CIE Drama IGCSE 2017 thread
I doubt many other people actually do IGCSE Drama (I certainly wish I didnt) but just thought if there are any of you out there then make yourselves know, a thread could be useful to help each other out, ask questions, give advice, send notes etc.
My main worry is timing, I always always spend too long on papers and can never finish it in time, I dont write slowly at all so thats not the problem but I must be writing too much, especially for the short answer questions. How much do you guys write and what have your teachers told you to do? Also wondering if bullet points are acceptable for certain short answer questions
My main worry is timing, I always always spend too long on papers and can never finish it in time, I dont write slowly at all so thats not the problem but I must be writing too much, especially for the short answer questions. How much do you guys write and what have your teachers told you to do? Also wondering if bullet points are acceptable for certain short answer questions
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Original post by DavoGCSE
I doubt many other people actually do IGCSE Drama (I certainly wish I didnt) but just thought if there are any of you out there then make yourselves know, a thread could be useful to help each other out, ask questions, give advice, send notes etc.
My main worry is timing, I always always spend too long on papers and can never finish it in time, I dont write slowly at all so thats not the problem but I must be writing too much, especially for the short answer questions. How much do you guys write and what have your teachers told you to do? Also wondering if bullet points are acceptable for certain short answer questions
My main worry is timing, I always always spend too long on papers and can never finish it in time, I dont write slowly at all so thats not the problem but I must be writing too much, especially for the short answer questions. How much do you guys write and what have your teachers told you to do? Also wondering if bullet points are acceptable for certain short answer questions
Hi! I seem to be the only other Drama student around (and I too wish I wasn't). This is the only paper I have timing issues for, mainly because my teacher told us to write two (!) paragraphs for the measly two mark questions in the beginning of the paper. Naturally, we were more than a little annoyed when we discovered that this was a blatant lie and waste of our time.
So I talked to the head of drama instead, and cleared things up. We should write about one line per point for the basic questions (two and three marks) but I don't think bullet points will count.
What do you do for the essays please? I never know how much to write for them, and always lose marks for not addressing each aspect thoroughly.
Original post by iporter6
Hi! I seem to be the only other Drama student around (and I too wish I wasn't). This is the only paper I have timing issues for, mainly because my teacher told us to write two (!) paragraphs for the measly two mark questions in the beginning of the paper. Naturally, we were more than a little annoyed when we discovered that this was a blatant lie and waste of our time.
So I talked to the head of drama instead, and cleared things up. We should write about one line per point for the basic questions (two and three marks) but I don't think bullet points will count.
What do you do for the essays please? I never know how much to write for them, and always lose marks for not addressing each aspect thoroughly.
So I talked to the head of drama instead, and cleared things up. We should write about one line per point for the basic questions (two and three marks) but I don't think bullet points will count.
What do you do for the essays please? I never know how much to write for them, and always lose marks for not addressing each aspect thoroughly.
Our teachers also tell us to write way too much! And for the 25 markers I try to do a long paragraph on each aspect and about 4/5 after the intro, e.g. For a Stagg charachter question or something I would do intro where I outline his charachter, purpose and the titles of the other paras, then one on charachter aspects, key moments, vocals and physicality and then maybe staging and costume or relationships or something
Original post by DavoGCSE
Our teachers also tell us to write way too much! And for the 25 markers I try to do a long paragraph on each aspect and about 4/5 after the intro, e.g. For a Stagg charachter question or something I would do intro where I outline his charachter, purpose and the titles of the other paras, then one on charachter aspects, key moments, vocals and physicality and then maybe staging and costume or relationships or something
That's really helpful, thanks! I'm just hoping my hand hasn't fallen off due to extreme writing cramps by the time I get around to the essays.
Original post by iporter6
That's really helpful, thanks! I'm just hoping my hand hasn't fallen off due to extreme writing cramps by the time I get around to the essays.
No worries and yeah I'm with you on that one! You also doing Pressure?
Original post by DavoGCSE
No worries and yeah I'm with you on that one! You also doing Pressure?
