Essays are excellent tools for observing students’ knack for critical thinking, synthesis, and problem solving. Essay test may include brief or extended essays. Brief essays are generally used as classroom activities or included in evaluations. Extended essays involve several paragraphs of writing and take more time and concentration, and may be given as homework.

When structuring the essay sentences, teachers should bear in mind that all free writing must have a clear framework. Some experts in the field recommend using prompts such as “what,” “why,” and “how,” maintaining that the responses to these terms involve essential knowledge of the subject. Other experts suggest that words such as “discuss,” “analyze,” and “explain” should be used because these words will prompt a deeper look into the issues. Other specialists call for more precision by using terms such as “identify,” “compare,” and “contrast.” Teachers may want to focus on different areas each time they ask for the completion of these types of tasks, by using different sets of these prompts.

Essay questions may seem easy to write and as a result may not be carefully thought out. But you should always keep the objective of the evaluation in mind and write the essay questions accordingly.