Exam tips

• Copy the answer onto a piece of foolscap - by doing so, you are able to process the question word by word! This ensures you don’t miss out key elements, and gives you space to brainstorm
• Don’t worry about essay structure, just focus on creating a cogent (of an argument or case) clear, logical, and convincing.), informed and insightful essay
• If there is an issue with your argument, or you suddenly thought of a better argument point: throw your original argument and label it a ‘critic’s view’ / use conjunctions like ‘moreover’, ‘however’, or ‘this is what critics say but,’ then address the loophole and continue with your better argument point.
• You didn’t realise your mistake until your essay is ¾ done and you have no time to rewrite the entire essay: Directly point out the mistake by adding a paragraph like ‘However, we can see that although the above arguments seem to be very persuasive, it has a fundamental loophole XXX (mistake). …However, when we see the other point of view (mention correction), the whole issue and discussion will become clear and comprehensive.’
• Avoid being ‘example driven' - explain why you’ve chosen your piece of evidence instead of letting the examiner figure out intuitively the link between that and the topic question. A way to counter this is to create a safety net: Strengthen the argument point by additional elaboration.

Framing essay with a bird's eye view

• “At the heart of these debates…”/ "At the heart of this issue..." - follow up by a tangible definition and clear example.
• Identity the purpose, point out a neglected fact or element, identify common characteristics

3 Seasonings: Ethos, pathos, and logos - credibility, emotion & reasoning

• Credibility: mentioning famous people/historical events, quotes, stories, statistics - readers are more willing to trust and this leads to a higher effectiveness of information transmission... higher marks!!
• (Use with caution) Emotion: show not tell. inject some irony, sympathy, etc emotional elements to convey your message to help the reader appreciate the views you express vividly
• Reasoning: Any example used in your essay MUST NOT contradict the body of your logic. Otherwise, they disrupt the sense of logical consistency and smoothness. One counter sentence can instantly make an argument sound superficial and unreliable

Conclusion

• Pointing out the purpose and value of your essay is an easy way to enhance your conclusion. It creates a meaningful essay as you're not just writing for the sake of writing, but you really have a clear purpose and a call to action - What change do you want to make a reality by writing this article? What's one key takeaway you hope your readers will have? Why is persuading the reader of your opinion so important?
• Ask a question. Write an open ending (a deeper insight, aspects that concerns the heart of the issue) that may trigger the examiner to think and pay attention. A thought provoking question makes an essay so much more outstanding
• (Use with caution, don't contradict your argument) Add depth. No matter your stance or how you write your argument, you can always add the bigger picture.
• Add value. Instead of being stuck in the surface level of the question, initiate a more 'metaphysical' discussion. (how do I even begin to explain this? Just go deeper)