Writing a Conclusion on the PCAT Essay

[NS_Tutor_Sophia]

A student recently emailed us to ask for tips on writing a conclusion on the PCAT essay. This is a great question!

An acceptable conclusion will summarize the information presented in the body paragraphs of the essay.

A strong conclusion, however, might not present new evidence or new proposals, but should present something new. This might mean:

• providing new insight on the ideas presented in the above paragraphs

• reflecting on the significance of the problem at hand

• analyzing the relationships between the ideas presented

• describing the implications, consequences, remaining questions, unresolved issues, or future directions that would follow your proposed solutions

• formulating a decisive opinion on the solutions you've proposed

Ultimately, a strong conclusion will stimulate thought or provoke a reaction in your reader. For examples of strong conclusions, you can look at the writing examples in the PCAT Review Book or the passages in the Critical Reading section.

For more PCAT writing tips, I recommend checking out Chapter 2 of the PCAT Review Book and getting practice with the Writing section of Full-Length PCAT Exams.