Drafting: Essay Exams
Essay exams are a specific type of academic essays.
Like other essays, essay exams will always have a thesis statement, introduction, body
paragraphs, transitions, and a conclusion. However, an essay exam is
unique in that the student is always writing to a reader who is an expert on the
subject. The writer's purpose is to demonstrate knowledge and ability.
The reader's purpose is to evaluate the writer's work. Teachers reading
essay exams are also often grading a pile of papers that are all responding to
the same exam question. This reading can be tiring and tedious. so they are looking for answers that are
correct, clear,
concise, and complete. These are the 4-Cs of good writing.
Title: (Often optional.) If a title is
given, it should name the topic precisely.
Thesis Statement: State in one sentence a concise
answer the to essay question.
introduction: Unless advised otherwise by the
teacher, the first sentence of the introduction should be the thesis statement.
Body Paragraphs: The body paragraphs should
develop support for the thesis, demonstrating your knowledge of the subject and
explaining why the thesis is the correct answer to the question. The
paragraph development of the essay should follow the instructions given in the
question (e.g., to explain, compare, contrast, analyze, classify, critique,
define, exemplify, illustrate, etc.).
Transitions: Use transitions at the beginning
of each paragraph to move the reader smoothly from one main point to the next,
and to clarify the relationship of one main point to another.
Conclusion: Restate
your thesis.
Strategies for Preparing for an Essay Exam
| Strategies for Writing a Good Essay Exam
Strategies for preparing for an essay exam
The best way to prepare for an essay exam is to participate fully in the
class, whether it is on campus or online. This means reading the textbook
and assigned materials interactively, completing exercises and writing
assignments on time, and participating attentively in class discussion.
You should be taking notes throughout your reading and discussions.
The week before the exam:
- Ask the teacher to give as much information as possible about what parts
of the course the test will cover. Which course objectives will the
exam address? What are the teacher's expectations of the students?
Has the teacher given out a study guide or sample test questions to help you
prepare?
- Use the study guide or sample questions to review your notes. You
may also want to re-read appropriate sections of your textbooks.
- Participate in a study group to discuss your notes, work through the
study guide, and explore possible answers to the sample questions.
- Draft your own one-sentence thesis statements for each of the sample
tests questions. Make a map or outline of answers for the sample test
questions.
- Get at least 8 hours of sleep the night before the exam, and eat a
healthy snack before the test.
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Strategies for writing a good essay exam
1. Read the exam instructions carefully. If several questions are
listed, are you required to answer ALL, or are you told to CHOOSE ONE or CHOOSE
TWO? Read and follow the instructions!
2. Note the amount of time you have to write your answer. Allow
some time at the beginning to plan your answer and time at the end to proofread
and correct errors.
If the test includes several essay questions, and you are required to
answer all of them, be sure to allow the most time for the question worth
the most points.
3. Plan your answer(s). On scratch paper or on the inside cover
of the blue book, draft your thesis statement to answer each required question
and write a short outline of the main points you want to cover. Make sure
your thesis statement answers the exam question as directly and concisely as
possible. Make sure your outline responds to the instructions given in the
question or prompt.
Avoid "shotgun" answers. Shotgun shells are loaded with shot
rather than a single bullet, and the shooter hopes that at least one
particle of shot will strike hit the target. Students often write
"shotgun" answers to essay exam questions, rambling through a list of
assertions, hoping that one of them may be the right answer to the question.
The teacher senses quickly that the student in unsure of the answer and
writes hoping for the best. Other students, over achievers, may try
too hard and pad the answer with more detail than necessary in an effort to
impress the teacher. The best essay responses answer the exam
question correctly, clearly, concisely, completely.
If you hit writer's block as you begin the exam, take a minute or
two to settle down. On scratch paper write what is going through your
mind as you read the question. Re-read the question carefully, a word
or phrase at a time. On your scratch paper, re-write the question in
your own words to make sure you understand it. If the question in
unclear for you, try to ask the teacher to clarify it for you. Then
draft your thesis statement. Still working on your scratch paper,
make a map or outline of your answer. Now you are ready
to begin writing your essay. Begin your response with your thesis
statement and use your map or outline to develop your paper from there.
- Work must be neat and legible.
- If your essay exam is handwritten (in a blue book), do not write in the
margin of the paper.
- Your teacher may instruct you to write on only one side of the page
and on every other line to improve readability and allow space for
corrections and comments.
- Use a pen with blue or black ink. Colored inks and pencil are
difficult to read.
- If you are composing your essay exam in WORD, follow formatting
instructions. Does your teacher prefer double-spaced or single-spaced
work. Be careful to SAVE your file periodically as your write.
4. Draft your essay according to the exam instructions.
Title: Often
optional. If a title is given, it should name the topic precisely.
Thesis Statement: State in one sentence a concise
answer the to essay question.
Introduction: Unless advised otherwise by the
teacher, the first sentence of the introduction should be the thesis statement.
Body Paragraphs: The body paragraphs should
develop support for the thesis, demonstrating your knowledge of the subject and
explaining why the thesis is the correct answer to the question. The
paragraph development of the essay should follow the instructions given in the
question (e.g., to explain, compare, contrast, analyze, classify, critique,
define, exemplify, illustrate, etc.). Use specific examples to illustrate the
main points of your paper. This is the best way to clarify
what you are trying to say and add length to your paper without
"padding" or "shot-gunning" your answer.
Transitions: Use transitions at the beginning
of each paragraph to move the reader smoothly from one main point to the next,
and to clarify the relationship of one main point to another.
Conclusion: Restate
your thesis. |
5. Proofread you essay exam carefully. In handwritten papers,
correct spelling, grammar, and mechanical errors as neatly as you can. If
you have been writing on a computer, then be careful to proofread for errors
that the spell checker may have missed -- misspellings that are words, the wrong
words for the context. Also, make sure your name is on your paper before
you submit it.
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