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New to WGU? Many classes are passed by submitting a written assignment called a performance assessment (basically an essay). A grader scores it against a rubric, a checklist of exactly what your answer must cover. If anything is missing, it gets sent back for you to revise and resubmit.

Why do some students finish their performance assessments in hours, while others spend weeks on the same essay? Especially when the end result (a pass) is the same?

The secret to passing your essays in less time is this: don't strive for perfection, address the rubric, and be as direct as possible. It's OK to be boring, as long as you're direct. Now is not the time to be overly clever or creative, at least not if you're optimizing for time. Remember, these aren't creative writing classes. They're business classes.

Some classes have only exams, some have only performance assessments, and some have both. A big mistake a lot of accelerating students make is spending too much time on performance assessments. They're actually very simple if you follow a specific framework.

It's not unusual for them to be sent back, and that's OK. Mentors usually don't mind, because they're easy to resubmit and people get them sent back for very small things. The problem is that when you're accelerating, every resubmission means waiting days in the grading queue again. That's where things really slow down, unless you follow a few steps that cut your chances of being sent back.

Step 1: Write to the rubric, exactly how it's worded

You've probably heard this before, but hear me out: the rubric is worded in a very specific way, and it shows you exactly how the question needs to be answered. Double and triple check it before submitting, because anytime an essay is sent back means lost time playing the waiting game a second time.

The key is to look at the connecting words in the rubric to see what they really want you to answer. Say the rubric asks you to describe your top strengths and how they relate to an example in an article. If you list your strengths and explain why they're important in a general way, they won't accept it. Why? It's not specific enough.

You'd have to say, “These are my strengths, and this is how they relate to the article: ___.” Make it almost painfully obvious how your answer connects to the rubric. I'd even use bullet points, like Strength #1 in bold with an explanation next to it, then Strength #2, and so on.

Why does this matter so much? From what I understand, WGU graders are typically generalists, grading papers across lots of different classes and programs. They aren't going to think, “Well, it wasn't obvious, but they clearly know this field, so it's a pass.” You get no brownie points for simply demonstrating expertise. You have to answer the rubric, specifically.

Step 2: Label every section so it's quick to grade

Make the grader's job easier (it'll get graded quicker) by putting the rubric item, usually a letter and a number, in bold before each section of your essay. That way they can skim and see exactly where you answered each point. And just like in high school English class: write in complete sentences.

Step 3: Skip citations unless they're truly required Biggest time saver

This may be the biggest tip of all: don't use citations unless they're specifically asked for. Yep, really.

The bottom of a rubric often says something like “please credit and include citations for any sources used.” Most students assume that means citations are required, but look closely: it only mentions them as an option. In my whole program, I think only about two classes actually required them. Skipping them when they aren't required is a huge time saver.

Stuck on how to start?

Some classes have pre-recorded cohort videos where an instructor walks through the essay with examples, and some have templates in the class resources. Search the course for “cohort” or “resources” (try both) and pick the pre-recorded ones, since live sessions mean waiting longer.

If your essay gets sent back, do this

First, don't panic. It happens all the time, and it happened to me multiple times before I got into the groove.

Here's the tip that saves days: when you resubmit, there's a spot to add notes for the grader after you upload your file. Write “Revised section ___ as requested,” naming the rubric section you fixed. It makes the next grader's job much faster, which means a faster turnaround for you.

Keep it simple, and finish in one sitting

Unless you're going for an excellence award (which you shouldn't be if you're accelerating), keep it simple and write to the rubric. Elaborate just enough to show you're answering each point exactly, then move on. Suggested page counts are just that: suggested. I tested it, and in many cases I could successfully turn in fewer pages, as long as I answered the rubric very specifically.

Finally, give yourself a reward and challenge yourself to finish each essay in one session. If there's something fun you're looking forward to that evening, make yourself wait until the essay is submitted. Thinking of essays as a one-day task instead of a multi-day project is what really made me fast.