1. How To Plan An Exam Essay
Essay planning is VITAL if you really want to get the best mark you can in your Literature exam and spending only 5-10 minutes planning your answer will give you confidence and a direction to go in when answering the question. Your plan should be written in pencil so as not to confuse it with your answer. When you finish the answer, cross out your plan so the examiner knows you don’t want them to look at it.
Work out what the question is asking.
Highlight/underline the KEY WORDS in the question and write these at the start of your plan.
Brainstorm
You know stuff and in the panic at the start of an exam, sometimes you don’t know what you know or forget what you do know.
Organise your introduction.
Creating a brainstorm should give you a sense of what you want to say in your answer so make notes about what you want to say in your introduction.
Plan your paragraphs
At the very least use a ‘Point-Quote-Comment’ format. Introduce the point, support it with a quote and then make a comment on the quote that relates to the question.
Get quotes
If the text is printed on the exam paper find the quotes to support the points you want to make. If it is an ‘open’ question, then think of detailed examples from the text to support your point.
Start your answer

2. How To Plan An Exam Essay – Key Words
The first thing you need to identify is what type of question you are being asked. Common types of questions used for iGCSE Language and Literature are:
Argue: present your opinion and, through reasoning, defend it with examples
Compare/Contrast: present similarities and differences
Evaluate: judge the strengths and weaknesses, pros and cons, or advantages and disadvantages
Explore: present the main points with clear examples that enhance the discussion
Discuss / Explain: present the main points, facts, and details of a topic; give reasons.
Summarize: briefly state the main ideas in an organized manner
Once you know which type of question you are answering then look for the Key words in the Question. Ex:
“To justify his actions, Eddie creates an alternative reality to exist within.” Using evidence from the play show to what extent you agree or disagree with this statement.
The key words in this question are:
“To justify his actions, Eddie creates an alternative reality to exist within.” Using evidence from the play show to what
extent you agree or disagree with this statement.
This question asks you to identify instances where Eddies view of the world differs from reality and then say if the point you make shows or does not show Eddie has a different view of reality.
Explore the way Wilfred Owen uses Imagery in Dulce Et Decorum Est to produce a powerful and effective poem.
This question asks you to identify some key lines in the poem, describe the imagery used if those lines and then explain why/how they are powerful and effective.

3. How To Plan An Exam Essay – Brainstorm/Mind Map
Use a Brainstorm/Mind Map to capture your ideas. It does not matter what the idea is, put it down, you don’t have to use it. But that idea may stimulate another idea which you do want to use. Any for of Brainstorm will do. There are two example below and in reality you would probably add a new cell for each new idea rather than starting with a fixed number of cells.
E\Exam
Question
E\Exam
Question

4. How To Plan An Exam Essay – Paragraphs
Once you have got your ideas down as a Brainstorm/Mind Map, decide the order you want to write your brainstorm ideas in. Each ‘cell’ of the Brainstorm should become a single paragraph.
Idea 1
Idea 2
Introduction
Eddie’s Alternative Reality
Idea 6
Idea 3
Eddie & the skirt. Para 1.
Idea 4
Idea 4

5. How To Plan An Exam Essay – Paragraphs
Once you have got your ideas down as a Brainstorm/Mind Map, decide the order you want to write your brainstorm ideas in. Each ‘cell’ of the Brainstorm should become a single paragraph.
Idea 1
Stanza 1
Idea 2
Idea 7
Physical
Effects
Para 1
Mental
Effects
Idea 6
Idea 3
E\Imagery in Dulce
Eddie & the skirt. Para 1.
Idea 4
Gas attack
Idea 4
Gassed soldier
Introduction

6. How To Plan An Exam Essay – Quotes
In a Literature exam every paragraph should contain at least one quote or detailed example and the body of the paragraph should then offer a commentary on how the quote you have used answers the question.
Once you have found a quote add it in full or as a note [ex. Line 5] to the Brainstorm Cell.
Catherine tries to justify herself by telling Eddie that it’s the fashion and how all the other girls dress, but Eddie only responds by telling her “You ain’t all the girls.” This might seem normal for any father figure to say, but knowing Eddie, it helps prove the point that he has ‘special’ feelings for Catherine.
…because it is a war poem, most of the imagery is disturbing and powerful. The first example of imagery in the poem would be in the first line, "bent double, like beggars". The soldiers who are supposedly young and fit where now similar to old beggars, instead of having a straight back they are bent over like an old person
Brainstorm Cell
Eddie treats Catherine like a baby. Ex. The way she dresses.
Quote: ‘You ain’t all the girls’.
Also hides Eddie’s true feelings for Catherine.
Brainstorm Cell
Imagery from start of poem.
Quote L1 – bent double
Shows how damaged young soldiers are by war.