How can I get faster at writing?

This question bothers everyone who deals with texts. Whether you are a college student writing essays and taking regular written exams or a creative writer crafting fictional stories or web content, you want to increase your writing speed to be more productive and effective.

It’s easier than you think:

Writing speed isn’t only about fast scribbling; it’s about taking a strategic approach to the process for better time management. In this article, we’ll tell you how to write faster in exams and share actionable techniques you can practice to skyrocket your writing speed.

How to Increase My Writing Speed

Together with the “how to write a 5-page essay in an hour” query, this question is among the most popular ones our writers get from students. No wonder:

Assignments are numerous, deadlines are looming, and exams are frequent — the academic overload is stressful. You want to be on time with everything, perform well, and handle all the tasks.

As is the case with other skills and activities, practice makes perfect.

You can improve both your handwriting and typing speed by practicing specific exercises regularly. This skill will automate your writing so that you don’t get distracted from the thinking process during an exam. 

“How to increase my writing speed?“, you ask.

We answer:

• Train your brain and hand to write fast. Think like an athlete training their muscles: Spend a few hours each week on writing sessions.
• Practice handwriting regularly to build your hand-eye coordination and learn to express your thoughts quickly. Make a habit of journaling, note-taking, and/or freewriting.
• Experiment with different writing tools (pens, pencils, etc.) to find the most comfortable one that allows you to write smoothly, as it will minimize stress on your fingers. Just as gamers go to competitions with their personal keyboards, joysticks, and mice, take your preferred writing instruments with you when going to an exam.

How to Increase Writing Speed for Exams

Exams often induce stress and anxiety, and the ability to write faster can impact the quality of your answers. Wondering how to increase writing speed for exams? Fast scribbling alone won’t bring you the results you’re looking for:

You should master pre-writing strategies like note-taking, outlining, and structuring your thoughts. With a clear plan in your pocket, you’ll save time, stay focused, and leave no room for stress during the exam.

We can almost hear you thinking:

“That’s all well and good, but how can I speed up my academic writing? Any actionable tips, guys?”

Here they are:

• Outline your answer before writing. This will prevent you from pausing midway and allow you to write faster and more cohesively.
• If your assignment (exam) allows for abbreviations in drafts, use them. Develop a system of shortcuts and symbols for common words and phrases to save time. (Thus, you can write “e.g.” instead of “for example”, “w/” instead of “with”, “&” instead of “and”, and so on.
• When answering questions, start with the main ideas and supporting details. If time runs out, at least you’ll have covered the essentials.
• Don’t focus on perfect wording in drafts; otherwise, you’ll be stuck searching for sophisticated terms, lose your train of thought, and waste valuable time. You can go back for quick revisions and rephrasing later if time permits. (Feel free to use our essay rephraser to practice.)

7 Techniques to Boost Your Writing Speed

Here is how to write faster in exams: Practice these exercises and techniques to boost your writing speed.

1. Timed Writing Exercises

Set a timer that corresponds to the time limit in your upcoming exam, then practice essay writing or answering typical exam questions. This will help you get used to writing under pressure.

(Try our essay title generator to get original writing ideas for your exercises.)

2. Journaling and Freewriting

Do you have a diary? Journaling about your day, dreams, worries, or other reflections will help you develop a writing flow you can later adapt when taking exams.

Freewriting is another technique that helps you train your critical thinking and writing skills:

Take a pen and allow your thoughts to appear on paper with no prescribed outlines or edits. Practice such 15-minute writing sessions every morning, and you’ll get rid of writer’s block and write faster.

3. Short Story Writing

Why not practice creative writing to enhance your writing flow and speed? Try storytelling to craft short stories on topics of interest to you:

This is a great exercise for generating ideas and articulating them efficiently. Our essay prompt generator will help you start. Choose the topic category and use the ideas offered for your writing practice.

4. Handwriting Exercises

Write down your notes in a stylish notebook, write out passages or motivational quotes from books, and write your to-do lists by hand.

When done regularly, such exercises will improve your handwriting speed and legibility.

5. Typing Practice

Your typing speed and accuracy matter when it comes to computer-based exams. Practice both with specific tools like 10FastFingers or TypeFast:

• Test your typing speed and accuracy
• Participate in typing competitions
• Learn touch typing to find the keys without using your sense of sight

6. Shorthand

Shorthand is a method for rapidly writing with symbols and abbreviations. As a student who has to take notes on lectures by professors who speak fast, you get the point, huh?

Learn and practice shorthand techniques to write faster. You can develop a personal system of symbols for note-taking or use standard abbreviations to jot down information.

7. Time Blocking

This is a time management technique where you divide your day into blocks of time, each dedicated to a specific task. This increases your focus, provides a clear structure, and improves your organizational skills, thereby boosting your productivity.

In academic writing and exams, you can use this method to divide tasks into subcategories and set deadlines for each. This strategy brings a sense of accomplishment every time you complete a subtask, thus motivating you to keep going and finish the work on time.

Need more ways to improve your writing speed for exams and other corresponding practices?

Keep reading for the final leap.

Extra Ways To Improve Your Writing Speed

• Set a deadline shorter than the actual due date. This will motivate you to work faster and minimize last-minute stress.
• Take advantage of online tools (for computer-based exams). Using a note-taking app, grammar checker, and/or an AI detector for essays can enhance your writing speed, as you’ll spend less time on editing.
• Try using ergonomic pens for more comfortable writing to minimize strain and prevent hand cramps during exams.
• Avoid distractions when dealing with writing assignments. Find a quiet place, turn off your notifications, and keep all the materials — textbooks, notes, water — within easy reach to stay focused and avoid wasting time searching for them.
• Set time limits for each section of your exam. This will help prevent fixation and spending too much time on one task.

Takeaways

Now that you know so many tricks and techniques for how to write faster in exams, the task doesn’t seem so challenging and stressful, right?

Here’s a recap:

• Practice regularly to improve your handwriting and typing speed.
• Have a clear plan before writing. Set time limits for each question, take notes, identify points to address, and outline your answer before drafting.
• Stay calm and focused: Take short breaks and try deep breathing techniques to calm your nerves during study sessions.

For more help with writing assignments, you can always visit our fast essay writer and get professional assistance whenever necessary. Place your order now to see it completed in a few hours!

Photo by Marc Sendra Martorell from Unsplash