Writing essays in exams

 Many students have to write essays in exam conditions at the end of the first semester, to assess their performance in the modules they have studied. Writing in this situation, with severe time pressure, is quite different from writing coursework essays, when you may have months to complete the task. With only an hour or so available, the following steps are critical:

• Make sure you understand what the title is asking for. Underline the key words in the question such as 'describe' or 'discuss'.

• Make a plan of your essay to check that you are answering all parts of the question. If you only answer half the question you can only get half marks!

• If you find time is short, make notes of the key points. Your teacher is looking for evidence that you understand the subject.

• Make sure that you finish writing about five minutes before the end. You MUST re-read your work to check for small errors that may affect the meaning and lose you marks.

To summarise, students lose marks in exams if they panic. Five minutes spent planning your answer at the start, and five minutes checking at the end, can make all the difference between a pass and a fail!