How do I answer a question in an exam on a text I’ve never seen before?

Responding to a question under exam conditions is all about preparation. Of course, you can never know exactly what type of question you will have to answer, and this can be especially hard in a case where you must analyse an unseen text. However, don’t be too hard on yourself, this type of exercise is difficult for everyone at a first glance. If you follow these steps, you will be completely fine!Firstly, remember to leave yourself more than enough time to plan, write and check your answer. Time management is key in an exam situation especially because a question on unseen texts is usually the last one in any paper. I would then advise you to read the question and underline key words before even looking at the text so that you know immediately what you’re looking for. Let’s take the example of a poem so that its clearer for you. You’ve read the question now it’s time to read the poem. Try and read it twice before starting any written work: once to get a good idea of its general theme and a second time more thoroughly where you look out for any literary figures. Before planning your answer, first jot down all your first impressions on the poem and then try and analyse it more thoroughly. Once you have all your ideas, group them together under a few main arguments that help answer your question. Try and order them starting with what seems like the most obvious argument you can use to answer your question and finishing with the most complex or interesting one. This will be your plan. Remember to always try and follow ‘point, example, analyse’: you give your argument, you find an example in the poem to back it up and then you give your point of view on it. You are being asked to respond to the poem, so don’t be shy to give your opinion. If you can explain your point of view your arguments are valid! Once you’ve done this you have everything you need to write a good essay.