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English Lit B AS results: what happened?

Don't want to sound like one of those very annoying people where they cry if they get one B. I promise you I am not trying to be like that.

I got AAAB today,and I'm very very happy apart from the fact that I'm devastated after all year working consistently at an A in English literature,getting full marks in my mock, which seems okay since it's always been my favourite subject and the one I want to do at university.

I got a B,which I'm not saying I'm angry about,it's just that I was expecting the complete opposite (to do really bad in my others) but I've done 'worst' in apparently my most strong subject...

Everyone in the same class as me received a D/C in their lit B 1 exam. Is that a coincidence or not? We think it's to do with what we've been taught exam method wise... Do you think it's worth getting a remark? I'll definitely be resitting, if it wasn't for my coursework I would've gotten a D or C!

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Reply 1

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Reply 2

erossy3

I'm exactly the same! I got A (98%) A (96%) C (69% it was in maths and I knew it would be awful) but also got a B in English lit on AQA. I was one UMS off an A overall and got a C in the exam. I'm incredibly confused as English is sort of 'my thing' and I've found it so easy all year. Sent off for a remark, how did other people at your school do?

Reply 3

erossy3

Sorry just realised you put about people in your class, mine was the exact same apart from one girl who got over 90% in the exam. She's clever but she was only expecting a B overall so I'm very very very confused. :frown:

Reply 4

erossy3

I was hoping to apply for English at Oxford but I doubt I'll apply this year unless the remark sends it up...

Reply 5

allypetal

Something doesn't add up! Do you have any ideas as to what's happened? It's varied massively class to class,another class didn't do gatsby for section A this year (did Tennyson) as their teacher's last class all got D's in the exam... Yet my teacher doesn't learn from last year and did gatsby again.

I can't think of anything else. I'm absolutely gutted,because it's the one closest to my heart :/ I'll be getting a remark too,I wanted to try for Cambridge (I got 92% on average over the others) but it's slightly embarrassing/worrying to the admissions tutor that I do worst in the one I want to study at their uni... It's ruined everything for me :frown:

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Reply 6

allypetal

My friends in the other class got As,yet hated it all year and got Bs and Cs... The complete opposite has happened to me,I've gone from full marks in the mock to scraping a C months of revision and practice later. I really feel for you and hope this is sorted out for everyone :frown:

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Reply 7

scavi2008

Hey! I just posted this on another post but thought it might be useful...

I studied Lit B this year & I got an A in it however I really hate the format of the exam, it's so based on the kinda 'tick-the-boxes' mindset - you literally have to follow EXACTLY what it says on the markscheme. What may have happened is that you didn't directly answer the question asked on one or more of the questions - for me, the first 'How is the story told?' questions tends to be a big pitfall!

For the first question, we got taught to do a paragraph each (where applicable) on narrative voice, setting, time & chronology, structure and characterisation, which seemed to work quite well. In class when I first attempted this kind of question I got a C - not because my essay was bad! - because I focused on too small a part of the work (eg focused on repetition, small parts of the text, short snatches of dialogue, analysing individual word use etc) without linking it to the text as a whole.

Then for the rest I just tried my very best and blagged my way through it!

It's a dangerous exam if you or your teachers don't know exactly where the pitfalls of the exam is, and normally from what I've heard it's just that really capable English students write great essays which just don't fill all the boxes on the markscheme. I'm sorry to hear about your results & hopefully you can resit to improve your grade! Google the technique for the exam (I made a step-by-step technique chart to the exam which you can have if you like) and have a look at the markscheme too to help

I find Eng Lit B1 so much more stressful than many of my friends at other schools studying A level English on different exam boards (it's really put me off English - it used to be my favourite subject!)

Reply 8

subjunctivehistorian

Original post by scavi2008

This.

I hate how the LitB1 exam - for a subject which is supposedly 'creative' is so tick boxy and formulaic, completely discouraging creativity and inventiveness. It makes me so angry how people who are amazing at english get lower than expected grades because their points weren't those made on the markscheme.

Reply 9

scavi2008

I just posted my technique notes for the LitB1 exam here (http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2820735) if you'd like to look at them, they cover all the AOs and exam technique for each question in the LitB1 exam compiled from all the advice I was given! :h:

Reply 10

Changing Skies

Original post by subjunctivehistorian

I totally agree. I'd say LITB3 is similar but I think they allow a bit more creativity. I much preferred A2 Lit :smile:

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Reply 11

subjunctivehistorian

Original post by Changing Skies

I totally agree. I'd say LITB3 is similar but I think they allow a bit more creativity. I much preferred A2 Lit :smile:

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That's good to know, can't wait for next year! :smile:

Reply 12

Changing Skies

Original post by subjunctivehistorian

That's good to know, can't wait for next year! :smile:

What texts are you doing? :biggrin:

if you know :smile:

Reply 13

subjunctivehistorian

Original post by Changing Skies

What texts are you doing? :biggrin:

if you know :smile:

Tess of the D'urbervilles and Brideshead Revisited :smile:

Not sure which poems though. Which ones did you do?

Reply 14

Changing Skies

Original post by subjunctivehistorian

Tess of the D'urbervilles and Brideshead Revisited :smile:

Not sure which poems though. Which ones did you do?

Ah so you're doing elements of the pastoral? :smile:

I did elements of the gothic, so Macbeth, Wuthering Heights, and The Bloody Chamber! :h:

what I prefer about LITB3 is that you can write about the text you answered on in section A in section B too :tongue:

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Reply 15

subjunctivehistorian

Original post by Changing Skies

Ah so you're doing elements of the pastoral? :smile:

I did elements of the gothic, so Macbeth, Wuthering Heights, and The Bloody Chamber! :h:

what I prefer about LITB3 is that you can write about the text you answered on in section A in section B too :tongue:

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Yeah, we are literally the only college I know doing pastoral! At first I found it really boring but it's actually so interesting, as we get to look at Paradise Lost and stuff. At the end of term we did a piece of creative writing as our teacher is slightly unorthodox; it was so fun!
In general I think LitB3 just sounds so much better, AS is WAYY to formulaic and annoying. I can't wait to actually write what I want to write in the exam! The only bad thing will be memorising all those quotes... :P

Reply 16

Changing Skies

Original post by subjunctivehistorian

Haha aww

oh that's great to hear :smile:

I bet! Yeah I definitely agree :yep:

exactly! Ahh quote memorising is a pain, I couldn't narrow mine down so ended up having to remember over 150 quotes :colonhash:

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Reply 17

jennahouston

I was consistently working at an A at AS, and was predicted an A in the exam, and I came out with a D. My coursework was an A so I dread to think what would have happened if it had been any lower! Was gutted as English has always been my strong point, but re-sitting this year, as I want to do it at uni!

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