How do I structure an essay exam question?

When I answer essay questions, I always try and stick to a 'rule of three'. This means that the body of the essay (everything between the introduction and the conclusion, where you actually make your case) is made up of three main points, each with their own paragraph. Three is the magic number here because making less can mean you don't show off how wide your range of knowledge is, whilst more risks losing in-depth analysis. It can also be a good idea to have three points within each paragraph too, for the same reason. It's a little difficult to say what the three points you make in your essay should be, without having a specific question. However, they should all answer the question, and they should do so in different ways, so your essay doesn't get repetitive. For instance, your asked how a text explores a particular theme, it may be a good idea to (1) explain how the theme affects the plot; taking a broad approach (2) explore how it's represented by specific characters or in particular scenes; analyse it more specifically (3) talk about how the theme ties into the text’s context; showing greater knowledge outside what's on the page. This is obviously very vague, and will have to vary based on the question and your knowledge, but it demonstrates the way in which you can use the rule of three to quickly and easily come up with a neat essay structure that shows off what you know.