Exam Strategies: Short Answer & Essay Exams | MUNUP (2024)
Essay exams involve a significant written component in which you are asked to discuss and expand on a topic. These could include written responses in the form of a formal essay or a detailed short-answer response.
What is the difference between a short answer and an essay question?
Both short-answer and essay questions ask you to demonstrate your knowledge of course material by relating your answer to concepts covered in the course.
Essay questions require a thesis (argument) and supporting evidence (from course material - lectures, readings, discussions, and assignments) outlined in several paragraphs, including an introduction, body, and conclusion.
Short-answer questions are more concise than essay answers - think of it as a “mini-essay” - and use a sentence or two to introduce your topic; select a few points to discuss; add a concluding sentence that sums up your response.
Preparing for an essay exam
Review your course material - look for themes within the topics covered, use these to prepare sample questions if your instructor has not given direction on what to expect from essay questions.
Create outlines to answer your practice questions. Choose a definite argument or thesis statement and organize supporting evidence logically in body paragraphs. Try a mnemonic (like a rhyme or acronym) to help remember your outline.
Practice! Using your outline, try using a timer to write a full response to your practice or sample questions within the exam time limit.
Answering essay questions
Review the question carefully. Think about what it is asking - what are you expected to include? What material or examples are relevant?
Underline keywords in the question to identify the main topic and discussion areas.
Plan your time. Keep an eye on the time allowed and how many essay questions you are required to answer. Consider the mark distribution to determine how much time to spend on each question or section.
Make a plan. Take a few minutes to brainstorm and plan your response - jot down a brief outline to order your points and arguments before you start to write.
Include a thesis statement in your introduction so that your argument is clear, even if you run out of time, and help structure your answer.
Write a conclusion, even if brief - use this to bring your ideas together to answer the question and suggest the broader implications.
Clearly and concisely answer the question:
In your introduction, show that you understand the question and outline how you will answer it.
Make one point or argument per paragraph and include one or two pieces of evidence or examples for each point.
In your conclusion, summarize the arguments to answer the question.
"Test Taking Strategies: Short Answer & Essay Questions"
Does your next test have short answer or essay questions? Let's look at how to prepare for these type of questions, how to answer these types of questions, and strategies to keep in mind during the exam.Fight exam writer's block and achieve your best marks yet!
Carnegie Mellon University. (n.d.). Successful exam strategies. Carnegie Mellon University: Student Academic Success. Retrieved April 1, 2022 from https://www.cmu.edu/student-success/other-resources/fast-facts/exam-strategies.pdf
Memorial University of Newfoundland. (n.d.). Exam strategies: Short answer & essay exams. Memorial University of Newfoundland: Academic Success Centre. Retrieved April 1, 2022 from https://www.mun.ca/munup/vssc/learning/exam-strategies-essays.php
Trent University. (n.d.). How to understand and answer free response or essay exam questions. Trent University: Academic Skills. Retrieved April 1, 2022 from https://www.trentu.ca/academicskills/how-guides/how-study/prepare-and-write-exams/how-understand-and-answer-free-response-or-essay-exam
University of Queensland Australia. (n.d.). Exam tips. University of Queensland Australia: Student support, study skills. Retrieved April 1, 2022 from https://my.uq.edu.au/information-and-services/student-support/study-skills/exam-tips
University of Waterloo. (n.d.). Exam questions: Types, characteristics, and suggestions. University of Waterloo: Centre for Teaching Excellence. Retrieved April 1, 2022 from https://uwaterloo.ca/centre-for-teaching-excellence/teaching-resources/teaching-tips/developing-assignments/exams/questions-types-characteristics-suggestions
Write your answer as quickly and legibly as possible. Don't plan on rewriting your essay – there is rarely enough time to do anything but proof your answer. Start your answer by rewriting the question as a thesis statement. A well‐written thesis statement answers the question directly.
Always make sure you're answering the question asked, not simply writing everything you know about the topic.As you revise, try thinking of examples of the concepts you learn about. This will help you to process the content more deeply and put you in a better position to respond effectively to short-answer questions.
Short answer and essay tests can be the final section of a bigger test, or a test by itself. While both ask that you take the basic knowledge of a topic and state the key ideas in your own words, a short answer question may require a few sentences, whereas an essay prompt may require a paragraph or more.
If the limit is 150 words, don't stop at 50 words. Use the space to show why you are passionate about something. "Short" doesn't mean unimportant. Make sure every word counts, and attend to grammar, style, and tone.
Every good essay has three basic parts: an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. This simple guide will show you how to perfect your essay structure by clearly introducing and concluding your argument, and laying out your paragraphs coherently in between.
Short answer questions (or SAQs) can be used in examinations or as part of assessment tasks. They are generally questions that require students to construct a response. Short answer questions require a concise and focused response that may be factual, interpretive or a combination of the two.
The QUESTION–ANSWER RELATIONSHIP (QAR) is a question answering and generating strategy that improves comprehension by helping students understand the different types of questions. ...
- Establish the purpose for using QAR. ...
- Read a short passage aloud to your students, and model how to generate and/or.
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Introduction: My name is Roderick King, I am a cute, splendid, excited, perfect, gentle, funny, vivacious person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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