Tips for Writing Essays for Competitve Exams

Following are the points that one should keep in mind while writing an Essay in
a competitve exam 1) Answer what has been asked.
This is the first and most important point to keep in mind. Writing the wrong qu
estion (understanding the question incorrectly) is a common mistake made by cand
idates. Unfortunately, it can be a real disaster for you as despite writing a go
od essay you can end up getting low or no marks at all. Make sure you understand
what the question wants; it is highly advisable to keep refering back to the qu
estion throughout the answer.
2) Plan your Essay.
Before you start writing an essay you should plan what are the key points you wa
nt to focus on in your eassay. Give 2-3 minutes to think the points over in your
mind. Best way for writing an essay is considered to start with - Introduction,
then 2 or 3 paragraphs for your points or arguments followed in the end by Conc
lusion.
3) Introduction is Key.
Purpose of the introduction is to present your point of view or argument on the
issue at hand. But good introductory paragraphs are much more than that. Before
you get to the point of presenting your view, the essay should begin with a "hoo
k" that pulls the reader s attention and makes them want to read on. Examples of e
ffective hooks include relevant quotations or surprising statistics. Only then,
should you move on to provide your point of view.
4) Body Paragraphs.
The first paragraph of a body paragraph should be used to spell out in detail th
e examples or points you gave in Introduction paragraph. Points here should be i
n line with what you have put in Introduction.
In the second paragraph you should put in your arguments for supporting the poin
ts or example you gave in the first paragraph of body paragraphs. You should use
your strongest argument or most significant example to put your point. This is
an opportunity to discuss why the basic premise may be wrong or limited. It is a
lso an opportunity to show you can think for yourself, rather than just mug up a
list of points.
5) Conclusion
Although the conclusion paragraph comes at the end of your essay it should not b
e seen as an afterthought. One way to think of the conclusion is as a second int
roduction as you will be taking a final stand based on argument you have given i
n body paragraphs. Conclusion should normally be 4 or 5 sentences long. Having d
one all of that, the final sentence in your essay should be a "global statement"
or "call to action" that gives the examiner signals that the discussion has com
e to an end.
6) How much to write...
Well, normally in an exam there is
adhere to this word limit. Say, if
in the range of + or - 30 words to
present yourself within the given

prescribed word limit and one should try and

the limit is 300 words, one should try to be
the word limit. This shows your capability to
limitations.

All the Best for Exams....

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