Syllabus & Assessment

Syllabus Outline

The subject will test the candidate's ability to think critically and present cogent arguments in clear, accurate and effective English. It is not primarily a test of general knowledge. However, wide and intelligent reading is expected of all students.

There are 2 papers and candidates must offer both. Paper 1 and Paper 2 will be taken in separate sittings within the same day.

Assessment

General Paper Syllabus (8881)

Paper 1 (50%) consists of 8 questions from which candidates will be required to write an essay on one. Questions will be general in nature and require candidates to draw on their knowledge from across disciplines as well as to show an awareness of current, global and significant local/national issues. Candidates are given the opportunity to express an informed, critical, creative and relevant response to these issues.

Paper 2 (50%) consists of three passages of continuous prose on which questions will be set to test candidates' ability to comprehend, explain, infer, evaluate and summarise. Candidates will also be required to synthesise information and respond to concepts or ideas conveyed. They will apply their response, based on their understanding and interpretation of the text(s) as a whole, to a task derived from the text(s).

The duration for each paper is 1 hour 30 minutes.