We're doing 'Little Eagles' and the irony has reached me that it's set in Communist Russia, the same as our History depth study. It's like Cambridge want to see us burn. In Russia.
Luckily I have a very good teacher who gave us some pointers:
- You can write in bullet points for the short answer questions as long as you cover all the points, the bullet points should be proper sentences though. I try and write one bullet point for every mark in the question, with just under 2 lines per bullet point.
- For the long essays, DON'T WAFFLE. By this I mean don't go on explaining the play to the examiner as that will get you no extra marks and will just waste time. You shouldn't narrate or go through the story as it really doesn't matter. Stick to the question, you are getting marked on how you would put on a play; the biggest mistake people make in drama is writing an english essay where you analyse the piece. Don't do this either.
- For every question write WHAT you are trying to achieve, HOW you will achieve this, and WHY you are doing this, as in what effect will it have on the audience. For example: "The character of Stalin should be fierce and dominating, this can be done by having the actor speak loudly and in a harsh tone, and by using aggressive hand gestures to emphasise his points. This gives his character a sense of dominance and conveys his power to the audience." (That would be good for 2 marks in a 5 mark answer)
Good luck for the exam on Tuesday! (For me it is the morning after a very long Geography exam)
- You can write in bullet points for the short answer questions as long as you cover all the points, the bullet points should be proper sentences though. I try and write one bullet point for every mark in the question, with just under 2 lines per bullet point.
- For the long essays, DON'T WAFFLE. By this I mean don't go on explaining the play to the examiner as that will get you no extra marks and will just waste time. You shouldn't narrate or go through the story as it really doesn't matter. Stick to the question, you are getting marked on how you would put on a play; the biggest mistake people make in drama is writing an english essay where you analyse the piece. Don't do this either.
- For every question write WHAT you are trying to achieve, HOW you will achieve this, and WHY you are doing this, as in what effect will it have on the audience. For example: "The character of Stalin should be fierce and dominating, this can be done by having the actor speak loudly and in a harsh tone, and by using aggressive hand gestures to emphasise his points. This gives his character a sense of dominance and conveys his power to the audience." (That would be good for 2 marks in a 5 mark answer)
Good luck for the exam on Tuesday! (For me it is the morning after a very long Geography exam)
Original post by YourPalCal
Luckily I have a very good teacher who gave us some pointers:
- You can write in bullet points for the short answer questions as long as you cover all the points, the bullet points should be proper sentences though. I try and write one bullet point for every mark in the question, with just under 2 lines per bullet point.
- For the long essays, DON'T WAFFLE. By this I mean don't go on explaining the play to the examiner as that will get you no extra marks and will just waste time. You shouldn't narrate or go through the story as it really doesn't matter. Stick to the question, you are getting marked on how you would put on a play; the biggest mistake people make in drama is writing an english essay where you analyse the piece. Don't do this either.
- For every question write WHAT you are trying to achieve, HOW you will achieve this, and WHY you are doing this, as in what effect will it have on the audience. For example: "The character of Stalin should be fierce and dominating, this can be done by having the actor speak loudly and in a harsh tone, and by using aggressive hand gestures to emphasise his points. This gives his character a sense of dominance and conveys his power to the audience." (That would be good for 2 marks in a 5 mark answer)
Good luck for the exam on Tuesday! (For me it is the morning after a very long Geography exam)
- You can write in bullet points for the short answer questions as long as you cover all the points, the bullet points should be proper sentences though. I try and write one bullet point for every mark in the question, with just under 2 lines per bullet point.
- For the long essays, DON'T WAFFLE. By this I mean don't go on explaining the play to the examiner as that will get you no extra marks and will just waste time. You shouldn't narrate or go through the story as it really doesn't matter. Stick to the question, you are getting marked on how you would put on a play; the biggest mistake people make in drama is writing an english essay where you analyse the piece. Don't do this either.
