Written exams are a challenging format to make arguments simply and coherently. The aim is to think carefully about the question, what exactly it asks you to do, and build an argument that answers it. Dr Laureen Elgert (see her on film in Further resources below) suggests five key areas to focus on.
Structure!
Structure is crucial. A good exam response will have a “beginning”, a “middle”, and an “end”. In other words, the structure should organise your paragraphs into a coherent flow. This starts with an introduction, explaining how the question will be addressed and why it matters, moving onto a body of your main points, before a conclusion recapping what has been argued and how it answers the question.
Succinctness!
It is really important to keep your writing concise. Don’t tell us everything you know about your subject! Keep all the material relevant and remember that dense writing and long sentences are harder for examiners to follow. Your claims will seem much more persuasive if you keep your prose punchy.
Substance!
Quite simply, exam responses need to say something interesting. Good exam responses go beyond describing ideas and approaches, or listing memorised points. Justifying an argument in exams means making claims but also explaining to examiners why those claims are significant.
Substantiate!
Supporting your claims properly is vital for justifying your arguments. This means drawing on relevant evidence such as examples, cases, data and existing academic literature to support (or refute) the claims that you have mobilised. Justifying arguments with evidence shows you can convincingly position yourself within a wider body of scholarship and thinking about your topic.
Style!
Last but not least, think about the style of your writing. Writing under exam conditions and pressure is enormously difficult, so it is important to remember to try to write as simply (but eloquently!) as possible.
Further resources
What makes a good exam essay?| - advice from Laureen Elgert, an academic from DESTIN, now the Department of International Development