5 Skills to Develop for A-Level English

Through the educational journey, you have wielded your sword against many difficulties; the mountain of assigned readings and the late night studying, handing in homework and assignments against tight deadlines and vanquishing exam after exam. Despite all odds, you carried on, and have finally come face to face with one of the most important exams:  A-Level English. It may seem like an impossible beast to defeat with its monstrous appetite and many fanged expectations. But fear not, we are here to help! Below are a list of 5 skills to develop to slay your way to victory:

1) Skim Reading

Dear Warrior, you are racing against time. In front of you are passage after passage of words, which you must analyse, understand and utilise to respond to the questions accordingly. No matter whether it is a language paper or a literature paper, or a combination of both, you are asked to produce quality work, and when dealing with large quantities of words, even the best of us need to read, and reread the texts in front of us to locate and formulate the most suitable answers.Thus, in order to achieve your desired results, knowing how to skim read is a must!

2) Precision

Time! Time! It’s running out! When answering questions, the examiners are looking for specific ideas and in developing them as precisely as possible, you are saving precious time, as well as reducing the potential chances of making grammar mistakes and miscommunication. Moreover, in writing, precision is greatly valued as the more accurate you are in your choice of words and your development of ideas, the stronger your writing will become. Despite the many exam criteria you are being tested on, you can never go wrong with being as precise as possible when answering the exam questions.

3) Research

A Level English language and literature exams require the test taker to develop a series of skills which include critical reading, evaluation, writing for a specific audience, and so forth….