In essay writing, being relevant really means answering the question FULLY and DIRECTLY. To answer fully evidently implies you have to be properly informed on the topic. Many students are not aware of ?what they don?t know they don?t know? as D. Rumsfeld recently put it?

Hence the importance of wide reading and a general awareness of things during their HSC years. Assuming that you do know what you are talking about, take care [and time] in the exam room to plan your answer, making sure as far as you can to cover ALL THE ASPECTS of the question.Try to ?think around? the subject in a logical way and to develop your argument step by step, paragraph by paragraph.

To answer directly, you first have to understand the question. Understanding means really reflecting on what the question is asking you to do ? so many pupils just give a quick glance, recognize a familiar phrase and off they go! Let us look at the 1996 question: ?Is greater life expectancy always desirable?? This requires an answer: Yes it is or No it isn?t.

The word ?always? gives you a clue on how to proceed: it is that most people would say yes, everyone would like to live as long as possible/life-expectancy in a country is an indicator of development and so on - but the ?always? implies exceptions and it is these exceptions, which will make up the main argument of your essay.You would have to go into such things as the burdens [medical care, pensions etc] of an ageing population on the state as well as on the younger generation, the physical and mental suffering that often ensues when people live too long, etc.

The thoughtless pupil on the other hand may launch into an account of why people live longer today, probably lasting for 600 of his 700 words. By the time he gets to the last paragraph, he may suddenly remember there is a question needing to be answered so he will tack one on as a sort of afterthought. Result: a very poor grade? So please remember: think carefully before you start! Once you are on the wrong track, it is difficult to get yourself off it!

PS: In relation to the above title it might occur to some of us that in many of the poorest countries, life-expectancy is still relatively low ?this would give a different and interesting angle on the question!.

Good luck to all GP students!