The Lighthouse

As a general rule, normally it is allowable to go under or over the word limit by 10%, but, it is a good idea to try and get as close to the limit as possible.

Although sticking to the word limit can often be difficult.  To make sure you stick to the word limit it is easy to get bogged down in the detail and worry about adding or deleing individual words or sentences. Often a better approach is to go back to the planning stage. Think about what your answer to the question is then make a plan of what to include in each paragraph. Doing this will help ensure that you cover the material in the right amount of depth.

Also see:

• http://owll.massey.ac.nz/academic-writing/word-limits-and-assignment-length.php
• http://owll.massey.ac.nz/academic-writing/assignment-planning-calculator.php
• http://owll.massey.ac.nz/academic-writing/assignment-planning.php