The document provides guidance for students preparing for their final exam. It discusses key exam information such as the date and format. The session focuses on developing exam skills like breaking down questions, planning answers, and structuring responses. Students complete practical activities to practice these skills, including breaking down sample exam questions, making plans to answer them, writing introductions and paragraphs, and conclusions. The document emphasizes staying focused on the topic, using evidence, and demonstrating understanding through a clear and logical argument. Outstanding exam answers are said to engage deeply with issues and source materials.

1. Week 10 Seminar
Final session…
Exam Prep 3
Practical exercises to prepare for
the exam

2. Key information
The final exam date is TBC
The exam will be held in TBC
You will have to answer three questions, one
from each section (Units 1-3, Units 4-6, Units 7-
10)

3. Today’s session: Knowing how to
achieve!
• Our expectations of your answer
• Staying on topic
• Planning your answer
• Structuring your answer
Practical activities:
1. Breaking down the question
2. Making a plan
3. Writing an introduction
4. Structuring a paragraph
5. Writing a conclusion

4. Exam Prep 3: Expectations
• Introduction
– Grasp of the question
– Clear outline of scope of the essay
• Structure/Organization
– Coherence
– Development of logical argument
– Arrangement of ideas
• Conclusion
– Well-defined & recap of the important points made.
– Summary of analysis

5. Exam Prep 3: Expectations
• Use of relevant evidence
– Its an exam – don’t panic.
– Use of a couple of sources for a few statements if possible
• Critical analysis and originality
– Creative approach  imagination and flexibility of thought
– Critical engagement
• Prose/Grammar/Spelling/Syntax
– Clear and effective use of English

6. Exam Prep 3: Outstanding answers
also do this
1. Shows clear evidence of engagement with
issues and understanding of relevant reading
2. Develops a sophisticated and robust
argument
3. Shows excellent use and understanding of
relevant source materials (factual detail and
theoretical issues where necessary)

7. Exam Prep 3: Recap - What is the
question asking/narrowing your focus
• When making a plan, you may find it useful to underline the key words in the question, or to break
down the main question into sub-questions.
For example:
In the post-Occupation period, Japan has played an indirect role in contributing to security in East Asia
through the US-Japan security treaty. What norms help to explain the policies adopted? Illustrate
your answer with examples.
Stay on topic!
Time period: Post- occupation
Pol/Sec/Econ: Security
Area: East Asia
Subquestions:
1. How has Japan played an indirect role in contributing to security in East Asia?
2. What is the role of the US-Japan security treaty in this?
3. What policies have been adopted?
4. What norms can help explain these policies?
5. What examples can I give?

8. Practical activity 1: Breaking down the
question
Using your chosen question:
1. Underline the key words or phrases
2. Identify the narrow focus (e.g. time period,
politics/security/economy, geographical area
etc)
3. Write down the sub-questions that you need
to answer in order to fully address the
question

9. Practical activity 1: Breaking down the
question
Outcomes
• Fully answering the question
• Staying on topic
• Narrowing focus
• Starting to make a plan
• Confidence!
You might not actually go through this process in writing
in the exam, but these are things that you should think
about.

10. Practical activity 2: Making a plan
Thinking about the previous activity:
1.
• Identify how you can answer the subquestions
• Identify your key arguments/points
• What examples (and sources) can you use?
2. Make a mini-plan which puts these in order

11. Practical activity 2: Making a plan
Outcomes:
• Getting your ideas out of your head and onto the paper
• Knowing how you will proceed with answering the
question
• Having a better idea of structure
• Developing a logical argument
Not everyone uses a plan in the exam, it is up to you
whether to do so. Remember to cross it through once you
are finished!

12. Practical activity 3: Writing an
introduction
Write a short introduction, including the
following:
1. Show that you understand the question (e.g.
paraphrase it)
2. Give us some sense of why the question is
important (this could be a brief description of
context)
3. Outline briefly how you will proceed with
answering the question

13. Practical activity 3: Writing an
introduction
Outcomes:
• Awareness of what we’re looking for in an
introduction
• Showing us that you understand the question
• Guiding us to what to expect from you answer
All exam questions should have a short introduction.
However, don’t spend too long on it, 5 minutes is
more than enough

14. Practical activity 4: structuring a
paragraph
Pick one of your arguments and construct a
main body paragraph including the following:
1. Make one or two points (and/or subpoints)
2. Give evidence/examples
3. Summarise to show how it answers the
question

15. Practical activity 4: constructing a main
body paragraph
Outcomes:
• Keeping your argument clear and concise
• Showing use of evidence
• Showing critical engagement
• Developing a logical argument
• Being on topic/answering the question
Don’t let paragraphs get too long or contain too
many points, and keep them relevant to the
question

16. Practical activity 5: Conclusion
Write a short conclusion. This should:
1. Summarise your key arguments
2. Show that you answered the question

17. Outcomes:
• Demonstrating that you answered the question
• Concluding your answer neatly
Be careful not to introduce new information in your
conclusion –this is better explored in the main body
of your essay
Don’t worry to much if you don’t have time to write
a conclusion, even a couple of sentences will suffice.
Practical activity 5: Conclusion

18. Good luck!