Bonus Edition: Preparing for an Essay Exam

Since teaching students how to write just so happens to be my forte, I thought I'd do a bonus edition on a particular anxiety-causing type of exam: the essay exam.  Even if writing is not your "thing," you don't have to lose sleeping stressing about the essay portion of your test if you follow these tips:

If the essay is on a particular topic and you are expected to regurgitate information:

• Study the material you will be tested on
• Plan a response - identify your main point and all the examples or explanations you will need to illustrate that point
• Practice writing the essay - by the time you take the exam, the information should be firmly planted in your head.

If you're unlucky enough not to know the exact topic in advance:

• Be sure to study all the material you will be tested on
• If you have the time, create a study guide on the topics you will be tested on (assuming you have an idea what those topics are), identifying the information relevant to each topic
• Practice writing essays on those topics.

If you're like my students and are being tested on your writing skills:

• Come to the exam with a plan - know, in advance, how much time you will spend planning, drafting, and revising your essay.
• Know the features of the essay you will be asked to write, and make sure those features are present in the essay you write on the day of the exam.

For any one of these kinds of essay exams, you should also know what your professor is looking for in your essay response.  If he or she does not give you this information in advance, be sure to ask.