How to do well in General Paper (GP) with 3 tips

The learning curve between ‘O’ level English and the A level GP paper can often feel like a wall especially for those who have shied away from argumentative writing in ‘O’ level English. The A level GP paper syllabus might seem daunting but with guidance from our GP tuition centre, illum.e, students can definitely do exceedingly well for the A level GP paper. In this article, I will be detailing three tips that any student can apply on their A level GP paper journey and see immediate results.
illum e -English, Humanities and GP tuition

Practice

 

One of the most overlooked aspects of preparing for the A level GP paper is the need to practice. Even though the GP is only a H1 subject, it is incredibly demanding. The A level GP paper not only necessitates a large quantity of information for popular A level GP topics, but it also assesses language and writing abilities. These abilities may get rusty if they are not practiced, limiting the student's potential to do well on the A level GP paper.

 

Hence, the A level GP paper is like any other paper where only practice can help you see results. Good GP tuition centres would supplement content lectures with ample amounts of practice through GP essay writing workshops and compre drill sessions. 

 

For example, at illum.e, we offer compre drill sessions where students learn to answer GP questions of various varieties. Students will have plenty of opportunity to practice answering GP questions of all sorts thanks to our GP notes for these sessions. As a result, they will be well prepared to answer similar GP questions in the A level GP paper. Tutors from good GP tuition centres also strive to provide instant feedback and individual attention to all their students resulting in immediate results.

 

Keep up with the happenings around the world

 

Current events are essential for both the GP essay and the AQ section. Particularly in GP paper 2, students are not given a choice of GP questions. As a result, students must be familiar with a wide range of popular A level GP topics.

 

GP can test any topic especially for Paper 2. For example, the A level GP paper 2018 was focused on the issue of millennials not voting. To answer the AQ question, students would need to have an in-depth understanding of local politics. A student who does not follow local politics would not be able to come up with illustrations to prove his point when answering the GP question. 

 

As it is hard to spot the exact topics that will be tested in Paper 2, it is vital that students hold a working knowledge of all popular topics as well as current affairs.

 

Concentrate on topics that interest you

 

Lastly, by nature The A level GP paper is a broad paper that can test you on anything under the sun. Instead of spreading yourself too thin, it is better to focus on around three topics that truly interest you to go in-depth in. This is not to say that students should ignore the other popular topics. Students should maintain a working knowledge for all popular A level GP topics but should only go in-depth for around three. 

 

By going in-depth, I not only mean reading articles and GP notes about the topics but also writing practice GP essays for these topics. By writing essays, students would be able build depth and complexity into their arguments for these topics. This would then allow them to write better and thus do exceedingly well for the A level GP paper.

 

Good GP tuition centres ensure that they cover a wide range of content from staples such as Science & Technology to niche ones such as art and culture to ensure that their students can find their interests and specialise. Their GP notes also strive to draw connections between topics to help you cover more ground with no compromise on depth. Our GP tuition centre in particular also analyzes trends in past year A level GP papers. This allows us to advise students on the best topics to focus on tailored to their strengths and weaknesses, equipping students with the best chance of success for the A level GP paper. 

 

In conclusion, it all comes down to practicing GP questions, keeping up with current affairs and A level GP topics that interest students. Students who do these three things and avoid mistakes would be in a very good position to do very well for their GP.