Written exam technique and essay skills

A question reads: 'Analyse how the aural setting contributes to the communication of the choreographic intent in the set work.' What does it ask, and what would go wrong if you ignored the focus and command?

1. 01Identify the work

   The focus is the set work (Rooster), so the answer must be about Rooster specifically, not a general point or another work.

2. 02Identify the feature

   The focus is one constituent feature - the aural setting (the eight Rolling Stones songs and their relationship to the movement) - so the answer must concentrate on that, not on all features.

3. 03Identify the command

   The command is 'analyse... how [it] contributes to the communication of the choreographic intent', so the answer must analyse the link between the aural setting and the intent, not just describe the music.

4. 04Note the pitfalls

   Ignoring the focus (writing generally about Rooster) or the command (describing the songs without analysing their contribution to the intent) would miss the marks, however much is written.

Result: The question is decoded as: analyse how Rooster's aural setting communicates its intent - showing how reading focus and command precisely directs the whole answer and avoids off-target writing.

A 2-mark question asks: 'Identify one constituent feature of Rooster and briefly describe how it contributes to the work.' Write a strong answer.

1. 01Choose a feature

   Select one constituent feature clearly - for example the costume (part of the physical setting) - so the answer is focused.

2. 02State it precisely

   State it in correct terms: the men wear sharp tailored suits (costume by Marian Bruce).

3. 03Add a brief contribution

   Briefly say how it contributes: the smart suits support the men's strutting 'rooster' display and locate the work in the 1960s.

4. 04Keep it concise

   Stop there - two precise points (the feature and its contribution) match a 2-mark question; no essay is needed.

Result: The 2-mark question is answered with a precise feature and a brief contribution, concisely - the accurate, right-length short answer that reliably earns the marks.

Plan an answer to: 'Evaluate how effectively Christopher Bruce communicates the subject matter of Rooster through its movement and aural setting.'

1. 01Decode the question

   Focus: Rooster's subject matter (1960s courtship) communicated through two features - movement and aural setting. Command: 'evaluate... how effectively', so a judgement is required.

2. 02Decide the argument

   Line of argument: Bruce communicates the subject very effectively, because movement and music work together to evoke the decade and its courtship.

3. 03Plan the paragraphs

   Paragraph 1: movement (the rooster strut, gesture, social dance) communicating male display and 1960s courtship. Paragraph 2: aural setting (the Rolling Stones songs, close music-movement relationship) evoking the decade and shaping each section. Paragraph 3: how the two combine (e.g. the strut with 'Little Red Rooster').

4. 04Plan the judgement

   Conclusion: evaluate - the movement and aural setting together communicate the subject highly effectively, with a reason (their close integration and vivid, characterful imagery).

Result: The essay is planned from the question - a line of argument, feature-based paragraphs with evidence, and a reasoned judgement - the plan that produces a focused, evaluative essay.

A student writes about Giselle: 'In the second act the women dance in white dresses.' Upgrade this to an analytical, context-linked sentence.

1. 01Add precise terminology

   Name the feature precisely: 'Act II is a ballet blanc, the corps of Wilis dancing on pointe in long white Romantic tutus.'

2. 02Add analysis

   Analyse the effect: 'the uniform, ethereal, weightless movement on pointe makes the Wilis appear as supernatural spirits.'

3. 03Add the context link

   Link to context: 'this embodies the Romantic ballet's fascination with the supernatural and the ideal, the earthly heroine transformed into an otherworldly being.'

4. 04Add evaluation

   Evaluate: 'the ballet blanc is a highly effective convention, creating the supernatural world through massed, weightless movement rather than mere scenery.'

Result: The plain description becomes a top-level sentence - precise terminology, analysis, a feature-to-context link and evaluation - modelling the analytical writing the essays reward.

With 20 minutes left you still have one whole essay to write. What is the best strategy?

1. 01Prioritise completing it

   A complete, if less polished, essay scores more than a beautifully written half-essay, so the priority is to answer the whole question in the time left.

2. 02Plan very briefly

   Spend two minutes on a quick plan - the line of argument and three points with evidence - so even a rushed essay stays focused and answers the command.

3. 03Write concisely and analytically

   Write efficiently: each paragraph a clear point, specific feature-evidence, brief analysis and a context link, without padding, and reach the judgement the command requires.

4. 04Reach a conclusion

   Above all, finish with a brief conclusion that answers the question - an essay that reaches its judgement, even briefly, scores far better than one that stops mid-argument.

Result: The time-pressured essay is salvaged by prioritising completion, a quick plan, concise analytical writing and a real conclusion - the recovery strategy that protects the marks when time runs short.