Prose from Different Cultures exam tips- OCR

Here are some tips of what to do/not to do during your OCR English Literature Prose From Different Cultures exam:

• Avoid the two common failings in answers to passage-based questions: lack of focus on the passage and lack of focus on the question.
• Avoid an introductory general preamble focusing on the author- focus on the question and the text/extract. Avoid introducing the novel as a whole, the author or the 1930's.
• Don't include a lengthy statement of intent - in this essay I will... Talk about the text and engage with the question.
• Make sure you refer to key words in the question at the start.
• In an extract question, concentrate mainly on the passage; comments on earlier or later events and on the historical context need to be fairly brief and carefully linked to the question; such references may be well rewarded however they must show an observation from the passage- use them to back up your point rather than making the…