How do timed essays for the final assessment capture knowledge that I gain from the course?
How do timed essays for the final assessment capture knowledge that I gain from the course?
FAQ: How do timed essays for the final assessment capture knowledge that I gain from the course?
- Our timed essay questions test factual knowledge & also - important at the post-graduate level - to test how you engage critically with & reflect on your knowledge base, how you distil & prioritize information from that knowledge base, plus how you then synthesize a response.
- In our experience, common reasons for poor performance on timed essay questions in general, are:
- Not reading the question properly (the risk is that students only focus on key words & then write about what they know around the key words & not the full question).
- Lack of analysis (the risk is that students perform a "data dump" of facts they do know, without demonstrating critical appraisal & insight or actually addressing the set question).
- Poor planning (the risk is that the essay is unfocused, with students often only answering the question in the last paragraph or two, with not enough time to demonstrate appropriate depth of knowledge or analytical prowess).
- Over-generalization (the risk is that critical thinking, insight & reflection cannot then be demonstrated, which are expectations of post-graduate work)
- Insufficient reading around the subject ( the risk is that the student's knowledge base is limited, which can lead to one or more of the above points all coming true)