Sample exam question – WJECOverview of the exam questions

An example of a typical exam question with advice on how best to answer it.

Part ofEnglish LiteratureAbout a Boy

Overview of the exam questions

In the exam you will be presented with a short extract from the novel, followed by a choice of two essay questions. Generally the extract question is worth 10 marks and the essay question is worth 20 marks (plus 4 marks for spelling, grammar and punctuation). You should spend around 20 minutes answering the extract part, and 40 minutes writing the essay response. Remember that practice makes perfect – the more that you practise writing the answers within the time limit, the more confident you will feel in the actual exam.