Essay Exams
In many of your classes, teachers will ask you to take essay exams to evaluate how you
synthesize the materials presented in class. Essay exams test critical thinking skills—
skills that show that you can discuss the significance of and connections between
concepts you’ve been introduced to. When you study for essay exams, you must move
beyond memorization; listing information, facts, and quotations will not do. You must
think about what the information means and how it fits into a larger context.
Steps for Taking an Essay Exam
1. The most helpful tip for taking essay exams is to follow directions carefully. Read
the instructions—how many questions do you have to answer? Do you have choices?
How many points is each question worth? Do you have to complete objective
sections first?
2. Do some simple math and bring a watch. How much time do you have for each
question? Which question do you know more about? Which question counts more?
3. Budget your time! Decide how much time you can spend on each question and then
stick to your plan. You must finish the entire exam in the time alloted. If you have
time, rewrite the question on your paper—this can help make sure you understand the
question and that you do not confuse this question with another.
4. Underline directive (cue) words. It is crucial to understand what kind of answer the
teacher expects. Often the answer to expectations is found in how the question is
presented.
5. Focus. Decide what position you want to take or what point you want to make.
Students sometimes want to write down as much as they can to show teachers how
much they have studied or how much they know. Teachers are looking for your
ability to focus in on one aspect of the material presented.
6. Make a brief outline of your answer. While this might take a minute or two, it can
help you focus and set up perimeters for you to follow.
7. Present your thesis as quickly as possible. You must write quickly and accurately.
You often do not have time to compose the kinds of introductions you can in more
formal, drafted writing.
8.
Begin paragraphs with clear topic sentences that present your main ideas
(assertions) clearly.
9. You must offer support for your claims—evidence. In each section offer examples,
quotations, interpretation.
10. Use transitions between ideas. Transitions lead the instructor from one section to
another. The writing seems clear and logically progressing.
11. Do not save the best for last. While a big finish sounds impressive, you may run
out of time. Make sure you have made your strongest points clear early.
12. Summarize at the end if you have time. Remind the reader of the controlling idea
you presented in the opening paragraph.
13. Proofread. A couple of minutes proofreading can make a major difference in your
grade. Try to look for major errors in logic, clarity, and mechanics.
Essay Exam Sample Questions
World History: What challenges did the builders of early human civilizations face? How did they meet
those challenges? Look at political, economic, technological, and religious aspects of their responses,
comparing two different cultures.
Nursing: You are a nurse on a surgical unit in a large hospital. Your nurse manager assigned you the talk
of performing a literature review on dressing products/wound treatment available for clients with stage III
pressure ulcers. The results of your literature search indicate that there are several treatment methods that
would be appropriate for implementation on your unit. You consult the nurse researcher in your institution,
and he agrees with your findings. Write a paragraph to describe a plan you would use to introduce the new
methods to your unit.
Follow up: Write two blocks or barriers that you might experience as you attempt to utilize research
findings to change nursing practice.
American Literature: Discuss how, why, and to what extent the race of the author does or does not
matter when discussing literature, using Uncle Tom’s Cabin and one or two Harlem Renaissance texts.
You can focus on similarities/contrasts in style, content, treatment, tone, etc.
Political Science: In class, we discussed the complicated nature of American Liberalism, highlighting
three specific tensions or controversies that are at the root of our contradictory ethos—which result in
ideological disputes in our everyday political process. Discuss each of these three tensions, demonstrating
with examples, explanation, etc. your understanding of these dilemmas. Provide examples of how we,
through our institutions/policies, try to resolve the best we can the frictions that are generated.
Finally, from these tensions, compare and contrast the “two Liberalisms” which have historically affected
American political ideas, focusing on their divergent views concerning the role of the government and the
nature/definition of freedom.
International Relations: Define POWER and be prepared to distinguish between POWER and FORCE
giving examples of each. Discuss the changes which have occurred in the power structure of the
international system since the end of the second world war. In your view, is the new global power structure
that is emerging today more or less stable than in previous years?
Biology: I hypothesize that Biology 101 is the most popular class on the Belmont campus among students.
Design an experiment that would test this hypothesis. Include the two elements that are essential for
designing interpretation of your data/results.
Philosophy: Three concepts seem to challenge and undermine the concept, and even the operation of,
justice: mercy, revenge, and forgiveness. Try to show how these three challenge our notions of justice,
and tell me if you agree that the three do undermine justice, or that they do not.
Religion: Discuss the similarities and differences between Mark as a representative of the synoptic
tradition and the Gospel of John. Give attention to both style and content.