essay writing in exams tips

Elliot Richman provides a useful strategy for the ultimate test. 10 minutes - You will have a specified time to write each essay. Aim to spend roughly 10 minutes (or more) planning and thinking. You may think that this is a huge chunk out of the time available but it is time well spent. It will save you time overall and will mean you do most of the thinking at the start, allowing you to spend the rest of the time writing.Study the question - The first thing is to study the question. You are not being asked to 'write everything you know about '. You are being asked a specific question that needs an answer that is directly related to it.Brainstorm - Once you are sure what the question is asking of you, the next thing you should do is brainstorm. Simply write down everything you can think of in brief notes and in no particular order just to get it out of your mind and on to paper. You can organise it later but initially you will have a record of relevant points and information to include. They might remind you of other things too.Answer the question - Now that you are aware of the demands of the question and have some ideas, you have to think about your answer. You need a main line of argument that will form the backbone of your essay. Once you have this, jot it down as it will form part of your introduction.Plan - Now you have to organise the 'mess' that was your brainstorm into a well structured essay. Decide whether the question is asking for a thematic approach, or chronological. Is it asking for causes to be evaluated or for a discussion of two sides of an argument? Once you have a general approach, you need to decide what each paragraph is going to include. Look at your brainstorm and begin to group ideas, include any more relevant factors or points that may come to you as you are planning. Start to order the paragraphs and try to see natural links between points.
Before starting to write Check that you are sitting the correct exam! Some modules will be very similar in name, and can be taken on a number of courses. Do you recognise anyone from your lectures? Check that you have been given the right exam paper. Mistakes sometimes happen! Orientate yourself. Get comfortable. Find a positive and calm state of mind. Read the instructions (or rubric ) carefully, at least twice. Even if you have sat a hundred exams, or read a hundred past papers, the rules may have changed for this one. If you don't understand something, be sure to ask an invigilator for help. How you approach the exam will depend on what type of exam you are sitting. Please refer to our Different Types of Exam page for detailed information about writing in exams. Read each exam question through at least twice, and mark the ones you would like to answer. Pay particular attention to how the question is phrased - to words such as compare , contrast and criticise. See their definitions in the Glossary of Exam Terms Work out what is expected, in general, for each of the questions you have selected. Underline key words, and start to jot down ideas on a separate sheet of paper. Once you have decided which questions you will answer, decide on the order. If there is a 'compulsory' question, start with that one. If not, start with your 'best' question first, as this will build your confidence. (However, it may not be a good idea to leave the hardest to the last - by this time you are likely to be tired, and possibly short on time, which will make it even harder to answer satisfactorily). Plan the timing Work out exactly what time you should finish each answer, and write the times down. For example, for a three hour essay-style paper starting at 2 p.m, the following plan will allow you 45 minutes for writing each essay:  2.00 Read paper and choose questions [10 minutes].
by Stephen Holliday Despite students’ wildest hope of avoiding the dreaded essay exam—one that requires either short or long essay answers rather than multiple choice answers—most find themselves taking such an exam, particularly for subjects like history, philosophy, literature, sociology, political science and others. This type of exam, however, can be successfully managed if you follow a few guidelines outlined here: 1. After the initial panic passes, read through all the questions before you begin to answer any of them, underlining key words and phrases that will help guide you in your answer. In many cases, instructors will incorporate key words and phrases from their lectures in the exam question, so make sure that you focus on these elements in your answer. 2. Based on your comfort level (or lack thereof) with particular questions, after you have reviewed all questions, decide approximately how much time you have for questions that are relatively easy for you to answer and, conversely, which questions will require more time to answer correctly and thoroughly. This is a very important step because it will help you organize your time and effort. 3. Think of each essay answer as a mini-essay in itself, and approach each answer with a shortened version of the process that you’ve been taught to use when writing full essays. If you are used to brainstorming or clustering when preparing to write an essay, go through the same, but greatly shortened, process for an essay answer. The time spent in some form of outlining will save time and effort as you answer the questions. 4. Given the time constraints of most essay exams, you can’t afford to write and re-write answers. From an instructor’s perspective, if a student’s answer contains a great deal of cross outs and perhaps whole paragraph deletions, the instructor will probably conclude that the student is not well.
