Word Limits

Word limits are set for every piece of assessed coursework. Word limits are there for a reason. They reflect the scope of the assessment exercise. Essay questions are devised with a word limit in mind, and you should be able to produce a highly effective answer without straying beyond this. If you find that you have difficulty in keeping within the word limit, talk to your tutor. It may be that you have misunderstood the question, that you are including irrelevant detail, or simply straying from the main point. Learning to write to a specific word limit is a valuable skill to acquire. You should aim to produce a well-structured argument, expressed in clear and economical prose.

It may be tempting to assume that the more you include in your essay the more likely you are to achieve a good mark. But remember that longer essays are not necessarily better essays. Essays which are 5-15% over the word length will be penalised by a deduction of 5% of the mark awarded; essays more than 15% over the word length will be penalised by a deduction of 10% of the mark awarded. Students should declare the word length on all pieces of coursework (a box is provided on the feedback sheet).