What is a Good Essay Exam Question Like? Well Focused: Be sure to answer the question completely, that is, answer all parts of the question. Well Organized: Don't write in a haphazard "think-as-you-go" manner. Do some planning and be sure that what you write has a clearly marked introduction which both states the point(s) you are going to make and also, if possible, how you are going to proceed. Well Supported: Do not just assert something is true, prove it. What facts, figures, examples, tests, etc. prove your point? Well Packaged: Make sure you allot time for editing. Grammar and syntax errors are easily marked by almost any professor. From:

How Do You Plan? Make an informal outline, like we talked about. Cluster, if you’re visually oriented. List—if this helps you. Freewrite. Central Point: spend five, and no more than 15 minutes, doing any of the above for a two-hour essay exam question.

How Do You Keep Track of Time? Many professors do this for you—make sure that if they don’t you do. Give yourself minutes to write everything—don’t sweat the conclusion as much as the opening. Give yourself at least 15 minutes to edit your piece.

How Do you End? Remember to end rapidly. Probably the best way is the way that you were taught in high school— sum up your argument. Make sure you edit by reading as much of your paper as you can in ten minutes. Use carats and line outs to alter things—draw arrows if you need to. Grammar often matters in these exams, neatness often is less important.

Final Thoughts on Essay Exams One: Don’t FREAK OUT! If you’re nervous, then keep telling yourself, in your mind, “I’ve got this. I’m going to do really well.” This may seem absurd and even delusional, but there is a direct tie, in research on this matter, between your attitude towards the test and your success with taking it. Two: Do take time to plan. Planning, rather than rushing into write, gives you a better essay and a calmer sense of the task. Three: Do edit your piece. The sad truth is that grammar and syntax always seem to matter in this. Four: DON’T FREAK OUT. If you have test anxiety, then you need to take deep breaths, close your eyes and go to a special place, or anything that will make you feel calmer. Don’t worry about what others may think. In all likelihood, they’re as freaked out, if not more than you.