Read through all the questions carefully.

Budget your time and decide which question(s) you will answer first.

Underline the key word(s) which tell you what to do for each question.

Choose an organizational pattern appropriate for each keyword and plan your answers on scratch paper or in the margins.

Write your answers as quickly and as legibly as you can; do not take the time to recopy.

Begin each answer with one or two sentence thesis which summarizes your answer. If possible, phrase the statement so that it rephrases the question's essential terms into a statement (which therefore directly answers the essay question).

Support your thesis with specific references to the material you have studied.

Proofread your answer and correct errors in spelling and mechanics.