Sitting history exams: writing essays
The following are suggestions which you could take up or discard as you think appropriate. They have worked reasonably well for me but that does not mean they will work for you! My experiences are based exclusively on the UK university system where you write 3 essays in 3 hours so adapt to your situation accordingly. Also I am assuming that you have revised and know your topics reasonably well.
Read the paper carefully
Spend a good few minutes reading through the paper, making note which questions you can answer confidently, which ones you think you will do well, others which you may want to attempt and those you are not going to attempt. Underline or circle the words you think are very important in the question. Make sure that you have read all the questions and there are none on the other side of the sheet. Read the questions again, skipping those you have marked as not worth trying, making sure you have actually read and understood the questions. Take a few minutes to jot down what are the most important things you are going to say in each essay and cross them out as you write your essay. This is to make sure that you don't miss anything crucial while you are writing and also you can divide the time so that you have a rough idea how long you are going to spend on each of the topics.
Not all exam questions are the same. The examiners are looking for different things. You get points for answering the question, not by writing a piece of literature.
Why?
This seems the commonest and straightforward compared to other types of questions. There are many possible explanations and interpretations: state which arguments are convincing for what reasons and why others are less persuasive. In the end, you would be able to say 'because of A, B, C etc.'
Compare/contrast ... and ...
Do you know adequately about both of the things (countries, phenomena, era, people etc.) being compared? If not, stay away, even if you are an expert for one of them. The important thing here is to compare or contrast - stating how similar or different they are from one another. If only one is specified or you are left to choose whichever ones you would like to compare, make sure that the two are comparable. There is no point in comparing the incomparable...
How far ...? / How significant ...? / To what extent ...?
It is likely that there are controversies over the significance/importance of a fact/process etc. mentioned. This is similar to compare/contrast type question, since you have to be aware of other factors, interpretations and arguments. So it is worth trying to answer why this factor was important (hence chosen) or not so important (since there are others).
(Statement) Discuss.
Contextualizing the statement (or a quote) is the most important task before starting to write. Can you recognise it as a quote from a speech or from a book? That would be great. If you think you have heard it before but cannot remember the source, don't be too afraid to tackle this kind of questions, as long as you have a good grasp of the arguments and interpretations surrounding the statement.
(Statement) Do you agree or disagree?
This type of questions is quite similar to the one just above. There probably is a historiographical controversy over the statement or the issues behind it. It helps if you know which way you are going to conclude before starting to write. There are possible answers: agree/disagree with some reservation; agree/disagree completely; neither nor. I think the first is the easiest to write and probably most convincing since it shows you have a clear argument but not a one-sided one.
Actual writing
Writing equipment
Fountain pen is by far the best writing instrument and it is worth investing in a mid-range or good quality pen. Cheap biros should be avoided.
Write in alternate lines
It makes you look as though you are writing at a furious pace and makes you feel good. It is much easier to review and correct or add something if you write in alternate lines. This also makes the script much easier to read, hence mark. The myth of passing exams by writing cobblers in illegible hand is what it is: a myth.
Order of answering questions
It depends on your personality but the following is what has worked best for me after experimenting with different orders. When you have chosen your questions, start with the trickiest one. Usually you surprise yourself by doing better than anticipated. Do your favourite question in the middle since this is where you need to pile up the points. However there is a risk that you will be carried away with your favourite question. This must be avoided. After reaching a certain point, the law of diminishing returns kicks in - it becomes virtually impossible to accumulate marks beyond a certain point. If you do not have complete answers for the number of questions specified in the paper, you are in a big trouble. So make sure you have enough time for the last question.
Time management
As you may have guessed from the previous paragraph, time management is the most crucial aspect when sitting an exam, since you only get points for what you have written of what you know. Three mediocre but complete answers are usually better than one brilliant and two crap answers. Give yourself mini-deadlines during the exam: e.g. 1 answer in 1 hour, start to conclude after 50 minutes. They are non-negotiable. Stick to them.
Answer the question!
When writing the actual script, the most important thing is to answer the question and selecting important factors and arguments. Unnecessary details are luxuries - it would be nice to have them but not essential. The necessary details are the ones which make your argument stronger and makes you stand out by showing that you know more than the minimum that you learnt through the process of osmosis during the lectures and reading books. Do not waffle. It is better to stop and think for a few minutes than continue with gibberish. Length does not mean quality.
Keep to your style and take risks
Style is personal so use your own prose and be confident about it. It is probably best if you were to stick with short sentences. What might seem to you like a piece of good writing, such as using complicated sentence structure with subordinate clauses straight out of translation from German, does not necessarily mean a great read for the examiners. During the exams, try writing in short paragraphs, with one argument in one paragraph. It makes writing much easier. But do not write one-sentence paragraphs! Do not be cagey: excessive qualifications (perhaps / maybe / etc.) are not good. Take risks as potential benefits are much larger than playing safe excessively. I am sure that you have heard about the gender difference in exam results where female students tend to be over-cautious and do well but not to the their full potential. Also points will come out clearer if you have a single line of argument made in a clear language that keeps together what you are saying throughout the answer.
Clear structure
Structure is also crucial. Given the limited time, it is important to keep it simple so that the arguments you make are easy to follow. Introduction - argument with supporting facts - conclusion is the basic pattern. In whatever circumstance you may find yourself, write an introduction and a concluding paragraph. There are many ways to start but one way that seems to work almost always is to contextualize and clarify the question. Ask yourself: what do the examiners had in their mind when they wrote this question? It may be a good idea to say or list what you are going to argue in the main body. Conclusion should be summarizing with emphases on arguments that are decisive for the view you have taken. 'Just a minute' rule applies - no repetition, hesitation or deviation.
Where's the proof? Obivous, is it?
Back up your statements with facts and reasons. 'It was so because it was' or 'it's obvious' does not sound convincing. Not everything is obvious but also not everything needs to be stated explicitly. The balance between spending too much time on the 'obvious' (everyone knows, no points) and too little time (where is the context?) is difficult to strike. It will depend on the topic, arguments you are pursuing and time pressure.
Review at the end.
Spend the final few minutes reading through your script. Sometimes you will find incomplete or confusing sentences or silly spelling slips. You might remember something that's worth writing down.
After the exam: no post-mortem
If it was the last one for you, celebrate. Congratulate yourself and your fellow students for surviving that ordeal. If you have other exams looming, take at least a few hours off to rest your brain. In most cases, there is no point in discussing what you have written since others would have come up with points you have missed and you will feel you have underperformed. What is done is done.