Study Guides and Strategies

Set up a time schedule to answer each  question and to review/edit all questions

• If six questions are to be answered in sixty minutes , allow yourself only seven minutes for each.
• If questions are "weighed", prioritize that into your time allocation for each question.
• When the time is up for one question, stop writing, leave space and begin the next question. The incomplete questions can be answered during the review time
• Six incomplete questions usually receive more credit than three complete ones.

Read through the questions once and not if you have any choice in answering questions.

• Pay attention to how the question is phrased, or to the directives, or words such as compare, contrast, criticize ,etc.
• Answers will come to mind immediately for some questions.

Before attempting to answer a question, put it in your own words

• Now, compare your version with the original. Do they mean the same? If they don't, you've misread the question. You'll be surprised how often they don't agree.

Think before you write:

• Make a brief outline for each question 
  

Number the items in order. You will discuss them

• Get right to the point. State your main point in the first sentence. Use your first paragraph to provide an overview of your essay. Use the rest of your essay to discuss these points in more detail. Back up your points with specific information, examples, or questions from your readings and notes.
• Teachers are influenced by completeness and clarity of an organized answer
• Writing in the hope that the right answer will somehow turn-up is time consuming.
• To know a little and to present that little well is superior to knowing much and presenting it poorly when judged by the grade received.

Writing and answering:

Begin with a strong first sentence that states the main idea of your essay. Continue this first paragraph by presenting key points

• Develop your argument.
• Begin each paragraph with a key point from the introduction.
• Develop each point in a complete paragraph.
• Use transitions to connect your points.
• Hold to your time allocation and organization.
• Qualify answers when in doubt. In some cases the approximate , may be incorrect, and will be mark accordingly.

Summarize in your last paragraph

• Restate your central idea and indicate why it is important.

Complete question left incomplete

• Remember to allow time to review all questions.

Review, edit, and correct

• Misspellings, incomplete words and sentences, miswritten dates and numbers