How ena) © wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Learn why people trust wikiHow How to Write a Good Answer to Exam Essay Questions Co-authored by Megan Morgan, PhD @ c Download Article Last Updated: November 12, 2021) Approved PARTS @ Understanding the Question Answering essay questions on an vege @ Forming Your Response exam can be difficult and aa ee stressful, which can make ithard — OTHER SECTIONS to provide a good answer. © elated antcies However, you can improve your & Reterences i Aricte summary ability to answer essay questions by learning how to understand the questions, form an answer, and stay focused. Developing your ability to give excellent answers on essay exams will take time and effort, but you can learn some good essay question practices and start improving your answers.How eT ae Q fa Understanding the Question 1 Read the question carefully. Before you get started, make sure that you have read the essay question twice and that you understand what you need to do. Underline or highlight the most important words or phrases in the question to help you stay focused on answering the question.!1]How Fone on Understanding the Question “Describe” “Explain” “Analyze” 2 Identify the key words. Teachers and professors use certain key words in essay questions to communicate what they want you to do. For example, an essay question that asks you to “describe” an issue will be different from an essay question that asks you to “argue” a position. Make sure that you identify the key word in each essay question you read. Some of the most common key words include:[2]. Understanding the Question Analyze: Explain the what, where, who, when, why, and how. Include pros and cons, strengths and weaknesses, etc. Compare: Discuss the similarities and differences between two or more things. Don't forget to explain why the comparison is useful. Contrast: Discuss how two or more things are different or distinguish between them. Don't forget to explain why the contrast is useful. Define: State what something means, does, achieves, etc. Describe: List characteristics or traits of something. You may also need to summarize something, such as an essay prompt that asks "Describe the major events that led to the American Revolution." Discuss: This is more analytical. You usually begin by describing something and then present arguments for or against it. You may need to analyze the advantages or disadvantages of your subject. Evaluate: Offer the pros and cons, positives and negatives for a subject. You may be asked to evaluate a statement for logical support, or evaluate an argument for weaknesses. Explain: Explain why or how something happened, or justify your position on something. Prove: Usually reserved for more scientific or objective essays. You may be asked to include evidence and research to build a case for a specific position or set of hypotheses. Summarize: Usually, this means to list the major ideas or themes of a subject. It could also ask you to present the main ideas in order to then fully discuss them. Most essay questions will not ask for pure summary without anything else.wiki Understanding the Question wiki 3 Ask questions if anything is unclear. If you do not understand what the question is asking or if you are unsure about the meaning of the key word, ask your teacher or professor. Do not attempt to answer the question until you fully understand what you are supposed to do. Otherwise, you may end up providing an incorrect answer.[S] e Raise your hand and wait for your teacher to come over to you or approach your teacher’s desk to ask your question. This way you will be less likely to disrupt other test takers.° wiki Forming Your Response = instructions WY. | —ie | 1 Follow the instructions. Use the instructions to determine what to include in your answer. Follow them to the letter and do not improvise or include non-essential information. Professors cite not following the instructions as a main reason why some students do not do well on essay questions.dl 5 Forming Your Response £ © 8 eae | 2 Think about how you should structure your answer. The organization of your answer is important. If the question suggests a specific order for your answer, then your answer should follow that structure. ¢ Take a moment to consider your organization before you start writing your answer. What information should come first, second, third, etc.?wiki Forming Your Response 3 Choose relevant facts and figures to include. A strong essay question answer should provide a relevant answer while also displaying your knowledge of a subject. Take some time to consider the best way to accomplish this goal with the relevant facts and figures you have learned about in your studies. e You may want to make a list of facts and figures that you want to include in your essay answer. That way you can refer to this list as you write your answer. ¢ It's best to write down all the important key topics or ideas before you get started composing your answer. That way, you can check back to make sure you haven't missed anything.