Writing Exam Essays Exam essays are different: the process is streamlined, the purpose clear-cut assessment and

nd the key constraint is time. Your whole approach to essay writing is driven by this constraint. udgeting time 1 An overall time budget !ow do you allocate time in a "three #uestions in three hours$ exam% &imple arithmetic suggests one hour each, but if you allow a full hour for your first #uestion, you are bound to be short. 'hy% (rom the overall three hours, you need to deduct time to ) read the paper and finali*e your choice of #uestion: five to ten minutes ) check your script at the end: another ten minutes. +his leaves you with ,-.,, minutes per #uestion. You can reduce time on one #uestion a little if you really don$t know enough to answer it, and redeploy the surplus, but don$t be tempted to spend longer on one /ust because you do know a lot about it. You$ll end up writing an all-0-know-about-it answer, 123 having to skimp on the rest. 2 A marks-per-minute budget 1llocate time between #uestions according to the marks the #uestions attract. 4ook at the shape of past exam papers and do the basic arithmetic on marks per minute well in advance keeping an eye out for the unexpected. 5nce you have done your sums, stick to your time allocation in the exam. 3 A time-within-question budget 'ithin the time you have allocated for each #uestion, allow time for each part of the writing process, or, in short answers, each part of the #uestion. 0n the ,, minutes allowed for each essay in a three-essays-in-three-hours paper, allow time to ) analyse and plan your answer 6five to ten minutes7 ) review and edit 6five minutes7 ) write the essay 68, minutes7 Activity Work out a detailed time budget or each o the exam papers over the page! using the points made under the three time budget headings above"

#aper 1 $ime% +hree hours &nstruction% 1nswer 9:E&+052 ; and +'5 5+!E< #uestions. 1ll #uestions carry e#ual marks. $he questions% ;. 6=ompulsory #uestion7 3efine and write brief notes on five of the following: 6ah7 > ? Essay #uestions #aper 2 +ime: 0nstruction: +wo hours 1nswer +'5 #uestions, 52E from &E=+052 1 and 52E from &E=+052 . 1ll #uestions carry e#ual marks. +he #uestions: &ection 1 : Essay #uestions ; 8 &ection #aper 3 $ime% 0nstruction: +wo hours &tudents must answer +!<EE #uestions. 1nswer the #uestion in &E=+052 1 and +'5 9:E&+052& from &E=+052 . $he questions% &ection 1 is worth ,-@ of the total marks available in the examination. Each 6essay7 #uestion in &ection of the total marks available. 'hatever the context in which you are writing, your aim when you write an essay is to produce a piece of work that ) answers the #uestion 6your reader$s purpose7 ) meets the assessment criteria 6your purpose7 ) pleases you and your reader, both in its appearance and in the clarity and organi*ation of its content. is worth >,@ : Essay #uestions , ?