Essay type tests are one of the banes of most college students. With a critical professor, difficult questions, and an hour to write a good answer, the sentiment is quite understandable. But, what is the secret to ace an essay exam? Here, we share the strategies and tips of Simon Fraser University and ThoughtCo in essay-writing exams.

Learn the material

One sure way of passing an essay-type test is studying what the test will be all about. So, during a discussion, make it a habit to jot down notes and compare the different concepts and arguments. This way, it will be easy for you to review and study for your exam.

To anticipate the questions coming out in your test, it will be a good idea to review your essay-type exercises. Your professor might re-use those questions or base the test questions on the previous exercises. In your review, try to answer those questions again and compare how you did with your exercise.

Write the thesis statement

During the test, it might feel overwhelming to fill out those paragraph lines under the question. There are so many ideas running through your head that you don’t know where to start. At times like this, a good way to start your essay is by writing the thesis statement.

The thesis statement is the sentence in your paragraph that offers the claim or main idea of your essay. By writing the thesis statement, you are focusing yourself on one concrete idea. This gives your essay a definite direction, which is important in the organization of your ideas in your essay.

Follow your outline 

After writing your thesis statement, you can now input ideas that follow the direction that your statement is pointing to. Make sure to organize those ideas in a way that makes the transition easy. For example, if your thesis statement claims that essential oils are good for, your outline should cite reasons for this claim. You can organize those reasons in a degree of importance.  

The standard essay outline begins with the thesis statement, the organized ideas, and conclusion. A conclusion is a short sentence that summarizes all the points of your essay. You can skip writing the conclusion if you don’t have time, but it makes your essay more coherent with it.

Mention examples

Although this is optional, citing examples will make your essay sound more convincing. If you can’t give concrete examples, you can always present a hypothetical scenario.

Take note that not all essay questions can be answered with examples, to determine what your essay needs before writing.

Edit and proofread

Once you are done with your essay, the next step is to proofread it. An effective way to proofread is by reading your essay out loud and listening to how it sounds. But, since you are in an exam setting, it would be better to murmur and read your essay out loud in your head.

 In proofreading, focus on the spelling, grammar, and flow of your essay. Correct any spelling and grammatical mistakes, and add or remove transition devices that make your essay sound choppy. Also, try to focus on improving your essay based on the criteria your professor will be grading your essay.

Contributed by: Allison Julianne Macasaet
She is a freelance writer on the side, a student of international relations on the other. Interests include fantasy books, international relations, and lifestyle.