- For every question write WHAT you are trying to achieve, HOW you will achieve this, and WHY you are doing this, as in what effect will it have on the audience. For example: "The character of Stalin should be fierce and dominating, this can be done by having the actor speak loudly and in a harsh tone, and by using aggressive hand gestures to emphasise his points. This gives his character a sense of dominance and conveys his power to the audience." (That would be good for 2 marks in a 5 mark answer)
Good luck for the exam on Tuesday! (For me it is the morning after a very long Geography exam)
Thanks a lot! And for me its after a latin exam haha
Original post by DavoGCSE
Thanks a lot! And for me its after a latin exam haha
Ew that sucks for you guys. At least I have no exams before it, but it is at 8.30am so...
Feels like Cambridge wants us exhausted before each exam, doesn't it?
Original post by iporter6
Ew that sucks for you guys. At least I have no exams before it, but it is at 8.30am so...
Feels like Cambridge wants us exhausted before each exam, doesn't it?
Feels like Cambridge wants us exhausted before each exam, doesn't it?
Haha yeah **** cambridge
Same i literally feel like the only one taking this cambridge gcse exam! I'm also doing pressure, and theory is so hard because of the time management and including all the aspects to get full marks! Also the grade boundaries are so high which sucks. Im also struggling ugh. Which stimulus are you doing for the devised?
Original post by boss7860
Same i literally feel like the only one taking this cambridge gcse exam! I'm also doing pressure, and theory is so hard because of the time management and including all the aspects to get full marks! Also the grade boundaries are so high which sucks. Im also struggling ugh. Which stimulus are you doing for the devised?
I'm doing 'Little Red Riding Hood' but my group devised our piece in a week and I haven't gone over it again! Going to be a lot of devising on the spot in that section of the exam. You?
Original post by boss7860
We're doing Hansel and Gretel, our group didnt even finish devising lmao, im literally making it up in the exam. Theorys scaring me sooo much but thank god i got well in my coursework so hopefully that brings it up. I failed my theory for the drama mock but its also because we had no teacher as he got fired, and we've never been taught theory, so i wrote it as an english essay oops. We did three courseworks in the space of 3 months loool
Original post by iporter6
I'm doing 'Little Red Riding Hood' but my group devised our piece in a week and I haven't gone over it again! Going to be a lot of devising on the spot in that section of the exam. You?
Original post by YourPalCal
Luckily I have a very good teacher who gave us some pointers:
- You can write in bullet points for the short answer questions as long as you cover all the points, the bullet points should be proper sentences though. I try and write one bullet point for every mark in the question, with just under 2 lines per bullet point.
- For the long essays, DON'T WAFFLE. By this I mean don't go on explaining the play to the examiner as that will get you no extra marks and will just waste time. You shouldn't narrate or go through the story as it really doesn't matter. Stick to the question, you are getting marked on how you would put on a play; the biggest mistake people make in drama is writing an english essay where you analyse the piece. Don't do this either.
- For every question write WHAT you are trying to achieve, HOW you will achieve this, and WHY you are doing this, as in what effect will it have on the audience. For example: "The character of Stalin should be fierce and dominating, this can be done by having the actor speak loudly and in a harsh tone, and by using aggressive hand gestures to emphasise his points. This gives his character a sense of dominance and conveys his power to the audience." (That would be good for 2 marks in a 5 mark answer)
Good luck for the exam on Tuesday! (For me it is the morning after a very long Geography exam)
- You can write in bullet points for the short answer questions as long as you cover all the points, the bullet points should be proper sentences though. I try and write one bullet point for every mark in the question, with just under 2 lines per bullet point.
- For the long essays, DON'T WAFFLE. By this I mean don't go on explaining the play to the examiner as that will get you no extra marks and will just waste time. You shouldn't narrate or go through the story as it really doesn't matter. Stick to the question, you are getting marked on how you would put on a play; the biggest mistake people make in drama is writing an english essay where you analyse the piece. Don't do this either.
- For every question write WHAT you are trying to achieve, HOW you will achieve this, and WHY you are doing this, as in what effect will it have on the audience. For example: "The character of Stalin should be fierce and dominating, this can be done by having the actor speak loudly and in a harsh tone, and by using aggressive hand gestures to emphasise his points. This gives his character a sense of dominance and conveys his power to the audience." (That would be good for 2 marks in a 5 mark answer)
Good luck for the exam on Tuesday! (For me it is the morning after a very long Geography exam)
Hey guys! I'm from New Zealand and I have my drama exam on Tuesday as well. We did Little Red Riding Hood as our devised piece and I feel confident about it I'm just a little unsure about the Little Eagles stuff. Can someone please give me a quick summary of the extract?
