Where the points actually are

This is an argument competition, not a research competition. Within 2,000 words there is no room for a literature survey, so the essays that win take a clear position, defend it against the strongest objection, and stop. The most common failure is an essay that summarises what various thinkers have said and never commits to anything.

Topic breakdown

01Choosing the question: Pick the one where you have a genuine view, not the one that sounds most impressive. Questions are set to have defensible answers on more than one side.
02Thesis discipline: State your claim in the first paragraph. Everything after it either supports the claim or answers an objection to it. Cut anything that does neither.
03The strongest objection: Find the best argument against your position and answer it directly. Essays that only defeat weak objections read as evasive to academic judges.
04Word economy: 2,000 words is short. Most first drafts run 3,000 and improve substantially when cut, because cutting forces you to identify which arguments actually carry weight.
05Citation: Cite properly but sparingly. Notes and bibliography do not count toward the limit, which does not make them a place to hide extra argument.

A study plan that works backwards from the date

When questions are released Read all of them across all subjects, not just your own. Pick the one you would argue about voluntarily.
Weeks 1 to 2 Read enough to know the existing positions, then stop reading and write a one-paragraph thesis. If you cannot, you do not yet have an argument.
Weeks 3 to 4 Write the draft without worrying about length. Then find the strongest objection to your thesis and write the answer to it.
Weeks 5 to 6 Cut to 2,000. Give it to a teacher in the relevant subject and ask them to attack the argument rather than fix the grammar.
Before the registration deadline Register. This is a separate, earlier deadline and forgetting it disqualifies otherwise strong entries every year.

Tips that come from the format itself

Registration and submission are two different deadlines. Register as soon as it opens.
The 2,000 word limit is enforced. Write to 1,900 so you are not making cuts in the final hour.
Past winning essays are published on the official site. Read three before you start writing.
An essay that argues one thing well beats one that surveys everything. Commit to a position.
The junior category for younger students is genuinely less competitive and is worth entering if you are eligible.

Practice resources

John Locke Institute essay competition page (also: past winning essays) Official · free
Questions, rules, both deadlines, and published winning essays. Published free by the Institute. The most accurate guide to the standard expected.

Past papers and official materials

Previous years' questions and winning essays
Published openly on the official site.

Skills this builds

Read what other students said about preparing