Exam Tips

So here are my top ten tips for this Monday ;

1. Be calm and relaxed, a panicky mind can make bad decisions.
2. Remember to answer just two of the three questions.
3. It's probably a good idea to sketch out a brief essay plan in the first 5 minutes, BUT DON'T FORGET TO PUT A LINE THROUGH IT AT THE END.
4. 20/60 marks are for quality of evidence used to back up your analysis and evaluative judgements, historical terminology and essay structure/legibility.
5. 40/60 marks are for the quality of your analysis and evaluations.
6. You should compare the relative importance of a wide range of different factors/events not necessarily to each other, BUT TO THE FACTOR/EVENT IN THE QUESTION.
7. Remember the course is not about German history, BUT GERMAN NATIONALISM so this should be the focus of your judgements.
8. The course of German nationalism was not straightforward, i.e. it did not grow gradually, although it was a more popular cause in the latter part of the period.
9. DO NOT WRITE A CHRONOLOGICAl ESSAY, or even an anti-chronological essay (backwards).  This could trap you into writing a narrative essay.  Where appropriate try and compare different factors to each other when analysing the development of German nationalism (political, military, economic/industrial and social).
10. The A* essays will be synoptic over the whole 130 year period and will NOT necessarily focus too much on any particular sub-period within the syllabus.


S.J.Emm

11.  Oh and good luck, be confident in your ability to achieve your challenge grade.  You have worked hard and you have all the knowledge, understanding and essay skills you need to perform at the highest level in this exam.