1. Answer the Question. This is the first and most important suggestion. Answering the wrong question is a common mistake made by students. Unfortunately, it can be a real disaster for the grade you get in an exam. Make sure you understand what the examiner wants; it is highly advisable to refer back to the question throughout the answer. This point may sound like stating the obvious; but, in my experience, answering the wrong question is the biggest cause of a disappointing exam result. 2. Good Introduction. In an introduction to an essay you should offer a short, concise summary of the main points to be raised. If appropriate, you could clarify key concepts. Introductions go wrong when students go into too much detail, and then repeat their arguments in the main body of the text. Generally speaking, it is advisable to start off with short sentences, rather than complex sentences. This will help create a clarity of thought and purpose. 3. Essay Plan. A plan can help to gather your thoughts, and make sure you do not forget to mention key arguments. It is an opportunity to brainstorm what you know about the topic. However, it is important not to get into too much detail – writing keywords and phrases are the best solution. I would suggest spending 5 -10 % of your allotted time on creating an introduction. 4. 3 Steps of an argument. The first step is the basic statement and argument; this part tests your knowledge. The second step is to explain your statement. Don’t forget you need to explain in relation to the question. Also, just because you think the explanation is obvious, doesn’t mean you can avoid putting it down. The third step is to look at the argument with critical distance. This is an opportunity to discuss why the basic premise may be wrong or limited. It is an opportunity to show you can think for yourself, rather than just memorise a list of points. This.
Political Science/JSIS/LSJ Writing Center Tools for TAs and Instructors Tips for Writing Essay Exams Back to Helpful Handouts o Writing Center Home Page Before the Exam: Prepare and Practice Writing a good essay requires synthesis of material that cannot be done in the 20-30 minutes you have during the exam. In the days before the exam, you should: Anticipate test questions. Look at the question from the last exam. Did the question ask you to apply a theory to historical or contemporary events? Did you have to compare/contrast theories? Did you have to prove an argument? Imagine yourself in the role of the instructor--what did the instructor emphasize? What are the big ideas in the course? Practice writing. You may decide to write a summary of each theory you have been discussing, or a short description of the historical or contemporary events you've been studying. Focus on clarity, conciseness, and understanding the differences between the theories. Memorize key events, facts, and names. You will have to support your argument with evidence, and this may involve memorizing some key events, or the names of theorists, etc. Organize your ideas. Knowledge of the subject matter is only part of the preparation process. You need to spend some time thinking about how to organize your ideas. Let's say the question asks you to compare and contrast what regime theory and hegemonic stability theory would predict about post-cold war nuclear proliferation. The key components of an answer to this question must include: A definition of the theories A brief description of the issue A comparison of the two theories' predictions A clear and logical contrasting of the theories (noting how and why they are different) In the exam Many students start writing furiously after scanning the essay question. Do not do this! Instead, try the following: Perform a memory dump. Write down all the.
Organization and neatness have merit Before writing out the exam: Write down their key words, listings, etc, as they are fresh in your mind. Otherwise these ideas may be blocked (or be unavailable) when the time comes to write the later questions. This will reduce clutching or panic (anxiety, actually fear which disrupts thoughts). Set up a time scheduleto answer each question and to review/edit all questions If six questions are to be answered in sixty minutes, allow yourself only seven minutes for each If questions are weighted , prioritize that into your time allocation for each question When the time is up for one question, stop writing, leave space, and begin the next question. The incomplete answers can be completed during the review time Six incomplete answers will usually receive more credit than three, complete ones Read through the questions once and note if you have any choice in answering questions Pay attention to how the question is phrased, or to the directives , or words such as compare , contrast , criticize , etc. See their definitions in Essay terms Answers will come to mind immediately for some questions Before attempting to answer a question, put it in your own words Now compare your version with the original.Do they mean the same thing? If they don't, you've misread the question. You'll be surprised how often they don't agree. Think before you write:Make a brief outline for each questionNumber the items in the order you will discuss them Get right to the pointState your main point in the first sentenceUse your first paragraph to provide an overview of your essay.Use the rest of your essay to discuss these points in more detail.Back up your points with specific information, examples, or quotations from your readings and notes Teachers are influenced by compactness, completeness and clarity of an organized answer Writing in the hopethat the right.