Locate the question word, which is the word that specifies what the question is asking for. A question word is also capable of standing on its own as a one-word questioning sentence. Examples are "what," "why," "when" and "how."
Circle any directives in the question that tell you what to do. "Describe" or "summarize" means you need a more in-depth paragraph answer or essay than what would be required on a short-answer section.
Find the nouns and verbs in the question. The noun is the person, object or location; the verb is a specific action.
Examine the words you've selected to ensure you're clear on what question to ask and how to properly answer it.