How To Take an Essay Test in College and Earn a Good Grade
by Timothy M. Wilson
Many students are ill-prepared for essay tests. Other students might be better prepared, at least in terms of having studied the material, but since they lack essay-test-taking skills, they too perform rather poorly. Any essay writing service declares that this does not have to be the case if students follow proven guidelines for success as they prepare for and then take essay tests in college.
How to Review Notes for an Essay Test in College
Students should study the material before the test, and “prior” does not the night before or, worse, on the way to class, although one might argue that “cramming” is better than no preparation at all. Moreover, if they took notes during lectures (assuming they know how to take good notes), students should review their notes daily. Why? It’s because reviewing notes while the lecture is still fresh in their minds (assuming they know how to listen) will help transfer information from their short-term memories to their long-term memories. If, though, it isn’t possible to review daily, students should try to do so at least several times each week, and, ideally, they should devote a minimum of an hour per week to reviewing for each class.
How to Prepare in Advance for an Essay Test in College
In addition to reviewing notes, students should follow these suggestions:
- If the instructor conducts a review session, make an earnest effort to attend. (Hint: If the instructor says, “This is important” or “Remember this,” chances are students will be asked to discuss it on a test.)
- If possible, find out how many questions the test will include.
- Learn the correct spelling of key terms and relevant names (Most instructors count off for misspelling such things).
- Pay special attention to major concepts, significant periods, relevant examples, and important people.
- Look at the material from the instructor’s perspective: Which concepts are most important? Who are the key players? Which dates are historically significant? What information is most relevant?
Different Types of College Essay Test Questions
When students sit down to take an essay test, the first thing they should do is read the question or questions carefully and make certain they understand exactly what they are being asked to do. Are they being asked to analyze, discuss, compare, contrast, define, etc? On the other hand, are they being asked to use a combination of approaches? There is, after all, a distinct difference between how different types of essay questions are addressed, for example:
- Analyze means to break down into individual relationships and/or parts and to provide an explanation or rationale.
- Explain means to clarity, explicate, or interpret, providing examples or reasons in the process.
- Discuss means to provide an opinion and examine an issue from multiple angles.
- Evaluate means to examine the value or worth of something, ideally by presenting both pros and cons and offering supporting evidence.
- Describe means to give a detailed illustration or explanation.
- Justify means to validate a position and explain why it is right.
- State means to offer a concise statement regarding viewpoint or position.
- Summarize means to review or reiterate main points in an abbreviated form.
How to Organize and Write an Essay Test in College
Once students fully understand what they are expected to do on the test, they must then, of course, write the essay. Here are some suggestions that will increase their chances of earning a good grade:
Rephrase the question, making it the controlling idea (thesis statement) of the essay.
Place the thesis statement somewhere in the first paragraph, which is the introduction, and never once lose sight of it, for when students lose sight of their thesis statements, they usually also lose sight of what they should be writing about, and before long they’re writing about something completely irrelevant.
- Express the thesis statement in a complete sentence (Do not use a statement of intention).
- When the focus changes from one main point to another point, begin a new paragraph.
- Include a topic sentence in each new paragraph.
- Make certain that sentences are coherent and paragraphs are unified.
- Avoid misspelling words, especially key terms and names.
- Avoid using contractions, nonstandard English, and abbreviations (Do not use the ampersand “&” for the word “and”).
- Provide a conclusion that restates the thesis (in different words from the introduction) and summarizes the main ideas presented in the essay.
- If time allows, proofread and make any necessary revisions.
In summary, students can do well on essay tests if they prepare in advance, understand exactly what they are being asked to do, and write coherently, concisely, and correctly.
About the author: Timothy M. Wilson works as an essay writer for essaywritingservice.nyc. He is interested in self-development and spiritual awakening. So he likes keeping up with modern tendencies of personal development. It helps him plan and have time to do everything.
How to Review Notes for an Essay Test in College
Students should study the material before the test, and “prior” does not the night before or, worse, on the way to class, although one might argue that “cramming” is better than no preparation at all. Moreover, if they took notes during lectures (assuming they know how to take good notes), students should review their notes daily. Why? It’s because reviewing notes while the lecture is still fresh in their minds (assuming they know how to listen) will help transfer information from their short-term memories to their long-term memories. If, though, it isn’t possible to review daily, students should try to do so at least several times each week, and, ideally, they should devote a minimum of an hour per week to reviewing for each class.
How to Prepare in Advance for an Essay Test in College
In addition to reviewing notes, students should follow these suggestions:
- If the instructor conducts a review session, make an earnest effort to attend. (Hint: If the instructor says, “This is important” or “Remember this,” chances are students will be asked to discuss it on a test.)
- If possible, find out how many questions the test will include.
- Learn the correct spelling of key terms and relevant names (Most instructors count off for misspelling such things).
- Pay special attention to major concepts, significant periods, relevant examples, and important people.
- Look at the material from the instructor’s perspective: Which concepts are most important? Who are the key players? Which dates are historically significant? What information is most relevant?
Different Types of College Essay Test Questions
When students sit down to take an essay test, the first thing they should do is read the question or questions carefully and make certain they understand exactly what they are being asked to do. Are they being asked to analyze, discuss, compare, contrast, define, etc? On the other hand, are they being asked to use a combination of approaches? There is, after all, a distinct difference between how different types of essay questions are addressed, for example:
- Analyze means to break down into individual relationships and/or parts and to provide an explanation or rationale.
- Explain means to clarity, explicate, or interpret, providing examples or reasons in the process.
- Discuss means to provide an opinion and examine an issue from multiple angles.
- Evaluate means to examine the value or worth of something, ideally by presenting both pros and cons and offering supporting evidence.
- Describe means to give a detailed illustration or explanation.
- Justify means to validate a position and explain why it is right.
- State means to offer a concise statement regarding viewpoint or position.
- Summarize means to review or reiterate main points in an abbreviated form.
How to Organize and Write an Essay Test in College
Once students fully understand what they are expected to do on the test, they must then, of course, write the essay. Here are some suggestions that will increase their chances of earning a good grade:
Rephrase the question, making it the controlling idea (thesis statement) of the essay.
Place the thesis statement somewhere in the first paragraph, which is the introduction, and never once lose sight of it, for when students lose sight of their thesis statements, they usually also lose sight of what they should be writing about, and before long they’re writing about something completely irrelevant.
- Express the thesis statement in a complete sentence (Do not use a statement of intention).
- When the focus changes from one main point to another point, begin a new paragraph.
- Include a topic sentence in each new paragraph.
- Make certain that sentences are coherent and paragraphs are unified.
- Avoid misspelling words, especially key terms and names.
- Avoid using contractions, nonstandard English, and abbreviations (Do not use the ampersand “&” for the word “and”).
- Provide a conclusion that restates the thesis (in different words from the introduction) and summarizes the main ideas presented in the essay.
- If time allows, proofread and make any necessary revisions.
In summary, students can do well on essay tests if they prepare in advance, understand exactly what they are being asked to do, and write coherently, concisely, and correctly.
About the author: Timothy M. Wilson works as an essay writer for essaywritingservice.nyc. He is interested in self-development and spiritual awakening. So he likes keeping up with modern tendencies of personal development. It helps him plan and have time to do everything.
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