Planning and sustaining a 700-900 word analytical response

What this note covers

1. What the clock actually gives you
2. Reading time: choosing the topic before you choose the words
3. Unpacking the topic into a working contention
4. The five-minute plan that survives contact with the essay
5. Sustaining one argument across the whole essay
6. Evidence under pressure: how much, how short, how accurate
7. The last five minutes, and using your dictionary well
8. How this is examined and what a top-band response shows

8 sections · 12 key terms & formulas · 6 common mistakes