How can I efficiently plan an essay in an exam?

It is always helpful to plan your essay before you begin. Planning is essential to have a clear, confident argument. Once you have selected your question, loosely annotate it - underlining key words (like the number of texts you are writing on), the subject of the question, and the essay's purpose (to explain/assess, for example). This will ensure that you won't make any silly mistakes. Then devise your thesis statement - a sentence that summarises the stance of your argument. For a question asking about nature in ‘Macbeth’, your thesis statement may be "Although nature is at first believed to be relatively constant, ‘Macbeth’ shows that it can be manipulated by supernatural forces, transforming it from a calm, pastoral force into one that is dangerous and foreboding - adapting to the devilish essence of the witches". Your thesis statement helps keep your essay focused and concise, making sure you don’t go off track. From this it should be simple to pick out three or four key points to discuss (depending on your time limit). You may want to write 5-8 bullet points per paragraph. Make sure to jot down textual examples of your point, as well as keeping it relevant to your thesis statement. You could make note of opposing views, critical statements, quotes, or key concepts, as well as elaborating on the subject of your paragraph. It may be useful to note down discourse markers (furthermore, on the other hand, additionally) to improve the flow of your work. Make sure to order everything in the most coherent, flowing way. Once this is done, plan your introduction, briefly defining key words, noting relevant context, and alluding to the main body of your essay. This is where you will include your thesis statement. Once complete, go to your conclusion, making sure to refer back to your thesis statement and the question. Note down a few finishing ideas relating to the main body. It is imperative that you do this on your exam answer booklet (if possible), drawing one line through it when you are finished. You may gain a few extra marks here if you run out of time.