How To Revise For An English Exam

The Standard Grade, Intermediate and Higher exams are coming up, and the Easter holidays are about to start. Fun fun fun! As a tutor I get quite a lot of calls in this period. Some pupils and parents want a bit of extra help just to make sure they get an English pass, and some are genuinely struggling.

English tutors

You will probably find that most tutors are too busy to take on new pupils at the moment, but you can also check at your local schools and colleges for supported study, especially during the Easter holidays.

Revise for close reading

Some say you can't revise for English, but this isn't true. Make sure you own a copy of the past papers for the exam you are about to take. You will cover most of them in class, but it's worth doing any which are left over. If you have missed any marks, go back and check the answers to find out what you did wrong.

If you've run out of past papers to do, invest in a book. Waterstones and Borders both have some good books including 'Close Reading' by Mary Firth and 'Higher English Revision Notes' by Larry Flanaghan.

Revise for your Standard Grade writing paper

If you're sitting Standard Grade, take a look at the past papers. The most common exam essays will ask you to write one of the following -

• a short story
• an essay on an important issue, such as abortion or capital punishment
• an essay on your favourite hobby or sport, or an ambition you have
• a special memory, including a holiday

The first two options are the hardest. Short stories need to have a twist at the end and are marked very strictly. For the essay on an important issue, you can't be sure that they will ask you a question on capital punishment. You might be asked an unusual essay question such as, is the internet harmful for young people? It's not easy to come up with an essay idea and write it in 1 hour 15 minutes, so it's better to write about yourself and your personal experiences.

The last two types of essay are easier. You can practice writing an essay on a personal experience, a sport or a hobby. When you have written a few examples, show them to your class teacher or email them to me and I can let you know what I think. I'm always nosey about what people are planning to write for their English exam.

Revise for your Higher or Intermediate essay paper

Go over the questions for previous years and see what they have asked. By now you will have completed a couple of essays in class. Now see if you can use your notes and quotes to answer a different exam question. If you have written an essay about the character of Romeo, try writing a question about the theme of love and violence, or an essay about a key scene.

Again, email me and I can give you some advice on the essay you're planning to write in your exam.

Revise online

Visit the Scottish Qualifications Authority site to download past papers:

http://www.sqa.org.uk

BBC Bitesize will give you practice questions and answers with detailed help and advice:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/education/bitesize/standard/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/learning/bitesize/higher/

National Qualifications online has many free resources for exams:

http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/nq/

Look for a tutor at:

http://www.aplustutors.co.uk/