I think, in essay paper, the examiners examine the overall mindset of a person and his/her abilities in terms of analysis, the fertility of one's mind and her/his outlook on and of the prevalent problems/issues. It's not something which concern going after an easy topic but is concerned about the overall makeup of a personality, I suppose.

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"Success is not final, failure is not fatal; it is the courage to continue that counts" (Winston Churchill)