Original post by flippo135
Hey guys! I'm from New Zealand and I have my drama exam on Tuesday as well. We did Little Red Riding Hood as our devised piece and I feel confident about it I'm just a little unsure about the Little Eagles stuff. Can someone please give me a quick summary of the extract?
I can give you quick overview of every scene to give you a better idea of the story but remember you don't need to tell the story in the exam, and they give you a copy of the extract in the exam.
1:1 - KOLYMA GULAG (1938):: - Stalin does his speech ---> Condemned Man gets executed --> Doctor talks to SPK about her past --> She saves SPK instead of OLD MAN --> SPK is told to walk to Moscow (Its unsure whether he actually gets there)
1:2 - DESIGN ENGINEER ROOM (1953):: - Xenia (SPK wife) + Natasha (SPK Daughter) arrive --> They meet Glushko who is in charge --> Revealed that Xenia and Glushko betrayed SPK in the past --> Guards bring SPK to talk to wife and daughter --> Workers discuss the deadline for the missile, its not ready --> Krushchev arrives, Stalin is dead --> SPK is put in charge instead of Glushko --> SPK talks about Sputnik (Rocket to space) idea and Krushchev approves
[location change but same scene] PARADE GROUND (1957):: - Yuri (pilot farmboy) talks to his girlfriend Valya --> They + Leonov listen to Sputnik launch on the radio --> [short location change] PARK IN MOSCOW:: --> Natasha is walking with radio listening to Sputnik --> [another damn location change] KOLYMA GULAG:: - Doctor with another sick prisoner --> Injects prisoner to kill him humanely (showing how she has changed) --> Sputnik on the radio, she spits at it
2:1 - DESIGN ENGINEERS ROOM:: - Workers watching footage of American space launch --> They criticise it --> Geladze comes and inspects the cosmonauts -->
[location change] COSMONAUTS TRAINING ROOM:: -Cosmonauts play a game where they hold a piece of hot metal pipe (idiots) --> Titov wins but still holds on --> Geladze tells SPK to choose Yuri to go to space --> Doctor enters, SPK stares
2:2 abridged (meaning shortened) :: - SPK recognises Doctor --> Doctor talks about Gulag --> SPK has to choose who might die now, he chooses the "Lucky man" (Meaning Yuri)
I hope that gives you a better idea of the play
Any questions just ask and I will be glad to help as much as I canCaleb,
Original post by YourPalCal
I can give you quick overview of every scene to give you a better idea of the story but remember you don't need to tell the story in the exam, and they give you a copy of the extract in the exam.
