Tips for English Language and Literature Exams

I'm just a GCSE student finishing this year, but after hours of reading tips, Analyzing content and Random stuff I shall compress what I know to the most Important tips (my opinion)on how to do well in your English GCSE.

English Literature Tips

Tip 1:
Read through the books-This is probably one of the most crucial revision techniques. Looking back to my doleful English Lessons, I remember switching off some days and not performing to my up-most standard.
In the Exam, You're not going to spend your time reading through the book, You're going to have to know roughly where about the question is referring to the very moment you read the question. If you read the book again, You may pick up one or two things along the way. Whilst reading the book, Make notes on Important lines or what it's implying or what the reader is trying to say! Annotate to make flicking through on the last days easier.

Tip 2:
Look at other people's analysis-This is a tip which helps me alot. I'm not an English Enthusiast (alliteration :tongue:

) however, There are many people on the internet who give their analysis of certain topics.
E.g. Mr Bruff - What I do is I watch his videos and I make notes on my stories/poems on his interpretations as well as my own, that way when it comes to the exam I am bound to remember most of them.
In some poems/stories it is very Hard to understand some key elements. If you read other people's analysis, you expand your knowledge of the Core meaning of the story, thus giving you more to write about on the story.

Tip 3:
Practice Papers- I can not stress this enough, If you do not know the format of the Papers then it will be slightly harder as compared to if you actually ran through some papers. Okay, Exam Boards are lazy, they keep the same format, but ask the same questions every year.
If you look at the type of questions they ask, they are very linked.
e.g. I am doing "To kill a Mockingbird" and after doing 3 past-papers, The question has always being trying to get me to involve something about 'prejudice'.
Doing past papers allows you to explore the Poem/story or whatever and Investigate and pull out information. Thereafter, Give the past paper to a teacher. This is not like Maths, where there is a definite answer. Their can be many answers, so long as you can back up your point.

Tip 4:
Individual Analysis- This is more useful in short stories and poems, however it can be applied to others....
After re-reading a story, I would analyse the story, Looking at the main characteristics (Do the one which you've been doing).
After Analyzing, Give the written text to your teacher and ask her to leave some comments on it. Thereafter, when it comes to a week or so before the exam, You can just be ready for anything.

English Language

Tip 1:
Understand this is not easy to revise for- I will be frank and spill the beans. English Language is not easy to revise for. I'm not saying the Topic itself is difficult, however they're no set stuff which you need to know.
e.g. In science, You are expected to know the role of the Nucleus (Controls the cells activities and contains the genetic information).
In English Language, It is a totally different case. Every year, the Text changes, so you can analyse anything.
Don't panic but I will give you a few tips which I know.

Tip 2:
Understand the Timing- The English Language exam is 2 Hours 15 minutes (for me) and you're expected to allocate an hour for each section with 15 Minutes being reading time. When I was doing my mock exam, I spent so long on the first section that the Second section was not answered as well as I could have.
The second section is worth the most marks and perhaps you should start with this, but whichever way you go, You need to do past papers and understand the timing from them and try and keep in time.

Tip 3:
Read Articles- There are many newspaper articles on the internet, some dedicated for analysis and some for general reading purposes, Write an analysis of the title, Picture, Structure and other elements and give it to your teacher to give you a mark out of 20.
Practicing your Analyzing techniques will make the language exam a whole lot easier.

Tip 4:
Don't stress to much- The reason I am saying this, is because many people worry about it, but in the end it turns out so well.
I'm doing AQA and last year, You need 57/80 or higher for an A*
As in What the Heck!?
Let's round it up to 60/80 for an A*
This means, even if we did not answer the first question, but did well in the rest without losing more than 8 marks we could get an A*!?
I may not know you, but whatever Tier you are doing you are doing, I know you are all capable of exceeding your expectations.
Impossible is just a word, so don't let it overcome you.

Look at the word Impossible. What happens if you put an Apostrophe between the "I" and the "M"?
It becomes I'm Possible.
This means I'm possible of achieving anything.

Stay strong and Good luck in English and all your other GCSE's
I am just a GCSE pupil, so if you have any further advice then Please leave it in the comments section.

Did you like the Advice? Leave Rep below.
Also if you would like my advice on anything else, then Leave comments below (If i do the subject).

Peace :flybye: