In the Writing Section, How Much Do Real Examples Matter?

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So I've been reading up on the writing section.

It appears they want you to support the idea, then break it down, followed by pulling it all together.

Yet you need to use examples when you make your assertions. My question is this, "how much does it matter if the examples are actual facts or current events, vs. either being made up or general examples?"

Are you graded on your knowledge of random current events?

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A quality essay will use real, relevant evidence. However, I believe that the writing scorers are instructed to ignore the truthfulness of your statements, but see if you can make a good argument.

So, hypothetically, you could say "Because Nazi Germany won World War II..." and still score a T. I would try to avoid making such claims though.
 
If you use obscure "facts," who's going to know the difference?

It won't affect your score.

Good. I'm was getting worried because people on SDN were saying to read up on a bunch of current events and know all types of various prompts, so you can have examples for everything...

I was like, "whoa. I don't have time for this mess"
 
I used real, albeit somewhat obscure, examples... and I got a T... but that doesnt really mean anything on its own... I would like to think that my writing style had more to do with it then the examples...

- However -

I think it is important to realize the effectiveness of a real, powerful example... Conversely it is important to realize the negative impact of using a cliche example, or misusing a common example...

My advice? Use a real one if one comes to mind... but don't waste time studying for it... unless you have a ton of time to prep for the mcat, focus on the sections that matter more for your application anyways (not that many schools focus on the WS)
 
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