I'm finding it hard to achieve high marks in my essays, how can I make sure I get the highest possible marks?

Assessment Objectives - If you look at the specification for your qualification, you should find listed the assessment objectives for each assessed component of your course. Each objective will include different skills that the examiner will expect you to display in your essay/answer. For example, one may be to write about alternative intepretations of the text you are studying, e.g. how one character is viewed by a contemporary audience vs how it is viewed by a classical audience. If you address each objective in your answer, this will improve your marks. Coherency - The answers you give must be able to be understood by the examiner. The examiner may not necessarily know about the text you have studied and are writing about, therefore, you should argue your points thoroughly with good textual analysis and supporting evidence (quotations). You should not expect the examiner to "just know" what you are talking about in your answer; you need to be explicit! Strong links - you should have a clear line of argument in your essays/exam questions. This line should be addressed in your introduction, along with the areas you will discuss in your essay. Throughout the essay, you must ensure that you link each point to the other, through quotations or a specific theme to make sure it flows easily and is understood by the teacher or examiner who will be looking at it.