How do I answer essay questions in the exam?

Taking the fear from essay questionsAnswering essay questions in Geography is an area students often struggle with; most students are used to GCSE style, maximum 20 mark essays. However, students should not fear essays; they are daunting, but students shouldn't let their fear of answering the essay questions deter them from writing a good answer. Essay questions should be approached with confidence: this is something I would aim to instil in the pupil. I would make clear to the student that essays are largely about the quality of the writing, not quantity of information. It's all about the flow of the information, advancing an argument, and, above all, answering the question. I would direct the student to the mark scheme, and explain how the 'band' marking framework functions. I would make clear that examiners aren't looking for an in-depth thesis; they're just looking for examples that answer the question, written in an engaging, clear and concise way. I would show the student essays that I had written under exam conditions, examining my technique exactly, asking them to highlight where I gave examples, where I analysed those examples, and where I linked it back to the question. Once this technique is ingrained in the student, they should be able to fly through essay questions without fear! The trickiest skill when writing essays is answering the question. Students want to throw down everything they know, that appears vaguely related to the question, in a GCSE-style manner; but that isn't what A-Levels are about. They are about using the information you have (accepting you can't know everything!) and matching that information to the questions. The ability to do this is honed through good planning. I would teach the student how to quickly jot down a plan, consisting of three topic sentences which answer the question, with bullet points underneath. Under each topic sentence, students can jot down at least two pieces of information that support each topic sentence. This ensures that the essay stays focused on the question that is being asked. A basic PEEL (Point, Evidence, Explain, Link to the question) structure is always beneficial, and actually seeing a draft plans, plans being made, and asking the student to make plans with my guidance will undoubtedly boost their confidence. In order to answer the question being asked, students need to analyse the question, solidifying in their mind what the question is actually asking of them. I would go through the different command words, and question types and how they affect how the student should write their answer. These tips will give the student the confidence they need when tackling essay questions. If a student feels confident in their abilities and secure in their knowledge, essay questions will be a breeze.