The A level psychology exam often includes an essay question. It is helpful right from the beginning of your course to know how to approach essay writing, so that you can build on your skills and refine your technique throughout the year. Here are some pointers to bear in mind when planning and structuring your essay.
Break down the question carefully
Read the question and note down the key topics or themes. Then read it again, and work out what the question is asking. For example, most types of psychology exam question will ask you to do one or more of the following: discuss, evaluate, explain, analyse, justify, assess, compare, clarify, criticise, or describe something.
Learn the difference between each term. For instance, an ‘evaluate’ question is asking you to present an opinion on an argument or research finding. To do this well, you will need to demonstrate that you have drawn of evidence from a range of sources, and have used it to reach an informed opinion.
If you are asked to ‘analyse’ a subject or argument, you need to break the essay topic down into all of its parts. For each part, bring in supporting evidence for and against, and then show how the arguments interrelate with the other parts of the question.
Structure your essay
A good structure will mean that your argument will be clear and logical, and you will keep your answer relevant to the essay question. The opening paragraph should set out what points you intent to discuss, without general background information which is not directly relevant to your arguments.
In each paragraph, make sure you are constantly referring back to the essay question, and not veering off topic. Conclude the essay with a paragraph summarising the main arguments or opinions, what your findings are, and your reasons for reaching the conclusions that you did.
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