LM308 Exam Guidance 2008

Having marked the mock exam scripts and based on my experience in setting and marking exams, I have included the following guidance/tips for the exam on the 2nd June. You can also download an MP3 recording of me going through these points HERE (6 minutes and 2.6 MBytes):

• Answer the question - does the way that the question is worded suggest I am looking for something in particular in terms of a line of argument or discussion?
• Be concise - say what you want to say without using too many words - avoid waffle. Padding out answers with generalisations will not add any marks and indicate to me that you do not have much to say on the subject
• Use examples - English law draws heavily on cases to set precedent - explain why the case is relevant and what particular issues it highlights
• Avoid sweeping statements - weak essays are those where the student has not done the revision, does not know what the issues are tries to fill space with generalities and sweeping statements such as “only celebrities can be defamed”
• Where a question asks for a critical evaluation, make sure you do that and do not be too descriptive. It is the critical evaluation that gets the answer to an A grade
• Length - I like conciseness but 2 sides of A4 does not give you enough space to cover the issues in enough detail
• Write clearly - I will be marking over 200 answers in several days and so do not have time to try and decode what you have written. If I cannot read it, I cannot mark it.
• Where appropriate include some references - they do not need to be in full Harvard style but the name of the authors, the book or article title and the year are sufficient;
• Prepare - do not leave it until the last day or two before the exam to prepare for it. You will have the exam paper over a week before the exam so there is plenty of time - you only need to answer 3 questions so start thinking about your answers as soon as the paper is available.
• Good Luck