Welcome back to what I esteem is the final entry in this wonderful guide. Today’s topic is nicknamed by yours truly as “further elaboration”. I chose this topic to end off with because it is quite easy to digest, but at the same time pretty simple to mess up.
Further elaboration refers to exactly what the name implies, to write or display more of your knowledge in the topic at hand when answering a question. Now, as most concepts throughout this guide, this could become a bit subjective. How much more, is actually more? Or, how much more is appropriate? That’s really up to you and your evaluator (that’s why it’s important to be able to measure how your evaluator evaluates).
Now, normally when we’re asked a question we answer, it’s plain and simple. But, have you ever tried giving context when answering? Even if it isn’t asked for, adding context to your answer really could help you display your knowledge much better. Although there are some points to keep in mind when doing so.
First off, try to limit how much context you give. With this I mean you shouldn’t be answering other questions on your current one, doing so would make your exam a chore to read, makeing it feel repetitive and stale. So, add as much as you’d like, just make sure to read ahead so you don’t mess up.
Second, I like to think of the answer to the question as a middle ground, this will permit me to add context before and after my answer. With this in mind, you can talk about the situations that lead up to your answer, and finish with the consequences or results as a form of conclusions. For example, if we were to refer to the Second World War, our before context could be about the state of Germany and the world as a whole based on the circumstances of the time, we could also talk about how Hitler rose to power and what led him to do so. As a context conclusion we can talk about the consequences of the war, how it impacted the different countries that toke place in it, etc.
Now, it’s not always very easy to add context to certain answers, some of them are more obvious than others though. If you’re unable to add factual context that you feel comfortable with, there’s a supplement you could use. Something I like to call “hype-up context”. What is hype-up context? Well, it’s essentially when you prepare the reader for the climax (aka your answer). There are some tools you could use, my personal favorite would be a rhetorical question, or anything to get the evaluator thinking. Any kind of inductive way to sweeten up the final result will work just fine, just be careful not to overdo it. Sometimes people are impatient, and if you don’t keep their attention, they may just skip ahead which is totally unacceptable. aple
Anyways, that’s about what I personally have to share on how to pass exams. I’ve used a combination of slight theoretical bases, but it’s mainly all been just a mix of my personal experience. I like to analyze how exams work mainly due to the fact that it makes taking tests much more pleasant. Normally people stress over them, and that’s understandable, but with these tips in mind you should be able to have a much easier time in general. If you ever have any doubts or questions make sure to let me know in any of the comments sections of this guide (although I’d prefer it be on the post where your question is more relevantly situated). Hope everyone is doing well, wish you all much love and a wonderful exam experience!