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How do you bring external resources and reading into your answers?

I've heard that A-levels are very application based and you need to read from various sources and gain outside knowledge. How do I glean to the examiners that I have done that?

I really struggle with logical answer writing, and I think I lose marks for that, it's not that I don't know.

Any tips?
Other people might disagree with me, but for A Level don't worry about outside reading. The markers can be really harsh with A Level Biology and want to see answers that are word-for-word the same as the mark scheme. I would focus on learning the course and finding out what answers they want to see by looking at past papers.

If you don't understand anything then looking it up is a great idea. Sometimes seeing something explained in a different way can really help, or finding out more detail can mean an idea makes sense to you. Given the way I have seen A Level papers marked you won't get any extra marks for including outside reading though. I got 96% in my final Biology A Level paper by just learning mark schemes so you don't need to!

You posted this in the Biology section so the above answer applies to the Biology (and Chemistry) A Levels. Different subjects may want different things though and some exam boards may want to see that!
Reply 2
Avatar for Amefish
Amefish
20
What subjects are you taking?
Original post by Amefish
What subjects are you taking?


Maths, Physics, Chemistry and Biology
Original post by Firefly13
Other people might disagree with me, but for A Level don't worry about outside reading. The markers can be really harsh with A Level Biology and want to see answers that are word-for-word the same as the mark scheme. I would focus on learning the course and finding out what answers they want to see by looking at past papers.

If you don't understand anything then looking it up is a great idea. Sometimes seeing something explained in a different way can really help, or finding out more detail can mean an idea makes sense to you. Given the way I have seen A Level papers marked you won't get any extra marks for including outside reading though. I got 96% in my final Biology A Level paper by just learning mark schemes so you don't need to!

You posted this in the Biology section so the above answer applies to the Biology (and Chemistry) A Levels. Different subjects may want different things though and some exam boards may want to see that!


Ohh, okay.

Something I struggle with is writing the points logically. Usually, I know what I have to write, but my answers end up muddled and disorganised, and I lose marks for that.

Any tips?

96%.....WOAH
Original post by Firefly13
Other people might disagree with me, but for A Level don't worry about outside reading. The markers can be really harsh with A Level Biology and want to see answers that are word-for-word the same as the mark scheme. I would focus on learning the course and finding out what answers they want to see by looking at past papers.

If you don't understand anything then looking it up is a great idea. Sometimes seeing something explained in a different way can really help, or finding out more detail can mean an idea makes sense to you. Given the way I have seen A Level papers marked you won't get any extra marks for including outside reading though. I got 96% in my final Biology A Level paper by just learning mark schemes so you don't need to!

You posted this in the Biology section so the above answer applies to the Biology (and Chemistry) A Levels. Different subjects may want different things though and some exam boards may want to see that!


btw, which exam board did you do?
Reply 6
Avatar for Amefish
Amefish
20
Original post by fandom-queen
Maths, Physics, Chemistry and Biology


For those subjects you shouldn't need to do any outside reading, it's all fact recall from the syllabus and application questions
Reply 7
Avatar for Asolare
Asolare
20
Original post by Amefish
For those subjects you shouldn't need to do any outside reading, it's all fact recall from the syllabus and application questions


This^, I would only advise outside reading in a handful of subjects which tend to be the harder arts a-levels (e.g. languages, philosophy, history, english literature). Take the advise already mentioned about just learning the syllabus.
Original post by Inexorably
This^, I would only advise outside reading in a handful of subjects which tend to be the harder arts a-levels (e.g. languages, philosophy, history, english literature). Take the advise already mentioned about just learning the syllabus.



Original post by Amefish
For those subjects you shouldn't need to do any outside reading, it's all fact recall from the syllabus and application questions


Ohh, thanks then.
Original post by fandom-queen
Ohh, okay.

Something I struggle with is writing the points logically. Usually, I know what I have to write, but my answers end up muddled and disorganised, and I lose marks for that.

Any tips?

96%.....WOAH


I think the best advice for you would be to practice as many questions as you can and then get your teacher to look at them. Hopefully they can show you where you're getting muddled (maybe you're trying to explain things you don't need to?). Unfortunately there't not a quick fix for it, you're going to have to work at it until you improve. Maybe it would help you to practice questions by answering in bullet points so you can make sure you understand the question and then work on writing it out properly without getting muddled?

Haha, thanks. I was surprised - none of my other exams went that well so I think I just got lucky with the paper!

I think my exam board was WJEC (the Welsh one). It's known for being easier than the others, but my uni friends told me their exam boards worked in a similar way as well :smile:

Good luck with your exams!

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