[4]Forming Your Response Q: Should the FIFA World Cup be awarded to countries with human rights violations? A: Countries with human rights violations should not be ~ awarded the FIFA World Cup because this rewards a nation's poor treatment of its citizens — 4 Begin your answer by rephrasing the essay question as a statement. The best way to start an essay answer is to rephrase the question in the form of a statement. Opening your essay in this way signals to the professor that you have read and understood the question. Rephrasing the question also helps you to stay focused on providing an answer to that question right from the start. ° For example, imagine that your essay question asks: "Should the FIFA World Cup be awarded to countries with human rights violations? Explain and support your answer." You might restate this as "Countries with human rights violations should not be awarded the FIFA World Cup because this rewards a nation's poor treatment of its citizens." This will be the thesis that you support with examples and explanation.bs Ooh Senn oa Q wi Forming Your Response 5 Make sure that your answer has a clear point. Even in a compare/contrast situation, you will need to be very clear what your essay is arguing.!5] e For example, whether you argue that the FIFA World Cup should or should not be awarded to countries with human rights violations, you will want to address the opposing side's argument. However, it needs to be clear where your essay stands about the matter. ¢ Often, essay questions end up saying things along the lines of "There are many similarities and differences between X and Y." This does not offer a clear position and can result in a bad grade.A Forming Your Response 6 Pay attention to your grammar and punctuation. Poor grammar and punctuation can affect your grade on an essay question. Try to use correct grammar and punctuation as you write because you may not have time to go back and proofread your work. If you end up with a few minutes to spare, go back and proofread what you have written. e If you are required to write your answer by hand, then take care to make your writing legible and neat. Some professors may deduct points if they cannot read what you have written.fF Staying Calm and Focused 1 Stop and take a deep breath if you get too anxious. It is crucial to stay calm when you are taking an essay exam. If you get flustered, you may have trouble recalling important information or you may make simple mistakes. e If you get to a point during the exam where you feel too anxious to focus, put down your pencil (or take your hands off of the keyboard), close your eyes, and take a deep breath. Stretch your arms and imagine that you are somewhere pleasant for a few moments. When you have completed this brief exercise, open up your eyes and resume the exam.[6]wi Staying Calm and Focused 2 Use your time wisely. Some exams may suggest how much time you should spend on each question or even give you a time limit for each question. Having suggestions and limits like these may help you to budget your time. If you exam does not provide a guide for how much time to spend on each question, develop your own time budget at the beginning of the exam. ¢ For example, if the exam period is one hour long and you have to answer three questions in that time frame, then you should plan to spend no more than 20 minutes on each question. Look at the weight of the questions, if applicable. For example, if there are five 10-point short-answers and a 50-point essay, plan to spend more time on the essay because it is worth significantly more. Don't get stuck spending so much time on the short-answers that you don't have time to develop a complex essay.How oan aos Staying Calm and Focused 3 Write as quickly as you can. While you do not want to write so fast that you are not thinking about your answers, remember that you are on the clock. Consider the question and plan your answers well, but then try to write your answers as quickly as you can. ¢ This strategy is even more important if the exam has multiple essay questions. If you take too much time on the first question, then you may not have enough time to answer the other questions on the exam.= How Sun a ola Q Bw Staying Calm and Focused 4 Stay on topic. While it is okay to let your mind wander a bit when you are writing a formal essay, you need to stay focused on the question when you write an essay exam response. Otherwise, you may end up providing unnecessary information and losing points for not including the information that was required. e If you feel like you are straying away from the question, reread the question and review any notes that you made to help guide you. After you get refocused, then continue writing your answer. ¢ Try to allow yourself enough time to go back and tighten up connections between your points. A few well-placed transitions can really bump up your grade.Community Q&A How can | remove tension during an exam? an 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. Do you have any tips for writing a better essay? Write your answer in a sequence. Divide your answer in parts. Generally this includes an introduction, main body and a conclusion. Can | use a black pen for an exam? an Most exams may be taken with a black pen, but you should always check with your instructor first. Het NotHepts Bi Is it necessary to quote in a source-based question? It is not always necessary but you can. It will demonstrate your understanding. Hep GE) Nottopta 47Community Q&A Should essay question answers be written in paragraphs? — 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. Heol (GE) NetHobia 40 Is it good to use semicolons in ending a point or reason? 