1. Organize around a clear focus; one that is limited enough to cover
in the time allotted yet includes all the material your professor will expect to find. This focus should be expressed in a thesis
statement.
2. Answer the question asked, DO NOT the question you wish had been asked. Outline your answer. Know the three or four points that develop, explain, or prove your thesis statement.
3. Come to the point quickly, beginning with your thesis statement.
4. Stick to the subject. Blurting out everything you do know on the subject is a bad strategy (See Rule 1.) Do not to throw all you know against the wall and hope that something sticks. Select, organize, and analyze.
5. Be thorough. Do not leave out anything important to the defense of your
thesis statement.
6. Support generalities with specific and relevant evidence.
7. Spelling, syntax, word choice, structure, puncuation and capitalization matter. Use college-level writing! You are not texting your friend here.
1. Do not start writing immediately.
2. Analyze the question that you answer by underlining the cue words and
key words.
3. Use a writing process as much as possible within the constraints
of the time limit. Try to allot time to plan and revise. For a one-hour
test of one question, take about 10 minutes to jot down preliminary ideas
about content and organization, and save about 10 minutes to reread, revise
and edit your answer. If you feel blocked, try free writing to get your
hand and your thoughts moving.
4. Support any generalizations with specifics.
5. Beware of "going off the topic". Respond to the cue words
and key words in the question, and do not try to reshape the question to
conform to what you might prefer to write about. Remember, your reader
expects a clear line of presentation and reasoning that answers the given
question.