Campus Writing Center
Southern Connecticut State University
Tips for writers: writing an exam essay
When you write an exam essay, you have limited time to present your ideas in response
to a specific question or questions. To make the best use of your time and to allow
yourself to give your best answer, keep these tips in mind.

Read each question carefully. Look for key words that tell you what kind of
answer you should give. For example, you may be told to summarize, compare or
contrast, evaluate, enumerate, or illustrate. Each of these terms calls for a
different type of answer, an answer that must address the question directly. If you
merely present information without shaping that information in the manner
specified, your essay will not be satisfactory.

Budget your time. Estimate the amount of time that you can spend on each
question. For example, one question may be more difficult for you to answer.
Another may carry a greater point value. You might want to apportion more time
to these questions.

Prepare your answer. Do not start to write in the hope that all the ideas will come
to you as you write. Give yourself the time to note the main points of your
answer, and then organize the main points in a scratch outline. The time that you
spend on this preparation will be returned to you when you do your writing.

Give a complete answer. An essay question cannot be answered in only two or
three sentences. Each of your main points might be developed into a topic
sentence. Each topic can be developed into a full paragraph. At the other
extreme, avoid padding your essay with needless repetition or irrelevant
information. These add nothing to your answer, and they do not favorably
impress the exam reader.

Read what you have written. Along with giving the appropriate information, your
essay should exhibit the qualities of good writing. Check for coherence and clear
sentence structure. Look also for those grammar troublespots that sometimes
show up in your writing.