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English students have the luxury of never actually being 'wrong' - however at the same time they run the risk of not having the same point of view of the examiner. So how does one guarantee a top grade in an English exam?
Unfortunately, there is no short cut to getting a top grade - students must simply be extremely familiar with their texts. Further reading, critical reviews and contrasting texts in the same genre (or perhaps other texts by the same author) must be used to help complement one's understanding. Whether it is GCSE or A-level, students often fall into the habit of merely re-writing large parts of the set texts in their own words. This is rarely what the examiners are looking for.
Use the text to back up the arguments you make. Draw upon the characters, the vocabulary and the tone to help strengthen the points you make and use the texts as a reference. Learning key quotes can be a tremendous advantage, so choose quotes that easily lend themselves across different themes to ensure that they can be seen to be 'relevant' in relation to the question asked.
Originality is imperative when it comes to achievinig the highest grades. The best students are those who are not afraid to put forward their own perceptions and analysis, regardless of how unorthodox it may seem. Students are often scared to put across their points of view, as they feel that this may come across as less academic. The key is to back up one's points of view with authentic sources from the relevant texts. The difference between an A and an A* or a top A at A-level is having a balanced essay that shows evidence of having familiarity with the texts while at the same time being written in a good academic style. Finally, this should all be topped with an original conclusion and evaluation!
