Taking Essay Exams in History Courses
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Many college students have not learned good essay exam techniques. Yet they are not hard to grasp, particularly for people who write passably in other disciplines. The suggestions which follow here have been designed to help you transfer writing skills learned for other disciplines and to sharpen techniques which you may have already acquired elsewhere.

1. Read the question carefully. Underline key words. Insert numbers (1, 2, 3) if the question has several parts, in order to emphasize key issues. Finally, restate the question mentally in your own words.

2. Prepare a rough outline consisting of one word entries or phrases. Do not prepare an elaborate outline; your time is limited. Words or short phrases will function just as well.

3. Remember that you are writing an argument. History questions often ask you to interpret the past, to agree or to disagree with a statement, or to take a stand on an issue. For this reason, you must develop a line of argument and stick to it consistently.

4. Take a position in the first paragraph of your essay. Do not copy the question; this just wastes time. And don't use expressions like "I agree with he statement in question." Instead imagine that the reader does not know what the question is. When the reader finishes the first paragraph, s/he should know both the question and your position on it.

5. Use your scratch outline to support your viewpoint. By specific evidence, I mean names, dates, institutions, developments and so forth. Avoid vague, glittering generalities.

6. Use the past tense when writing about the past. The Union soldiers at Gettysburg died a century ago. Don't resurrect them with the present tense.

7. Write a concluding paragraph tying your argument together. Don't just repeat the first paragraph. You should have learned something in the process of writing which will enable you to state your developed argument in a fresh way.

8. Ask for help if you get stuck; don't just sit there and agonize. Bluffton College has hired me to help you learn, and you pay part of my salary. I'll help you work through it if I can without giving away the store.