What constitutes a perfect essay?

It is essential that you read the question properly. By this I mean do not just glance over it and start your essay, you really need to get to grips with what the question is asking you to do. One technique I used at A-Level was finding what the command words were - e.g. 'discuss' or 'evaluate' which would enable me to decide what angle I should tackle the question from. Finding the subject of the question too is important, if the question is asking you about the impact of the Treaty of Versailles on Germany then you would not speak about the impact of the Treaty of Versailles on Britain for example. Stick to the question and what it is asking you to do.

Planning is key. Plan what your core argument will be and make sure your essay consistently shows this argument throughout. You should plan at least three points you can discuss in detail and finish with a conclusion which sums up what you just argued, reiterate your main arguments.

When writing the essay itself, ensure you have a topic sentence - introduce your point; this will enable the reader to understand what you will be discussing in this paragraph. Do not make empty statements, always provide evidence and explain what the evidence is showing. Make sure you link to the question, how does this evidence provide more of a boom to your argument?

If you do all of what I have mentioned, with some practice you will be on your way to getting the perfect essay!