How best to structure answers to essay style exam questions?

The best method would be to follow the PEA technique. PEA stands for:
POINT
EVIDENCE
​ANALYSIS

First make a point about the given text. Then provide evidence by quoting a few words or a sentence from the text, to give an example of what you are referring to. Most marks however, are to be gained in the 'analysis' section. This is where you explain what the quotation could mean. The more ideas you present here and the more creative and descriptive they are, the more marks you will earn.