final exam essay. Fyre Festival

ENGL 1302 – Composition II

How to study for a final essay exam on an
unannounced topic

1. Create an essay topic that you believe will be required for this exam.

2. Create a test environment (quiet—no external distractions), set a timer for (2) hours, and

begin writing a mock essay exam.

 During the two hour exam, your goal is to

o First, create a viable thesis statement

o Create strong, competent body paragraphs with a topic and sub-topic sentence

o Provide evidence = one specific example, paraphrased information, description,

statistics, short narrative, short illustration, concise recount of a personal

experience or observation

o Explain the evidence

o Last, explain how and/or why this evidence supports the idea(s) in your thesis

 Read the first draft

 Revise, if necessary, content first

 Then, edit—correct grammar, syntax, spelling, word choice, punctuation, and MLA formatting errors

 Once you finish, check your time. Did you finish in less than two hours? Did you exceed

the two-hour exam period?

3. If you exceed the two-hour time period, consider why you could not finish your essay on-

time. Take a break, and write a second essay. Make sure you are aware of what caused

you to not complete the first mock exam in two hours; then, self-correct.

4. Last, review and assess the quality of your essay exam.

 Did you create a thesis that accurately reflects a viable argument based on the

test question you chose?

 Are you satisfied with the quality of the argument? Why? Why not?

 Does each body-paragraph contain evidence and analysis, but no plot

summary/retelling the story?

 Do you have excessive grammar, syntax, punctuation, spelling, word choice, or

formatting errors? Why? Why not?