1. Introduction

One of the most important things you can do prior to exam essay writing is pre-plan an introduction which can be used to answer any and all questions. When revising, look over past papers to get a feel for the kinds of questions you can expect, and try to tailor an opening sentence or two which can be manipulated so that it corresponds to several questions or key ideas.

You should find that essay writing exams follow very similar structures. For example, literature papers often ask how a certain text or texts portray a particular theme/ motif/ symbol, while history exams ask how certain factors contribute to a particular event or outcome.

Start by including something factual in your opening sentence, such as a brief synopsis of the title/event you will be writing your essay on. Refer to the terms in the question verbatim, and tell the reader how you will review the topic in relation to a wider contextual background. If you can, try to also comment on the relevance the topic has to today’s world. You will quickly see how easily this structure lends itself during essay writing. For example:

 

 

 

 

Creating an introduction which can be used with several different questions will really get you off to a good start in an exam. Indeed, with so many questions to choose from, you may find it stops you getting lost down the rabbit hole.

 

2. Killer Quote

The next thing you really must include in an essay-writing exam is (at least) one killer quote. Granted, you are likely to need several quotes throughout the exam, and so you need to memorise more than just one, but similar to the tailored introduction you should bring with you a versatile, all-rounder quote which can be used in any and all answers.

Having something that you know you are going to say no matter what the question will anchor your answer and ensure you always have a solid point to make. Try to choose a quote which you find interesting, and think about what it is you find interesting about it. If you can, try to choose one which has not been used on the course, as this will demonstrate original thought and wider reading (although make sure it’s relevant!).

You should find your killer quote well before the exam, and include it in different ways throughout all your essay writing practice. You may find that a critic’s quote works especially well. For example, Minslow in Can Children’s Literature be Non-Colonizing? A Dialogic Approach to Nonsense (2009) says that Alice’s ‘many selves’ in Carroll’s novel represent ‘the instability of the frameworks of social hierarchies’. It is possible to see how this quote could be used to answer questions about identity (childhood, innocence, growing-up), about the wider context at play (Victorian society, female oppression) or even about specific characters and the social spheres they are representative of.

 

3. An Opinion

Finally, don’t forget to include your opinion with you to the exam. Amongst an ocean of papers written on the same subject, examiners will find some original thought highly refreshing. Make your opinion balanced, taking into consideration all the things you have revised. Know what you think before the exam, and don’t be afraid to share it.

by Li-Li B, private tutor in London