How do I write a good essay?

Writing a successful essay can be difficult at first, especially in exam conditions. It is often easy to stray from the asked question so it is important to remember, even if what you are writing is completely correct, if it has nothing to do with the question, it may be deemed as irrelevant and therefore will not help your overall grade. This is why planning your answer is the first and possibly most important step to a good essay. writing a plan, even a quick 5 minute one at the beginning of your exam, is essential as it ensures you have thought about the question and what steps you will take throughout the essay to ensure you have thoroughly answered the specific question. In the introduction of your essay, be sure to briefly outline your general views about the question before going into further detail in the main body of your essay. A good way to ensure you are staying on track is by making sure after every major point in your essay that you are linking back to the question. This will give yourself more confidence whilst writing as you can clearly see that you are answering the question as well as show the examiner the same thing. Lastly, being able to write efficiently and concisely is a key skill found in successful essays. This is because examiners appreciate clear straight-to-the-point ideas and the more concise the points, the more points you can make and the more points you make, the better the essay will be!