ENGLISH

Extended Writing: Step 1 = the Question

‘The question is king’ AQA English Chief Examiner 2017

EVERY part of EVERY question that you answer, MUST be INTERROGATED by you.

• Annotate – the key words, relevant dates, relevant audience, relevant purpose –by circling/underlining/highlighting

• Write – first ideas/translations from these selected parts annotations

Extended Writing: Step 2 = Planning

‘There is no doubt that proficient planning makes a significant difference to a candidate’s results’ Principal Chief Examiner AQA 2018

Planning puts in control of your writing. It is your satnav, and it is a satnav for the examiner. It allows you:• To know where + how you will

start and finish• which points you will develop in

detail• How you will shape your writing

– move from one point to another

Extended Writing: Step 2 = Planning

‘There is no doubt that proficient planning makes a significant difference to a candidate’s results’ 2018

Principal Chief Examiner AQA

• Jot down the essentials from your ‘suitcase’ for this topic

• Jot down your first thoughts about the topic of the question – all parts of it – and also what you know already to be the essentials about this topic. This will become your THESIS.

• Establish from the points that you have jotted down/annotated a ‘rank order’ to answer the question.

• Check that you have enough detail for each point/paragraph ‘so what?’

• Check the clock

Extended Writing: Step 3 = Writing

‘The question is king’ AQA English Chief Examiner 2017

• Now the planning + the question need to come together.

• The words/ideas of the question need to drive the topic sentence = first sentence of the essay/paragraph, to prove you are answering the question SET.

• Do not ‘throw spaghetti at the wall’• The words/ideas of the question need to be

everpresent, particularly at the end of the paragraph/’chunk’ or essay, when you ‘judge’ ‘evaluate’ the success/relevance of what you have written. ‘hence’ ‘clearly’

• LINK each sentence and each paragraph. ‘however’ ‘similarly’ ‘as a result’ ‘despite’ ‘also’

• Take care with your handwriting

Extended Writing: Step 4 = Checking

‘The question is king’AQA English Chief Examiner 2017

Checking what you written is a VITAL step• Leave time to check your work,

especially in the Writing sections of Language P1 and Lang P2. Ask yourself:

• Is my writing/point CLEAR?• Am I actually answering the question

set?• Have I made spelling, punctuation,

expression errors?• Is there anything else I could have

included? What else – ideas/phrases for writing, were in the suitcase for this part of the exam?

MATHS

Exam tips for Maths GCSE• 3 papers (Non-calculator/Calculator/Calculator)

• Answer all questions using the answer space and giving units if necessary

This questiongives a mark for correct units

Answer space

Calculators (P2/P3)Must be a “D” here

• Use it for all calculations (Saves time! Gives right answer!)

• Show method (essential for questions worth 2+ marks)

Diagrams

• Draw them to help clarify a question

• Label axes on any chart (e.g. frequency, sectors on pie charts)

• Remember a key (especially stem and leaf)

• Leave construction lines (this is your method)

Command words

Estimate – round values to make a calculation approximate

Evaluate – find the value

Expand – multiply out brackets Factorise – put into brackets

Solve – find the answer to an equation or inequality (e.g. x = 4, x >7)

Construct – draw accurately, lines measured, angles exact, compass used

There are others so ask your teacher if you come across one you don’t understand!

Finally…

• Have you answered the question? Decisions are sometimes needed

e.g. Sandra says “Phones 4 U” are cheaper. Is she correct?

• Have you given full reasons for any angles calculated?

e.g. “base angles in an isosceles triangle are equal”

• Don’t give up! Easier questions at start (be meticuolous!) but can have simple ones towards the end – answer all questions (even potentially the back page!)

SCIENCE

6 mark questions in science

They are marked from bottom up and have a list

of content that goes with the mark scheme.

The key ideas are:

Structure

Comparisons

Relevant and correct points

Explain questions – use your science knowledge to say why…

Improvements – repeats, more than one variable

Evaluate – what is right and wrong about the statement (use the

information as well!)

Plan a method – use the bullet points as a guide, include what you are changing and what you are measuring.

Think about what needs to be kept the same (fair test)

Compare – look at both sets of data and

say what is similar and what is different

RE

Extended answers

Religious Education

B questions - Describe (5 marks = 5 minutes)1. Underline key words

2. Use the wording of the question

3. Refer to source of wisdom and authority if not one in question

Describe St. Augustine’s teaching on the origin of the universe. (5)

In Confessions, St. Augustine states that God is the origin of the universe. He states that God made the universe ex nihilo. Describe two ways the Church participates in inter-faith dialogue. (5)

The Catholic Church has encouraged inter-faith dialogue since Vatican II. In Gaudium et Spes, one of the four constitutions, the need for dialogue was expressed as a duty for all Catholics….

The Church also participates in inter-faith dialogue through meetings with the Pope and authority figures in other religions such as Judaism, Islam and Hinduism.

C questions – Explain (8 marks = 8 minutes)Explain, from either Catholic Christianity and Judaism or two Christians traditions, teachings on the origin of the universe. (8)

Explain, (from either Catholic Christianity and Judaism or two Christians traditions,) teachings on the origin of the universe. (8)

1. Bracket the question on component 1 (from….traditions) and underline

2. Chose two from the three

A. Catholic teaching

B. Other Christian teaching

C. Jewish teaching

3. Support with evidence

Catholic – bible, catechism, Pope, encyclical. Other Christian – bible

Jewish – torah

PEEL -PointEvidenceExplainLink

Sources of wisdom and authority

4 developed reasons

Line between each reason

PEEL paragraphs

Connectives in writings firstly / finally

D questions – Discuss (15 marks = 15 minutes)

‘Suffering is not always evil.’ 1. Discuss, discuss, discuss the statement…differing views

2. Catholic, other Christian, Jewish, humanist (atheist)

3. Start with strongest point of view – bounce between views

4. Evaluate - do not just explain

5. Conclusion – use the words in the question

6. Writing frame – SONIC / PEEL x2 (chief examiner – no magical formula for D questions)

Catholic

Atheist

Evidence

Evaluation

Evaluation