[Gilsenan]

Sat the OCR Lit exam today - my circumstances are that I need 31/60 in this exam (raw) to get an A overall in Lit. I started with section B and it was OK, probably got 20 plus. However, I COMPLETELY screwed up the Othello question - I did question a even though my essay was SO MUCH MORE relevant to question B. I have no idea why I did this, exam pressure I guess, and a lot of my essay really wasn't fantastically relevant to the question. I never even considered if Othello was a hero or not. Will I still pick up marks for hitting the A0s, although a lot of it was only slightly relevant?

Stressing so I'll include what I wrote:

- Started with how Othello is 'alienated' from society due to race etc. Context plus the odd critic.
- Talked about how Othello lives by a set of stories
- Talked a lot about how Iago makes the audience complicit, and controls the play.
- Talked about masculine qualities of Othello; he immortalizes himself as one of his stories
- Talked about how perhaps the play is not a real occurrence but the manifestation of the conflict in Othello's mind between domesticity and the 'war-like' side, and this is piteous.

I barely made any good references to the question here, no reasons why we may like him, and no mention of him as a 'hero'. Used lots of critics and a decent amount of context, and quotes. Ideas?

[MeGusta]

You'll hit the A0's but it won't be a high band. If all you need is 31 then I highly doubt you've messed up at that badly. English Lit examiners give marks quite easily

[Gilsenan]

To get a very low band would it have to be the case that the AOs just AREN'T hit at all? I really hope so, thank you - would be disgusted with myserf if I missed such an easy target - to study English at uni too! >.> I used about 10 critical references in total perhaps, including production references? Got some decent context in too, mainly in the first paragraph.

[MeGusta]

(Original post by Gilsenan)
To get a very low band would it have to be the case that the AOs just AREN'T hit at all? I really hope so, thank you - would be disgusted with myserf if I missed such an easy target - to study English at uni too! >.> I used about 10 critical references in total perhaps, including production references? Got some decent context in too, mainly in the first paragraph.

To get a very low band, you would have to be very...how can I put it...dumb lol Don't worry, you've definitely got your target. To get 16/30 and 15/30 would mean no quotes, no contextual knowledge, no critics, and if you've managed to put in 10 critical references then you're fine I only put around 4 or 5 critics for the Othello question and that's plenty.

[Gilsenan]

(Original post by MeGusta)
To get a very low band, you would have to be very...how can I put it...dumb lol Don't worry, you've definitely got your target. To get 16/30 and 15/30 would mean no quotes, no contextual knowledge, no critics, and if you've managed to put in 10 critical references then you're fine I only put around 4 or 5 critics for the Othello question and that's plenty.

Cheers mate, feel like such an idiot, should have been on for an A* but thinking about it the sample essays from the exam board that got high grades are actually pathetic so maybe I will be ok xD

[Gilsenan]

Anyone else think that a mark of at least 15/30 is attainable in the Othello section even if the question is poorly tacked but things like critics and used well and there are good some good points perhaps only tenuously linked to the question?