3 Ways you should practice for General Paper

Not only does it demand a strong command of the English language but it also requires an understanding of popular A level GP topics. Hence, to do well for the General Paper students have to adopt three key strategies. 

Breaking down GP essay writing

GP essays have multiple parts to them which require vastly different approaches. The introduction, body paragraphs, counter argument/rebuttal and conclusion of essays all require vastly different skill sets. 

Hence, the best way to master GP essay writing is to focus on each of these individual components one by one. GP tuition centres recognise the need for the individualised attention to these various aspects and thus have tuition classes that focus on these components on their own. 

GP tuition centres also provide exemplary GP notes to students that teach students best practices in tackling each of these components. These notes would equip students with good techniques to write the introduction and the conclusion. One such technique that is highlighted would be circling back where the conclusion picks up on the hook in the introduction wrapping up the essay neatly. This would show the marker that the student has planned their essay well and thus impress the marker.

Being prepared for popular A level GP topics and current affairs

Students should also strive to incorporate as many popular A level GP topics as they can in their practice sessions for both GP essay writing as well as AQ practice.  The A level GP paper is unpredictable and can focus on a whole slew of possible topics.

This is true especially for Paper 2 where there is no choice of questions available. For example, the A level GP paper 2021 was focused on fast fashion. To answer the AQ question for this A level GP paper, students would need to have an in-depth understanding of the fashion in Singapore. A student who does not follow local fashion trends would not be able to come up with illustrations to prove his point when answering this GP question. 

Hence, it is vital that students answer a wide range of GP essay questions and AQ questions to be prepared for whatever may come their way in the A level GP paper. 

This would mean that students should take advantage of resources such as Straits Times or the sgexams website where free GP notes can be found. Good GP tuition centres provide the highest quality GP notes that cover popular A level GP topics at great depth with no compromise in breadth. 

However it must be noted that curated GP notes, while incredibly useful, are not sufficient on their own. Students must make the extra effort to keep up with current affairs as the A level GP paper is extremely unpredictable.

Ask for help

Students will learn best when they get immediate feedback for their answers to GP questions. This would allow students to become aware of the errors in their GP essays or compre answers. Hence, allowing them to find ways to improve. Thus, students should always seek help from tutors to see the best results.

In a school setting, personalised help for answering GP questions is often limited only to consults and tests. Through no fault of their own, school tutors tend to be overworked and thus unable to provide the one-to-one help students often require. Furthermore, some schools also do not provide sufficient notes for students that would be able to help students better their work. 

GP tuition centres, such as illum.e, are designed to fill this gap. Tuition centres, often ensure that they cover a wide range of content from staples such as Science & Technology to niche ones such as art and culture. Their GP notes also strive to draw connections between topics to help you cover more ground with no compromise on depth.

Tutors, at good tuition centres, are always available for help with 24/7 consults. Especially tuition centres with smaller class sizes and thus ever available tutors, are able to provide students with the help they need with their GP essays and compre answers. Hence setting them up for success for the A level GP paper. 

Hence practicing for the A level GP paper is as simple as breaking down the various skills needed for the GP essay, being prepared for a wide variety of A level GP topics and finally seeking immediate help when required. These 3 strategies will ensure that any student can do well for the A level GP paper.