Outline:
Outline is basically a snapshot of the whole essay.It shows the examiner that what are you going to present later in the essay; how are you going connect your ideas; convince examiner about certain topic; transitions of different ideas; order of ideas and validity of those to the topic.

Well there is no set pattern for an Ideal outline. However with practice one can write good outline and this is what all matters.
Following elements can make an outline distinctive:
1. Comprehensiveness.
2. Chronological order.
3. Linguistic appeal.
4. Relevance.
5. Logical appeal.

Thus, understanding topic is the most important part of developing a good outline.