing process extremely difficult. In fact, you won’t enjoy writing essays in college. Some of the best topics for a diagnostic essay include:
• The issue of racism in college
• Will remote jobs take over the world in the future?
• Do the negatives outweigh the positives in online studying?
2. Craft your thesis statement
Most students have a hard time when it comes to crafting a thesis statement for their diagnostic essays. While they are required to craft lots of statements for different essays throughout the year, very few students can create a good thesis statement when they start writing.
A thesis statement is the main point of an essay. Therefore, it should be written first because you won’t have enough time to think it through when you start writing. Remember, you’ll be limited to a few minutes when writing this essay. Creating a thesis statement will make your work easier.
3. Create your outline
Most students don’t create an outline when writing a diagnostic essay due to tight deadlines. However, an outline will enable you to organize your thoughts and thus save time. When writing an essay, a few ideas will cross your mind. Write down these ideas and cover one idea per paragraph. By doing this, you’ll have an easy time writing your essay.
4. Write the intro
The introduction is an important section because it gives readers an impression of your essay. You’ll need to include your thesis statement in the first paragraph to give readers an understanding of what your paper is all about and your solution to a particular problem. You need to start your essay with a hook that will grab your reader’s attention and give them a reason to read your article.
5. Write the body
In most instances, short essays usually have three paragraphs. They include facts, examples, and quotes to support your claims and opinions. The best way to write this section is by elaborating your opinion with evidence from reliable sources. Starting your paragraph with the main ideas that you came up with will give your readers an idea of what your paragraphs are about. Always end your paragraphs with transition sentences.
6. Write the conclusion
The conclusion is a section that summarizes your key findings and focuses on your thesis statement. It gathers all facts into a single final thought that is represented by your opinion. You can paraphrase the main statement and include it in the final section. Avoid repeating your previous sentences to get good grades.
7. Proofread your work
After writing down everything, always spare a few minutes to go through your work and make edits. Everyone makes mistakes on their first draft. Therefore, you should never submit your work without going through it. Correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors.
8. Hire an editor
Takeaway
A diagnostic paper is easier to write compared to other academic papers because it doesn’t require extensive research. You can always include important facts or data. However, it’s not mandatory. Having an outline and managing your time effectively during the writing process will pay off in spades in the long run.
