1. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
“To analyse” is to break information into its elements. ‘To be critical’ (in an academic sense) is to make careful judgements about information and to evaluate its quality.

2. Critical analysis is not:
a straight description of something
making assumptions without checking them out
accepting information without questioning it
giving information with mistakes in it or giving information which is misleading
saying “This writer says this, that writer says that” without also giving your views on what the differences are between what the two writers are saying.

3. Remember: a well-constructed essay about a literary work does not usually progress in parallel with the plot. Your obligation is to illustrate your ability to think critically, not to reproduce the plot.
Here is an example of how many students tend to make a very common mistake:

4. “In William Shakespeare's play, Romeo and Juliet, these are the first two lines of the “Prologue” as spoken by “The Chorus”:
“Two households, both alike in dignity,
In fair Verona, where we lay our scene...”
Here, Shakespeare is saying that the play is set in Verona where there are two dignified families. ”

5. Compare the previous “description” with this analytical and insightful interpretation:
“The opening lines of the Prologue are important because they paint a picture for the audience of what could and should be - fairness and dignity. These words set up a powerful contrast to what is shown in the coming scene: the violence, hatred and bloodshed. It will be against this violent backdrop that the pure love of Romeo and Juliet will have to struggle.”

6. Students who do well in exams:
(a) answer the question set by the examiner (b) demonstrate detailed knowledge and apply it to the question (c) structure their answers effectively around a clear argument: this means selecting carefully from what you have revised rather than including everything that you know. (d) demonstrate a clear understanding of the broader conceptual issues of the module (e) write fluently and clearly (f) often show good awareness of scholarly literature and debates surrounding the module content

7. Make sure you answer the question - this cannot be emphasised enough
Make sure you answer the question - this cannot be emphasised enough. The examiner is not interested in how much you know.
You need to show that you can make sense of the question, relate it to course issues, develop a line of reasoning, evaluate opposing viewpoints, and offer supporting evidence.

8. You might find it helpful to look at the following:
Cottrell, Stella The Study Skills Handbook (Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan, 2003)