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Writing a Summative Essay in 6 Simple Steps

Published by at March 21st, 2022 , Revised On September 4, 2025

Writing a summative essay is a common way used by academic tutors to assess students’ learning and analytical abilities. It efficiently evaluates students’ knowledge and understanding of an extensive concept or course content. Like other essay types, it has a structure with an introduction, main body, and conclusion.

However, this leaves many students confused about what to do or where to begin. But don’t worry! There’s nothing to be panicked about as long as we guide them on how to write an excellent summative essay.

Here are six simple steps that can help you compose a first-class summative essay:

 

When is a summative essay asked to be written?
A summative essay takes place at the end of a term or a complete academic year. It assesses students’ learning and understanding of a particular academic source and helps tutors grade students accordingly.

 

Here is a summative essay template that you can view or download to efficiently work on your essay:

Step 1: Know Your Exact Summative Essay Topic

Even though this seems to be the simplest part of the process, it is often disregarded. Most people look at specific essay topics and select one because it appears to be the easiest, as selecting your essay topic on your own can be extremely difficult.

Understanding your professor’s opinion is essential here. What exactly does he expect from you? What is the essay’s purpose? What is the required academic format? What is the word count? Or are there any specific sources or readings you must include? 

You must look upon your concepts or phenomena that you have a strong grip on, helping you to write a detailed and systematic essay. If you are confused about the topic, discuss it with your professor, friends, or colleagues.

Step 2: Research for the Relevant Material

Now that you have a clear picture of the topic of your summative essay, the next thing to do is to conduct research to find the relevant material to construct the arguments. Start reading the lecture notes or the academic sources available on the topic. 

Use academic databases like Google Scholar, JSTOR, and PubMed. Skim over the important points. Refresh your mind with your study material or course syllabus.

If you have ever attended a training course, seminar, or workshop on the topic, you will have a good amount of knowledge to write down. It will significantly help you get a handle on some of the more complicated issues on the topic.

Step 3: Create a Structured Outline

Once you have conducted the research, the next step is to create a strong essay outline. While reading the relevant materials, make a mind map and split the literature into small paragraphs. This way, you can quickly get an overview of how you can write your summative essay. 

As this essay contains an introduction, main body, and a conclusion, formulate how you can divide the data and information you found and make an outline for a smooth flow. When reading information, remember the essay topic you are writing so you can extract and note down useful information. 

Jot down notes on any argument that you think might support the title of your essay. Then re-read each paragraph, and highlight all crucial points. Mark the areas you want to refer to in your summative essay and the points you do not wish to include.

 

How to create an outline of a summative essay?
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Step 4: Writing an Introduction

As you have completed the outline, the next step is to write the introduction. Some students may start with the body paragraphs first and wrap up the whole discussion with the introduction and conclusion. However, some students follow a chronological approach. 

The introduction of your summative essay should briefly explain the main idea of the original paper, provide the name of the author, the title of the paper, and the basic background information. Try to keep everything precise. 

As a rule, 250-300 words are sufficient for the introduction. Also, add the thesis statement, as you will have to conclude your essay with reference to the thesis statement.

Step 5: Writing the Main Body

After the introduction is the main body. This is where core arguments and evidence are presented to support the thesis statement. Divide the essay into 2-4 themes in the main body, which you can argue and support in detail. Elaborate on these themes in detail, organised in paragraphs with one or more examples from the original paper. 

The first paragraph of the main body is the main argument of the essay. Start with a topic sentence, provide supporting evidence, analyse the whole point, and conclude the paragraph by linking it back to the thesis statement. The next paragraph can include a second argument or a counterargument. 

The third paragraph should provide the real-world case, theory, or historical context of your argument and the supporting evidence. Include only necessary information and avoid irrelevant things.

Step 6: Concluding the Essay

A concluding paragraph is only required if your professor asks for it. Otherwise, it is not necessary. However, it can be written by rephrasing the main argument in the first sentence and summarising the key points discussed throughout the essay. Don’t introduce any new information here. 

Elaborate on the broader implications of your discussion and the evidence you provided. Then, end the conclusion with a closing thought, including a call to action or a rhetorical question. You want to buy an essay online if you are unable to complete the essay by yourself.

 

What are the six steps involved in writing a summative essay?

  1. Know your exact summative essay topic
  2. Research for the relevant material
  3. Create a structured outline
  4. Writing an introduction
  5. Writing the main body
  6. Concluding the essay

 

Important Points to Consider

  • One of the most important points to remember when writing a summative essay is to keep it related to the source.
  • Remember that your interpretations of the source may mislead your readers, so the text should be clear enough to give the reader an idea about the original work.
  • Get editing and proofreading services when your essay is finished. Do not rush to submit the first draft as it is. There is always room for new additions. You may discover a useful quote to include. Read the essay thoroughly. Check for spelling mistakes. Pay special attention to the sentence structure.
  • Delete every unnecessary information. Keep your content short and meaningful.
  • Ask your friend or colleague to read to see if they can comprehend the main idea of the original source after reading your summative essay.
  • Now that you have been introduced to the basic tips and rules for writing a summative essay, it’s time to give yourself a try to select any interesting topic and write your essay!!

Frequently Asked Questions

A summative essay is a type of assessment that evaluates a student’s understanding, knowledge, and skills at the end of a course or academic period. It typically requires students to demonstrate comprehensive knowledge and critical thinking through a formal written essay.

A summative essay helps to evaluate students’ understanding of a specific topic. It is often graded and has high stakes. On the other hand, a formative essay focuses on learning and feedback, and it is usually ungraded and has low stakes.

To write a summative essay, know your summative essay topic, research the relevant material, make an outline, write your whole essay, and proofread.

The length of a summative essay depends on its study level. For instance, a college essay has 800-1500 words, an undergraduate essay 1500-3000 words, and a graduate essay has 3000+ words.

Whether to use first-person pronouns or not entirely depends upon the discipline and the instructor’s preference. It is usually allowed in summative essays related to the humanities. However, in science, it is not allowed.

About Ellie Cross

Avatar for Ellie CrossEllie Cross is the Content Manager at Essays.uk, assisting students for a long time. Since its inception, She has managed a growing team of great writers and content marketers who contribute to a great extent to helping students with their academics.

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