GCSE AQA English, 2015

Aims

1. Know more about what we are facing with the exam.

2. Have a ‘strategy’ on how to approach it.

3. Practise key sections and skills.

‘The Exam Mindset’

Exams can be tough for various reasons…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LhLjpsstPY

Where did Mr Bean go wrong?

The exam is

2 hours and 15 minutes

long (or short, depending on

how you look at it).

More or less the same as…

a movie… a football match… a spa treatment…

Section A has questions that test

how well you can respond to texts

you have read. The texts are in the

test paper as ‘sources’.

Section B has 2 writing tasks that

test your ability to write effectively

for different purposes.

A

B

40marks

40marks

Spelling, punctuation and

grammar.

approx.

13

Q1a

Q1b

Q2

Q3

Q4

Q5

Q6

4 marks 6mins

4 marks 7mins

8 marks 12mins

12 marks 20mins

12 marks 20mins

16 marks 30mins

24 marks 40mins

Swap around?

General Strategies

For the reading tasks, a ruler might be

useful to help track the lines and not

feel overloaded.

Spend some time thinking about exactly

what the examiner wanting from you.

Underline key words in the question to

help keep your focus.

Finding a pen that makes

your handwriting comfier

can stop your hand tiring.

Some people prefer a

thicker grip.

Some people prefer a pen

where the ink flows faster,

others slower.

A digital watch

with a stopwatch

feature will help

you track the

time for each

question.