Q&A for How to Write a Good Answer to Exam Essay Questions

Be confident -- that's the first thing. Everyone is like you -- all of them are afraid during exams. This is common. Just be calm and focus and believe in yourself.

Write your answer in a sequence. Divide your answer in parts. Generally this includes an introduction, main body and a conclusion.

Most exams may be taken with a black pen, but you should always check with your instructor first.

It is not always necessary but you can. It will demonstrate your understanding.

Provided your answer is long enough, or if you are covering multiple topics, yes. Usually paragraphs will be necessary if a question contains more than one part or sub-question.

It is not. A semicolon is not a full stop punctuation; it links together two independent clauses. Use a period at the end of a sentence.

They are expecting from you to write a to-the-point essay with precise and concise information as well as relevant required information for the given topic.

Yes, you want them to be able to read your essay answer.

Try to find quotes that seem interesting to you, that caught your attention while reading a text, or try to connect them to something else you know you won't forget. You can also remember the main idea of a quote and paraphrase it.

Just do your research, think about the topic and write about it as if you would tell somebody in an email or letter.

A strong thesis lays out an argument that you can defend with evidence and reasoning.

Yes, this is the proper format for any of those synonyms that may appear on an exam.

Yes, any answer that requires explanation should have the introduction, body and conclusion format.

Yes, but there is really no need for a diagram. Just write the introduction, body and conclusion.

It depends on your depth of knowledge on the subject. You want to provide relevant information and demonstrate a clear understanding of the question and the material. Repeating yourself or adding extraneous information is not useful. As long as you answer the question completely and provide clear reasoning to back up your answer, your essay does not need to be overly long.

You can, but it is not necessary.

A thesis statement does not need to be very long, only about a sentence or two. All it should do is state the key ideas and intent of the essay so that an examiner or reader will understand what is being written about. An easy way of doing it is just rewriting the question as a statement which will form your thesis.

Just breathe. Everyone else around you is also stressed about it. Try going to the bathroom before the essay to wash your face. Have confidence in yourself.

Before starting, you can write the information regarding the question and then answer the question in points and then give the conclusion.

Start from the questions that are easier for you. When you are done with the easier ones, you then proceed to the more difficult ones. Doing this will help you calm down and write faster.

Use who? what? when? where? how? and why?, as these are good to start with. What are you meant to be writing about? Why are you writing about it? Who is a good source/character to include/discuss? When and where was the information written (relevance, context etc.)? How does this link back to the topic? Following these simple questions should help you. As for repeating a point, you should be aware you're doing that, as an exam essay isn't that long.

Try to establish a "thesis" or "main claim" quickly in a short introduction. That is what you want to set out to show--use the words of the question to help you there. Then, typically, in an essay exam, you want to do the 2-1-3 punch: start with the second best point you have. Move on to the weakest point you have (or the argument against your claim). Then finish with your strongest idea. Now, if time is tight and you are afraid you might not finish the question--go for 3-2-1. Strongest point first. That way, even if you run out of time, you've made the key point. If possible, create a conclusion that draws the reader back to the main claim to show how you've proven it.

You could answer by writing what you know about Shakespeare's life that made him write or inspired him to write. His explorations are a result of his life. So read about him, his struggles and people who influenced him to link how it inspired him to reach where he did, think how he did and write in tune with it.

Read the question(s) before reading the any articles. Then read the article, highlighting or underlining the important parts as you go.

See Improve Your Grammar .

Unless it is required of you to rewrite the question then you won't have to. If it isn't a requirement, avoid doing this as you might waste precious time!

Some teachers won't want you drawing on your essay. Check with your teacher first to make sure it's okay.