What an English test is like

Of the 5 subjects I have, I’d have to say English is the one I like most. Reading stories is quite fun and discussing them in class is also somewhat enjoyable. I’ve been told I speak relatively well. Sadly the same cannot be said for my writing. In short, long answer questions are my kryptonite.

Let me walk you through how I attempt a class test. The teacher puts the paper on my table. It's got three questions, two for 150 words each, and the last one for 250. I find it impossible to write and think at the same time, so I spend the first five minutes just planning out the first answer. I look at the clock after that, I’ve accidentally spent 10 minutes without putting pen to paper. I get nervous and start to put down the first answer. A few moments later, my hand begins to hurt. I clench my fist for a bit and read what I’ve written till that point. If a second grader presented my work to his teacher, she would probably faint. I now spend another chunk of valuable time correcting grammatical errors and cutting out parts that don’t make sense. Finally, the answer looks acceptable but I will still likely lose a few marks for how untidy it is. I do the next question in a similar haphazard manner, except faster, because I only have thirty minutes left for the two remaining answers. Congratulations Arav! As a result of your excellent time management, you now have the smallest duration left for the longest answer. Now, as my heart’s thumping through my chest like a bass drum, I’m writing fast without giving it much thought. Thus, what could have been “Due to John’s own traumatic childhood, he was able to relate to Sydney and, as a result, chose to help her out by taking her in..” turns into “John was very kind, and chose to help Sydney because of this…” I end up getting okay marks but I feel pretty bad since I feel I could have done much better.

This is what dysgraphia is. A learning disorder that affects your ability to write coherently. I was aware of my writing problems for a long time but it being because of a disorder was news to me. Apparently, there were accommodations to deal with it as well

My IGCSE board examinations would have not gone half as well had I not received my diagnosis. Imagine sitting in an exam hall full of your peers who are writing with a pen while you get to do your paper on a laptop. I finished the answers right on time and my hands didn’t hurt either. I ended up getting an A* and an A in both my English subjects and winning my teacher's approval too.

Many people are unaware that there is even a learning disorder pertaining to writing ability. If you do have trouble taking notes and doing written work, then you might have Dysgraphia.

Please check out the other articles on this website, so you can take the right steps to get yourself/your child diagnosed.