I’ve been busy over summer, sitting GCSE questions and writing answers at every grade. I’ve been reading answers at every grade, with commentary by senior examiners.
I’m using these to write the definitive guides to each question. I’m not telling you how I think you should approach the question, and what I think will get marks.
I’m going to show you, with proof, exactly what does get marks, under exam conditions, when 16 year olds write.
Once I’ve understood WHAT gets marks, I’ve then asked, “HOW did they do it?”
This is the answer to that question. It comes from the introduction to my guide, which will be published next weekend.
Introduction
If you have any of my other guides to the reading questions, you will know I always try to give you the very simplest method.
This guide finally does that in a way I didn’t expect. It is the simplest method I’ve ever come across.
It actually scares me.
So before we get there, lets turn to other methods you might be using.
A Logical Method
1. Find a quote from Source A. Write an explanation of what this tells us about the writer’s viewpoint.
2. Find a quote in Source B which shows a similarity or a difference. Write an explanation of what this tells us about the writer’s viewpoint.
3. Organise 1 and 2 above, your comparison, into one paragraph.
4. Do three more of these paragraphs, and you will have four strong comparisons and score at least a grade 7.
5. Do six of these and you might score a grade 9.
Problems with this Method
1. It’s quite difficult to jump from one Source to the other during the exam. It takes time to do this, as you interrupt your flow.
2. None of the top grade answers use this method, but lots of the low and middle grade answers do. So, this probably isn’t the most efficient method.
3. So, if you are aiming for a grade 4 or 5, this method will always work. But for higher grades, it looks like it might just take too long.
So, this is a grade 4 and 5 method.
A PEEL Paragraph Method
1. Make a point: P
2. Quote some evidence: E
3. Explain what that tells us about the writer’s viewpoint: E
4. Pick on a word or two in the quote which shows us something else about the writer’s viewpoint (so, analyse the language): L
5. Find a quote in Source B which shows a similarity or a difference, and state what the similarity or difference is.
6. Write a PEEL paragraph about this quote.
7. Write 4 such paragraphs for a grade 7 – 9.
Problems with this Method
1. A lot of the top grade answers are longer than this.
2. A lot of the top grade answers have some PEEL paragraphs mixed with some PEE paragraphs (or even PEE being done in a single sentence).
3. So, limiting yourself to 4 PEEL paragraphs will help you nail a grade 7. That’s impressive. But, it is a bit more of a lottery as to whether it will give you grade 8 or 9.
So, this is a grade 6 and 7 method.
The Method Used in Grade 8 and 9 Answers
1. Write about a quote in Source A. Explain what it shows about the writer’s viewpoint. That can be one sentence, or one paragraph, it doesn’t matter which.
2. Do this for as many quotes as you can in half your time. So, if you are using 24 minutes for this question, do this for 12 minutes. If you have only 20 minutes for this question, do this for 10 minutes.
3. Then do the same for Source B, saying how it is similar or different to the viewpoints in Source A.
Problems with this Method
1. Most students are taught methods for all the questions which involve this: PARAGRAPHS.
2. Just tell me how many paragraphs to write!
3. This method therefore makes you feel a bit unsafe, as there are no set number of paragraphs.
But, it is a grade 8 and 9 method.
The Mr Salles Method
1. Write about the writers’ viewpoints. These are your explanations.
2. On average, every 26 words you write will give you 1 mark.
3. That’s it.
o For 16 marks you need to write 416 words (on average)
o For 11 marks, grade 7, you need to write 286 words (on average).
I told you it was scary.
This method will get you all the grades!
What You Should Do Next
1. But don’t take my word for it. Just look at the answers in this guide, and judge for yourself.
2. It’s your exam, and you know which method will suit you best. You might have a different method taught by your teacher.
3. Look at the answers which get the marks you want (almost no-one has time to write enough to get more than 14/16 in this exam!)
4. Then decide which method will work for the mark you want.
Overview of How Marks are Awarded
Nb. When you look at the answers, you will see that the number of comparisons is also irrelevant.
Key
Explain = the number of explanations
Method = the number of methods
Ref = the number of references to the text. These are usually quotes
Points = the number of different points made, or statements made, about the text
Ave = the average of all of the above
Words = the total number of words the student wrote under exam conditions
MPW = how many words the student wrote per mark.
My Examiner Comments
1. The most accurate predictor appears to be the number of words you write (so long as you are answering the question).
2. There is a very consistent pattern of 1 mark being awarded for every 26 words.*
3. The more you write, the higher your mark.
*You will notice my actual averages are closer to 24 words. But, when I adapted these students’ answers, I took out errors, and unnecessary words. So the average student will need more words to write the same number of explanations. 26 is an excellent rule of thumb for you.
What should you write to get most marks?
The evidence is clear: the more explanations you write about the writers’ viewpoints, the more marks you get, and these are more closely matched to your actual score.
In other words having 10 explanations makes it more likely to get 10 marks than if you had 10 quotes or 10 methods, or 10 points.
However, the more quotes you use, and the more points you make, the higher your mark is going to be.
But, if we want to summarise all this as a method, it is this:
Write as many explanations as you can!
Tomorrow I’ll show you a top grade response, and break it down for you.
In two weeks time I’ll publish my next guide, to Question 5 of Paper 2.
I’ll give you some examples from that soon, so you can see how students actually get the grades.
As most of you know, you can get all my guides for FREE on Kindle Unlimited for 30 days. Or, you can get them all for £0.99 for 60 days. Not £0.99 each. £0.99 for all 22 of them for 60 days. Click on the link to take a look.