BLUF your way through your RANZCP MEQ and CEQ essay exams!

With only three weeks to go until the RANZCP MEQ and CEQ exams, there is still time to refine the way you write essays and make them stand out.

With three weeks to go, you may be still at the stage where you are writing essay plans - the greatest procrastination approach of all - and really rehashing generic essays that you want to make relevant to the quote and not the other way around.

I see many trainees that try to use quotes they have memorised in every single attempt - applying a "I have learnt this so I am going to use it approach". Which would be great if the exam was about your ability to memorise quotes, which it is not!

But the thing is, communication is all about what the readers sees and tries to understand, not what you are trying to say. Examiners have been briefed about essay quotes and what to look for. Overall, they have been told to look for the essence of the quote or the stem, more specifically:

• What are we trying to examine here?
• Does the trainee understand the situation/essay quote?
• Has the trainee identified the key factors/tasks when writing the answer?

With MEQ pass marks as low as ever, despite uncoupling the CEQ and MEQ essays, it is crucial you stand out by making your essay as relevant as ever. And the best way to do that is BLUF.

In order to write compelling essays, the  Minto Pyramid principle will help you every time. This framework suggests that stating the bottom line up front (BLUF) is key to making your essay more targeted to the quote or stem you're writing about. By starting with a clear thesis statement, you can establish a strong foundation for your essay and stay focused on your main idea throughout. This approach is much more important than simply writing an essay plan, as it sets the tone and direction for your writing. So, if you want to write essays that are both effective and persuasive, make sure to apply the Minto Pyramid principle.

That does not mean turning your introduction into the conclusion. It does mean keep your bottom line in  mind the whole time, not just at the end. Create your introduction with your BLUF clearly identified from the outset. That's essentially what essays are - compelling arguments that are introduced, explained and expanded on then derived to get to exactly to why the examiner set the quote or stem in the first place. 

SO the next time you write a CEQ or MEQ - try identifying and writing down your BLUF statement, right at the top where you can see it and where it can keep you on track. Don't be that trainee that says, "I actually wanted to write about that, I could see this was so generic, but I wrote it anyway"

Learn more about the MInto Pyramid and the BLUF technique here

Keen to attend my workshops in 2024 to learn more about these techniques and writing beautiful, succinct and successful MEQ and CEQ essays? Click here for all the dates and to register!

Be that trainee who is on the successful side of the cut score come February 2024. 

Get in touch here and best of your luck with your exam prep,

 Helen