This investigation explored the use of strategic instruction to improve the essay-test taking skills of young adults who were enrolled in a campus-based, post-secondary education program for individuals with developmental disabilities. A random assignment to treatment or control groups and a pre- and posttest design was used. The participants employed the six-step ANSWER strategy to analyze essay test prompts, create outlines, compose essay responses, and edit responses. The treatment group scored significantly higher on three dependent measures (i.e., a strategy scoring rubric, an analytical rubric, and a comparison of words written from pre- to posttest) than the control group. The results supported the use of the ANSWER strategy and revealed the impact that strategic instruction can have upon writing performance.