ADVICE FOR A2 ESSAY QUESTIONS

• Essay writing is a central part of A2 exam. The ability to produce a good written answer is essential. Great emphasis is placed on the need for adequate exam preparation. Pay close attention to the following points.
• Try not to confuse description with explanation.
• Remember that description generally takes 2 forms: description of form and of function
• Try to present your ideas in an orderly fashion. Essays should have:

i) a beginning (introduction) which is a context statement establishing the key ideas encompassed in the question: don't simply repeat the title

ii) a middle which is the core of the essay, organised into paragraphs, each one of which tackles an aspect of the question, along with appropriate examples

iii) an end, the conclusion: which should not be a precis of the core, but a synthesis beginning 'Therefore....' or a synthesis plus a 'twist' which recognises a broader theme or explicitly identifies the limitations of the argument presented or the partiality of the explanation.

• Try to present examples and case studies to support a point.
• Need to be appropriate:
• e.g 'Drought in Africa' is no good, 'Drought in the Sahel, Africa' is a little better. 'Drought in area to the south of the Sahara known as the Sahel, where lower than average rainfall was experienced throughout the 1970's and 80's' is best of all.
• Try to use maps and diagrams where appropriate.
• Annotation adds information and is not simply labelling.
• Cross referencing to diagrams in the text is useful. A diagram should not be a free standing illustration.
• Try not to regurgitate model answers. Useful to use past papers for practice.
• Approach the exam positively. Candidates should have ideas about which areas they would like to appear. Indifferent candidates tend to be weaker or very strong indeed.
• Have a clear idea of what needs to be done at the start of the exam: fill in administrative details, such as candidate number etc.
• Read the rubric from the front page. Remember the rules about which choice of questions are possible. Read the whole paper and narrow down to a selection of questions.
• Choose to start on an answer from a section where the alternative has been ruled out.
• Write a brief plan of key points.
• Write the essay paying close attention to time limit, and try not to go over the allocated time.
• All essay questions cover 2 pieces of information:

- the subject(s) to be written about

- instructions on how the subject is to be discussed

RETURN TO 'AS' & A2 PAGE