Latin AS preparation.

Hi everybody,
I have been preparing for the AS OCR latin exams this summer, that is the Latin Language and the Latin Verse and Prose Literature exams, and I was just wondering how everybody else was preparing for these exams. So far I've been learning all of the vocab and looking through the set texts and just starting to learn the translations. How have you been/will you be revising for these exams?

Cheers.

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 1

nishdish

Original post by stardude8

Hi, I've been doing the same as you pretty much, learning vocab and translations and making notes on analysis. What set texts are you doing?

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Reply 2

SimpleTom

Original post by nishdish

Hi, I've been doing the same as you pretty much, learning vocab and translations and making notes on analysis. What set texts are you doing?

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I don't suppose you go to Reeds school do you?

Reply 3

nishdish

Original post by SimpleTom

I don't suppose you go to Reeds school do you?

Nope but I do live right next to it haha

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Reply 4

SimpleTom

Original post by nishdish

Nope but I do live right next to it haha

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Haha ok, I just ask because my dad is a partner of a firm of Solicitors in Cobham so I go up there all the time.

Applied to Reeds for 11+ as well, apparently I got the best score out of all the applicants on their maths test. :biggrin:

(No idea how though :tongue:

)

Reply 5

stardude8

Original post by nishdish

Hi, I've been doing the same as you pretty much, learning vocab and translations and making notes on analysis. What set texts are you doing?

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I am doing the Amores poems by Ovid and In Verrem by Cicero. What texts are you doing? If you are doing the same syllabus as I am, or for anyone else out there who has or is at the moment, have you got any advice about how to answer those 10 mark questions at the end of each section? I was also wondering what exactly constitutes a 'discussion' of a point, as in the mark scheme it says 1 mark for latin quotation, 1 for discussion for certain questions.
Thanks

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 6

nishdish

Original post by stardude8

I'm doing the same ones :smile:

For the ten markers basically just make as many relevant points you can I think, and for discussion it saying what the quotation means and explaining what it adds in terms of the effect of it on the poem/prose. Hope this helps

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Reply 7

stardude8

Original post by nishdish

I'm doing the same ones :smile:

Thank you very much- this was most helpful. Which text are you finding easiest/hardest at the moment? Do you have any suspicions as to what passages could come up this year? The ten mark questions are mostly what bug me though, as you often run out of time to do them! For these, do you need to quote latin all the time, as in the content and style questions, or is it just a case of rattling off points in English about the text without quotes? I apologise for all these questions, it's just I would really like to try to do well on these papers.
Cheers

Reply 8

nishdish

Original post by stardude8

I'm pretty confident on 3.2 and 3.5 for Ovid, simply because I've looked at them the most but I'm finding the Cicero tougher in general and there's some bits which I don't really have much to say about. I think Amores 3.2 L1-20, 3.4 L5-20 and In Verrem 53,54 and 63 is what came up last year so it's unlikely to be them again but it's best to learn everything I guess. Also Amores 3.5 L25-42 was in the A2 Specimen paper which means it probably won't come up but again it's better not to risk it. Yeah I'm finding that you're pretty rushed for the ten markers but I'm pretty sure you just have to reference a specific part of the text not necessarily quote it and yeah just make as many points as possible I guess. No problem I'm glad I can help :smile:

.

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Reply 9

stardude8

Yes-parts of the Cicero I am finding very difficult, particularly the later passages 67-69, which there's little to say about. Poem 2 from the Amores I am OK with, and 3.5 I agree isn't that bad either. But 4 and 14 seem significantly harder to get your head around at times.

It is probably best not to have a policy of predicting what will come up, I agree, but certain passages of Cicero seem to be lacking in devices that it seems unlikely that they should come up, or at least that it comes up with less specific questions on the text, such as those for 54 last year, where the six marker seemed quite nice on identifying and translating parts which showed something about Verres (cannot remember what exactly). Whereas for the Amores, points to talk about are everywhere, especially if you can get your head around the meter of the poem

So for the ten mark questions, would you simply list the points as they are in the mark schemes, trying to cram in as many as you can think of, or does each have to be backed up with some sort of explanation, meaning you cover fewer points in more detail?

Thanks

Reply 10

najabri

Basically a bit of this every day http://www.cambridgescp.com/ws2_tlc/vocab/ocras/ocras.html and rereading the set text in both English and Latin.

I'm really happy about the way the exam dates worked out, with language first and then lit after half term.

Reply 11

Mazzini

I haven't started lit revision yet :biggrin:

I have the whole of half term for that, it's my last exam :ahee:

Reply 12

nishdish

Original post by najabri

Yeah I love having half term to do lit. Also if you haven't heard of it, memrise.com is really useful for vocab, I think it's better than the vocab tester.

Reply 13

Tweak6

I've barely looked at the lit stuff yet, but I'm panicing about those 10 markers- and the time limit is horrific.

Reply 14

Hazbo

You really have to know the stuff for the easy marks such as translations to build time for the 10 and 8 markers, you have to constantly write for the whole exam. We've discussed some 10 markers most to do with humour/sincerity in Ovid and strength of the argument with Cicero

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Reply 15

LittleMissDancer

Hello!
I'm also doing AS Latin this year, and I'm really struggling with the Cicero... Any tips?
Some of it is just so dull, I have no idea how best to revise it!
Thanks...

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