Throughout a student’s higher education, he or she will more than likely be asked to answer timed essay questions. These essays are very similar to the ones that students have grown accustomed to writing for college-level classes. A timed essay will be graded on a student’s ability to organize the information needed through creating a strong thesis and building a solid conclusion. Instructors are looking for essays that demonstrate that the student (a) understands the subject, (b) relates the information accurately, and (c) synthesizes the answer into their own ideas.
Preparation Tips:
- Always take good notes throughout the semester. Ask the instructor exactly what they are expecting in the essay. Different instructors have different criteria.
- If the question is given in advance, then ask if you may bring in a pre-organized outline of the question on the test day. Or write out a rough draft in advance and memorize it.
- For long essays, write miniature outlines. Create main points that you can memorize; therefore, if the question arises on the test, you will have more confidence and clarity in your answer.
- If some form of the question is not given, then create your own possible essay questions. If the professor stresses certain information, there is a good chance that it will be an essay question, so listen carefully, turn the repeated information into a question, and practice writing an answer under timed conditions. Talk with other students on how they write essay questions. You may also want to ask other students for possible questions they think will be asked.
- Analyze your essay questions from the past to see how you can improve upon the instructor’s comments.
- In advance, always ask questions that may come to your mind that pertain to the subject. How much time do you have to write the essay? Do you need to turn in all of your pre-writing versions along with your final essay? Should you write on only one side of the paper, while skipping every other line? Will the instructor take off points for grammatical errors? About how long should the essay be?
Read the Questions Carefully:
- Read the questions carefully, and mark and circle the key words, such as the action verbs and the subject. If you do not understand the structure of the questions, ask the professor for clarification immediately and quietly.
- Choose a key word from the topic in order to introduce your essay. Information compiled from a variety of Online Writing Labs indicates that you should consider the type of answer the question requires. These fall into broad categories, such as the following:
- Analyze—Break the subject into its parts. Identify and relate the parts to each other.
- Classify—Break the subject into categories.
- Compare/Contrast—Find at least two important similarities and differences between the subjects. If you are asked to compare the two then you should emphasize the similarities. On the other hand, if you are asked to contrast the two then you should emphasize the differences.
- Criticize—Discuss the positives and the negatives of the subject.
- Define/Identify—What makes the subject what it is? Why is the subject different from closely related topics?
- Discuss—Give the pro and con evidence of the topic.
- Explain—Give statements that describe reasons and causes of concepts.
- Illustrate—Emphasize specific examples.
- Outline—Organize your subject by its topics, stages, and points.
- Validate—Use logical reasons and/or factual evidence to state the truth of the subject.
For more information see: George Mason University Writing Center
.
Structure Your Essay:
- For any type of essay, always take a minute or two to form a very broad but clear outline. List the main topics and points you would like to elaborate on. Organization always adds confidence in your writing and is the key to writing a well-written essay answer.
- Always state your thesis in the last sentence of your first paragraph. Continue to support your thesis throughout the essay by providing examples and description. Avoid restating it without support.
- When drafting your essay, do not worry about spelling and grammatical mechanics. If you have time and use a pencil, you can correct the problems once the information has been written. At that time, revise and proofread.
- Avoid repetitiveness in the essay. Check that the information that you have applied is understandable, readable, and to the point. Be direct and remember that the instructor wants to see that you understand the content. The instructor’s intention is not to see how many pages you can write in a certain amount of time.
- Structure your paragraphs clearly. Use headings, numbering, and other technical formats to emphasize your main points. Use examples, facts, and explanations to support your ideas.
- If the essay is not very clear, then you might want to see if you can add short sentences and or even a paragraph that elaborates and sums up what you have applied.
- Look for confusing or murky sentences, words, and ideas that can be eliminated.
2000, Brandon Gill
Instructor: Jennifer Jordan-Henley
