The exam is three hours long, but the first ten minutes decide more than any other. A calm, deliberate start sets a rhythm you can hold. A fast, panicked one, where you begin writing before you have thought, tends to unravel around the second essay. The good news is that a strong start is entirely a matter of routine, and routines can be practised.
Reading time is planning time
Do not spend reading time simply reading. Use it to decide. Which text and which prompt will you take? Which skeleton fits, and which prepared paragraphs will you pull? By the time you are allowed to write, the shape of at least your first essay should already exist in your head.
A simple opening routine
Every strong start follows the same four beats. Read the prompt properly, decide your contention, sketch a quick plan, and only then write. Two minutes of planning saves ten minutes of drifting and rescues you from the worst outcome, an essay that wanders because it never had a spine.
- Read all prompts, then commit quickly to one
- Underline the key terms so you answer the actual question
- Sketch a three-line plan, one per body paragraph
- Write your contention down before your first sentence
Protect your time
Decide your minutes per section before you walk in, and hold the line. When the clock says move on, move on, even mid-sentence. A finished exam with a rushed third essay beats a beautiful first essay and an unfinished third every single time.
The exam rewards a calm start far more than a fast one.
Practise the opening routine on every full piece you write, and by November it runs on its own, leaving your attention free for the writing itself.
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