In short
- Check what counts: the reference list, citations, headings, appendices.
- Give the introduction and conclusion about 10% each.
- Split the rest between your sections by how much they matter to the answer.
- Write each section’s budget on its card, and check as you go.
Students who go over the limit rarely write too much everywhere. They write too much early on, then cut the conclusion to fit. A budget for each section stops that before it starts.
This lesson is part of step 5, plan the chapters.
How to split it
Find out what counts
Look in the brief or handbook. The reference list is usually excluded; in-text citations, headings, tables and appendices vary. Note the rule and any allowance.
Set the ends first
Introduction about 10%, conclusion about 10%. That leaves about 80% for the body.
Weight the body by importance
Look at your marked criteria. The section that carries the main argument, or the most marks, gets the most words.
Write the budget on each section
A number next to each heading in your plan, or on each section’s card.
Check halfway
When you’ve drafted half the sections, add up the words. If you’re over, decide now where to cut, not at the end.
Examples
| Piece | Introduction | Body | Conclusion |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,500-word essay | 150 | 1,200, in 5 or 6 paragraphs | 150 |
| 3,000-word report | 300 | 2,400, across methods, findings and discussion | 300 |
| 10,000-word dissertation | About 1,000 | About 8,000, across the main chapters | About 1,000 |
These are starting points. Your department may suggest its own split, especially for a dissertation; if it does, use that.
A worked example
A 2,000-word essay asks you to “evaluate” a policy, and the criteria give the most marks for critical analysis. A sensible split:
- Introduction, 200 words: the context, the question, and your answer in a sentence.
- The case for the policy, 450 words: two paragraphs, each with evidence.
- The case against, 450 words: two paragraphs, each with evidence.
- Weighing the two, 500 words: the largest section, because it carries the evaluation the marks reward.
- Conclusion, 200 words: your judgement, and why.
The total is 1,800, which leaves 200 words of room. Drafts nearly always grow when you add evidence and links between points, so a little slack in the plan saves cutting later.
If you’re over or under
- Over: look for repeated points, long quotes you could paraphrase, and sentences that describe rather than argue. Cut those before you touch the conclusion.
- Under: go back to the criteria. Is there a counter-argument you haven’t weighed, or a source whose limits you haven’t discussed? That’s better than stretching what you have.
Common mistakes
- Treating the limit as a target to reach by padding. Markers notice. If you’re short, add analysis, not repetition.
- Over-writing the first section. The first thing you write usually runs long. Keep an eye on its budget.
- Cutting the conclusion to fit. It’s where your judgement is. Cut from the body instead.
Keep the budget in view in KanBananza
- The budget is in your head, not on the plan. Put each section on its own card with its word count in the title or notes, so you see it every time you open the board. Free
- The word limit and its rules are buried in the handbook. Mark them as Limits in the brief marker, and they become a checklist item on the assignment. Free
For your level
GCSE and A level
Coursework and the EPQ have set word limits. Find out whether going over loses marks, and plan to finish a little under.
University
Check the over and under allowance for each module: it can differ between departments.
Dissertations
Ask your supervisor for a typical chapter split in your subject. See dissertation chapters, explained.
Questions
How long should an introduction be?
About 10% of the word count is a common guide: 150 words for a 1,500-word essay. The conclusion is often similar. The rest goes to the body.
Does the word count include references?
Usually the reference list isn’t counted, but in-text citations often are. Rules vary, so check your brief or handbook, and ask if it doesn’t say.
How much over or under the word count can I go?
Many universities allow 10% either way, but some penalise any amount over. It depends on your course: check the rule, and aim for the limit itself.
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