1:1 - KOLYMA GULAG (1938):: - Stalin does his speech ---> Condemned Man gets executed --> Doctor talks to SPK about her past --> She saves SPK instead of OLD MAN --> SPK is told to walk to Moscow (Its unsure whether he actually gets there)
1:2 - DESIGN ENGINEER ROOM (1953):: - Xenia (SPK wife) + Natasha (SPK Daughter) arrive --> They meet Glushko who is in charge --> Revealed that Xenia and Glushko betrayed SPK in the past --> Guards bring SPK to talk to wife and daughter --> Workers discuss the deadline for the missile, its not ready --> Krushchev arrives, Stalin is dead --> SPK is put in charge instead of Glushko --> SPK talks about Sputnik (Rocket to space) idea and Krushchev approves
[location change but same scene] PARADE GROUND (1957):: - Yuri (pilot farmboy) talks to his girlfriend Valya --> They + Leonov listen to Sputnik launch on the radio --> [short location change] PARK IN MOSCOW:: --> Natasha is walking with radio listening to Sputnik --> [another damn location change] KOLYMA GULAG:: - Doctor with another sick prisoner --> Injects prisoner to kill him humanely (showing how she has changed) --> Sputnik on the radio, she spits at it
2:1 - DESIGN ENGINEERS ROOM:: - Workers watching footage of American space launch --> They criticise it --> Geladze comes and inspects the cosmonauts -->
[location change] COSMONAUTS TRAINING ROOM:: -Cosmonauts play a game where they hold a piece of hot metal pipe (idiots) --> Titov wins but still holds on --> Geladze tells SPK to choose Yuri to go to space --> Doctor enters, SPK stares
2:2 abridged (meaning shortened) :: - SPK recognises Doctor --> Doctor talks about Gulag --> SPK has to choose who might die now, he chooses the "Lucky man" (Meaning Yuri)
I hope that gives you a better idea of the play Any questions just ask and I will be glad to help as much as I can
Caleb,
1:1 - KOLYMA GULAG (1938):: - Stalin does his speech ---> Condemned Man gets executed --> Doctor talks to SPK about her past --> She saves SPK instead of OLD MAN --> SPK is told to walk to Moscow (Its unsure whether he actually gets there)
1:2 - DESIGN ENGINEER ROOM (1953):: - Xenia (SPK wife) + Natasha (SPK Daughter) arrive --> They meet Glushko who is in charge --> Revealed that Xenia and Glushko betrayed SPK in the past --> Guards bring SPK to talk to wife and daughter --> Workers discuss the deadline for the missile, its not ready --> Krushchev arrives, Stalin is dead --> SPK is put in charge instead of Glushko --> SPK talks about Sputnik (Rocket to space) idea and Krushchev approves
[location change but same scene] PARADE GROUND (1957):: - Yuri (pilot farmboy) talks to his girlfriend Valya --> They + Leonov listen to Sputnik launch on the radio --> [short location change] PARK IN MOSCOW:: --> Natasha is walking with radio listening to Sputnik --> [another damn location change] KOLYMA GULAG:: - Doctor with another sick prisoner --> Injects prisoner to kill him humanely (showing how she has changed) --> Sputnik on the radio, she spits at it
2:1 - DESIGN ENGINEERS ROOM:: - Workers watching footage of American space launch --> They criticise it --> Geladze comes and inspects the cosmonauts -->
[location change] COSMONAUTS TRAINING ROOM:: -Cosmonauts play a game where they hold a piece of hot metal pipe (idiots) --> Titov wins but still holds on --> Geladze tells SPK to choose Yuri to go to space --> Doctor enters, SPK stares
2:2 abridged (meaning shortened) :: - SPK recognises Doctor --> Doctor talks about Gulag --> SPK has to choose who might die now, he chooses the "Lucky man" (Meaning Yuri)
I hope that gives you a better idea of the play
Any questions just ask and I will be glad to help as much as I can Caleb,
Thank you so much. That is very useful. Have you done any questions or essays to do with it? I have done some and maybe we could compare?
BTW my name is Caleb as well, haha.
Original post by chez.ryl
are yall prepared for tomorrow's examination ?
Not even slighting I'm ******** myself - does anyone have any last minutie advice??? Specifically worried about length, how long should the short questions and the essay's be?? Also, does anyone have any essay plans, model essay answers or rough ideas about how to structure essays/how long they should be - thanks a lot
AHHH SAME I FEEL SO UNPREPARED, but all i'm gonna do now is reread my extract and WHILE reading im gonna think of each characters use of voice or space or lighting i can add into the exam, so that i dont waste time looking for this during the exam. My teachers quite good so all this is from her, your short questions should not be very long, but if its 2 marks for example, you would write about 5 lines, and if it was 5 marks then you'd need to write about 15 lines in order to get all the marks. For essays im preparing for a certain question that i know i can do, such as character or set, and im literally ignoring anything else because i have no time and i'll get confused. Remember when structuring, every time you have a new point, start a new paragraph. And this is because each point you make SHOULD be about paragraph since you'll need to describe WHAT, HOW, and WHY in order to get all marks! Also my teacher advised not to use fancy language at all, just be precise with the correct drama words and describe what how and why to get good marks.
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