How to write a good essay under exam conditions?

Writing in exams is all about preparation, your plan will become your best friend. Before every essay based exam I write out how much time I have and allocate time for planning, writing and checking- that plan is essential and should never be sacrificed. The plan allows you to firstly write out everything you think is relevant, and then you can organise those thoughts into a coherent structure which you can follow during the course of the exam. As for the actual essay, remember to stick to the question, always be asking yourself why the point you're making is relevant for this specific question.Start by signposting what you're trying to achieve, the introduction should be informative and concise, under exam conditions you must remain succinct and focused. English essays usually require quotes and remember, although it is important to know several blanket quotes that will cover most bases, everyone is doing that so a few unique quotes that you can remember and use are usually incredibly helpful and help to elevate the essay. With the main body of the argument it is important to follow a logical structure that ensures that the essay flows. Point, evidence, explain is a slightly over-used but altogether helpful structure, under exam conditions it's these tried and tested methods that allow you to focus on the content and making that as good as it can be. Thematic structure is sophisticated but not essential, as long as the essay makes sense and makes your points clearly then that is what is important. When you get to the end you must link back to the question, with a concluding thought that sums up what you have said without repeating it but also not starting a new point, using the points and evidence you've analysed throughout the essay (as difficult as this sounds it is possible, just think about the over-arching point of what you're saying!). Keep the conclusion short and then go back over the essay and check it, after putting this much effort in you don't want small grammatical or structural issues to lower your mark.