First-year anatomy papers for nursing students usually last 2 to 3 hours and combine an objective section (multiple-choice, true/false or matching items across the whole syllabus) with a theory section of short-answer and essay questions. A common layout asks you to answer three or four essay questions from a choice of five or six, each worth 10 to 20 marks and split into parts. Practical or "spot" tests, where you name bones, bone markings or labelled structures on models, are often held separately.

Anatomy questions are very predictable in their verbs. "Define" wants the exact textbook sentence. "List" or "name" wants a complete list in the right order (levels of organisation, layers of the epidermis, bones of the axial skeleton). "Describe … with the aid of a labelled diagram" wants a large, clear sketch with every important part labelled, followed by a short description of each part. "Differentiate" or "compare" wants a table. Favourite essays include the levels of organisation, the anatomical position and directional terms, body cavities and serous membranes, the structure of the cell, classification of epithelial and connective tissues, the structure and functions of the skin, the structure of a long bone, the vertebral column, classification of joints with a typical synovial joint, and the structure and naming of skeletal muscles.

A calm strategy: answer the objective section first and briskly. For each essay, plan for a minute: definition, labelled diagram, then the description in a logical order (outside to inside, superficial to deep, or superior to inferior). Divide your time by marks and keep to it. Draw diagrams in pencil, make them big, and label with straight, ruled lines; one neat labelled diagram can carry a quarter of the marks for a question. Finally, spell technical terms correctly, because examiners in anatomy often take marks for misspellings.

Unit 1: Introduction to Human Anatomy