The written essay assesses how well you can communicate and articulate in writing. You will be presented with 5 topics that are centred around current affairs and so it’s strongly advised that you brush-up on your current affairs knowledge. Some of the most effective ways to achieve this are:

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• Subscribe to THE WEEK magazine.

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• Subscribe to online newsletters: BLOOMBERG, REUTERS, AL JAZEERA.

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• Watch QUESTION TIME, BBC NEWS AT 10, THE ANDREW MARR SHOW and SUNDAY POLITICS.

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• Read THE ECONOMIST.

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• Read a decent newspaper like, THE TIMES, THE TELEGRAPH.

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• The ARRSE current affairs forum is also very good and people obviously discuss a lot of topics regarding the military.

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• Listen to PODCASTS. I recommend Best of Today by Radio 4, Any Questions? and Any Answers? by Radio 4 and The Briefing by Monocle

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You will have 45 minutes to finish and your essay must be more than an A4 page yet no more an A4 page and a half. Most people will finish their essay in good time, and so make sure you go through it a few times to check your spelling and grammar.

Some examples of the essay questions that could be asked can be seen listed below:

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• Does the UK have a moral obligation to protect double agents who have worked for them, such as Sergei Skripal?

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• In light of the collapse of Carillion, should the government continue to use public service outsourcing. What are the advantages and disadvantages?

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• After Turkish forces launched a ground offensive against U.S.-backed Syrian-Kurdish militia in Afrin, is it time Turkey be expelled from NATO?

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The assessors will be looking for good sentence structure, a good use of English, spelling, neatness, paragraphs, and a set, clear and concise argument. Make sure you limit the number of spelling mistakes and grammatical errors you make. If you are unsure how to spell a word then do not use it.
 

Here are a number of great tips which will help you write a good essay:

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Your essay should be logical and concise. The simple way to achieve this is to simply follow a beginning, middle, end structure.

Beginning: Your Introduction should include the thesis statement and any background information.

Middle: This will be the main part of the essay and will include your argument, the reasons for it and any supporting evidence or information.

End: Conclude and summarise. 

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Good link to some ESSAY WRITING TIPS

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The questions are asked it such a way that you can very much expand on the subject around the topic and so don't worry if you are a little off on your facts and figures. It's best to see the written essay as an assessment of your written communication rather then having an extensive knowledge of the topic; the assessors will want to see that you'll be able to construct well written letters and emails when you're an officer.

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The best advice I can give is to make sure you spend a little time working on essay structure, make sure your grammar and spelling are on point, and of course, it's very useful to have something to write about and so i'll reiterate the need to stay on top of your current affairs.