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The more students I tutor at 'A' Level the more I can see that they are usually conscientious enough to learn about topics and complete all the tasks set. Their essays are well set out in paragraphs with good English and yet they seem to get trapped at Grade C level or below. There is something missing - normally the ability to answer the question that has been set. Often their essays turn into a knowledge-based description of a topic, rather than answering a question asking, 'How far...........' or 'To what extent do you agree...........'. If you do not answer the question properly you are destined to miss out on a higher grade. The questions are set this way to see if you can access the higher skills of analysis, evaluation and making a reasoned judgement or conclusion.
How far.....' questions imply the need for a judgement by the student. Judgements are not made in the final paragraph alone. The judgement should be known to the student at the start of the essay and the rest of the essay should provide the evidence for reaching that judgement. The student will analyse and evaluate the evidence used throughout the essay so that the final paragraph comes as no surprise to the exam marker. At the top grade you will see examiner comments about the argument being sustained throughout the essay.
Most of my tutoring at this level is to help students discover ways of accessing these higher skills. Often it means finding a better essay writing method with analysis and evaluation at its core. Some of my students have been very successful at adapting and adjusting their essay stles to maximise their grades which makes my work very rewarding.
