GCSE English Literature exam tips for candidates this summer
Plan your time
There's a lot to do, so make sure you plan your time carefully. Consider the number of marks for each question. The fewer the marks per question the less time you should spend on it. Look at the marks per question before the exams and approximate how long you should spend on each one. It is essential to build in a little time to check your answers. Keep an eye on the clock in the exam hall. It might be a good idea to write down your timings when the exam begins so you are always aware of when you should be moving on to the next question.
Annotate
On both papers, allow yourself time to read and annotate the extracts and the poems. It is a good idea to read the extract or poem first for an overall feel of it and then annotate it with the focus of the question in mind. Don’t be afraid to annotate all over your exam paper! Some candidates find it useful to highlight or underline the key words in the question.
Attempt all the questions on the texts you have studied
It's very important to attempt all the questions on your chosen texts in the paper. The examiner will be looking to reward what you do but try to make sure you complete the papers to maximise your chances of accessing all available marks. The last question on the Eduqas Component 1 paper has the highest tariff on the paper so make sure you have heeded the advice above and planned your time carefully! Please make sure you are only answering the questions for the texts that you have studied. Every year, candidates lose lots of marks because they have not read the rubric carefully and they attempt to answer questions on texts they have not studied.
Answer the question asked!
It sounds obvious but every year some candidates fail to read the questions carefully. Make sure you know which character you are being asked about; there is a big difference between Mr Birling and Mrs Birling!
Track through the extract in the extract questions
The Shakespeare question for Eduqas Component 1 asks you to look at a specific extract from the play you have studied. Track through the extract carefully. There are very few stage directions in Shakespeare so look carefully at the words that are used. It’s important to remember that Shakespeare wrote his plays to be performed, watched and enjoyed so always keep the fact that it was written for an audience in mind when you are answering the question. Write a strong opening which sums up your argument overall. Keep the focus of the question in mind: if it is asking about mood and atmosphere then make sure your answer discusses mood and atmosphere! Look at the beginning, the middle and the end of the extract. It was chosen very carefully for a reason.
Know when context is assessed
Not all questions on the paper assess context so make sure you are not wasting valuable time by referring to unnecessary contextual factors where context is not assessed. Where it is assessed, you will need to show a clear appreciation of how contextual factors influence characters, themes and authors. Make sure you answer the question, and avoid contextual ‘bolt-ons’ details that are not relevant to the question being asked.
Write a short plan for the essay questions
You will be writing for over half an hour on some of the questions. For the longer essay questions you need to make sure you have gathered your thoughts and thought about what you want to say. Once you have read the extract or poem and annotated, you should give yourself a couple of minutes to plan your approach. You can write a short plan in your answer booklet. It can be a bullet pointed list or a flowchart or a mind map or whatever works best for you! Pick out 3 or 4 key points or things that you think are important and relevant. A little time spent planning at the beginning of the exam will help to make sure your essay has a clear and coherent structure and you have covered everything you need to.
Track your character or theme across the whole text
Essay questions will often ask you to consider a character or a theme. Make sure you show your knowledge of the whole text. Look at important turning points and key contrasts and their effects. Revision tasks that involve sequencing the events of the play will help you to do this.
Support comments with well-chosen and short quotations
Candidates who use appropriate evidence from the text to support their ideas are able to access the higher bands. The best responses are based on a careful consideration of the text, with well selected examples. There is no merit in writing out large chunks of the text, and it wastes valuable time. In the extract question, one or two words from the extract are often sufficient.
Don’t get bogged down by quotations in the essay question
When you get to the essay questions it can be very tempting to try and cram in every quotation you have learnt, even if it is irrelevant to the question asked. GCSEs were never supposed to be a test of memory. When you are preparing for your exams try and learn three or four key quotes for each of the main characters and themes.
Use the source-based response to help you access AO2
On Component 2, candidates will have the source-based response to help them. The source-based response is designed to help candidates fulfil the requirement of AO2 (looking at how writers use language). The extract chosen may come from any part of the text, the beginning, the middle or the end, but it will always have a direct link to the question asked. Use it as a springboard for wider discussion and to explore key words or images.
Subject terminology is useful, but make sure it's relevant
There is still a tendency in literature analysis to go down the "feature spotting" route. Remember, the identification of devices should never be seen as an end in itself nor should it distract you from engaging with the text – and never ever use a term unless you understand what it means. It is not necessary to name every word class and you should avoid technique spotting where it does not add to the analysis.
Engage with the poems
When you have to analyse two poems, make sure you tracking carefully through the first poem. The examiner is looking for your personal response to the poems which should be carefully supported by textual references. A good revision task is to group the poems in the anthology into themes. You do need to revise the anthology carefully, so you can make good use of textual detail in the exam. Practise analysing a range of poems in preparation for the unseen poetry question. Make sure you think about relevant comparative points when approaching the second part of the task. Avoid tenuous comparisons such as the number of lines or how many full stops there are! Comparisons should be meaningful and be based on theme or approach.
Proof read carefully
Proof read responses carefully to eradicate simple errors such as missing capital letters or apostrophes. Learn key spellings such as character names and the names of authors.
And finally … don't panic
Exam papers are designed to allow you to show us what you can do. We are not trying to catch you out. Use past papers and sample assessment materials to hone your skills before the exams. If you answer the questions we ask in a calm and methodical way, and do the best you can, no one can ask for anything more. Good luck!