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. Hop GB) nerHopiu 7 What are the examiners expecting from us while writing an exam? 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. Heol (GS) NotHebi 5 Is it necessary to maii — Yes, you want them to be able to read your essay answer. Heowt GH) naHebur “6Bh Community Q&A How can | remember quotes easily? — 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. Hopi (GHP Notte 7 How do | write an essay for an exam in my own words? Just do your research, think about the topic and write about it as if you would tell somebody in an email or letter. How can | have a strong thesis? A strong thesis lays out an argument that you can defend with evidence and reasoning. In answering essay questions like "discuss", "describe", , "give", etc., always right to structure my answer in the form of introduction, body and conclusion? Yes, this is the proper format for any of those synonyms that may appear on an exam. Hobtt (B) NetterHow as Community Q&A = In answering essay questions like "Analyze...", "Discuss...", "Explain...", etc., is it right to structure my answer in the form of introduction, body, and conclusion? ab Yes, any answer that requires explanation should have the introduction, body and conclusion format. HepB) —NotHoitu 7 Can I show my answer with the help of a diagram? Yes, but there is really no need for a diagram. Just write the introduction, body and conclusion. Hel (BY NotHelprar 0 Is it good to write a lot on an essay question? con ab unity Answe 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. Heil (E)— NotHelptul 0Community Q&A Should I make diagrams to make my presentation look better? You can, but it is not necessary. Hoot GD NerHopan Does a thesis have to be long? — 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. Hoge GZ NetHeren What do | do if I'm anxious when writing an essay? 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. How do | begin the long answer question perfectly on an exam? I) mmr tne Before starting, you can write the information regarding the question and then answer the question in points and then give the conclusion. Hepa GD nerHepan (0How eels Community Q&A How do | save time while writing exams? es 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. Helptul (@)—NotHelpru 0 What are the basic questions to ask myself as a guide for answering essay questions? What do | consider as important and how can | know whether | am repeating a point or not? en 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. Helpful (2) NotHelprul 0 QCommunity Q&A [ ovestion ] How do | arrange my points neatly and in sequence in an essay? 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. Heptal (Netto | auveeton } I have an essay question that asks us "How does Shakespeare explore..." and | don't know how to answer... Could you help me? ee 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. Heit (BP NotHobn 0Community Q&A co How can you remember what you've read but forgot when you enter the exam without wasting time? cs Read the question(s) before reading the any articles. Then read the article, highlighting or underlining the important parts as you go. Heit (GP NotHeioha 0 Ask a Question What is your question? m~ + If you are worried about running out of time, put your watch in front of you where you can see it. Just try not to focus on it too much. + If you need more practice, make up your own questions or even look at some practice questions online! Submit a Tip Al tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published Your tip here TaEd How ‘Search wikiHow. References 1. "https:/Avww.wpi.edu/Images/CMS/ARC/Answering_Essay_ Questions_Made_Easier.pdf 2. 'https:/www.wpi.edu/Images/CMS/ARC/Answering_Essay_ Questions_Made_Easier.pdf . "https://www.wpi.edu/Images/CMS/ARC/Answering_Essay_ Questions_Made_Easier.pdf . "https://depts.washington.edu/pswrite/essayex.htm! . "https://depts.washington.edu/pswrite/essayex.html . "http://www.ucl.ac.uk/student-psychological-services/other- resources/ExamAnxiety Did this article help you? © ves @® no wikiHow Tech Help Pro Master 30 tech skills in 30 days. Take the wikiHow tech challenge: With lightning fast tutorials, you can actually lear a new tech skill every day. Srl a (las ees Coe ety eran oo ey Cy