SAC scaling help?

[monika.s]

Hi guys,
I was wondering if you could answer my question? 

Okay, my school tends to tell us the english prompts/topics a week before our sac.
Will this disadvantage me and my classmates? 
What I mean to say is, will our sacs be scaled down because the prompts are given beforehand, in ways other than the way we perform on the exam day because of our lack of experience with unknown prompts?

Thanks

[pi]

Yeah, this is a disadvantage because it is a clear sign of a weak cohort Hence, SACs are likely to be scaled down.

[Eddiee]

Yeah, this is a disadvantage because it is a clear sign of a weak cohort Hence, SACs are likely to be scaled down.

^yeah that, dunno if it always indicates a weak cohort though

[Surgeon]

Agreed with Rohit. Schools with weak cohorts tend to give prompts/topics out prior to the SAC itself. Everyone will will/should perform better than they would if they went into the SAC without knowing the prompt/topic.

However, when faced with a situation (like the exam) in which they need to write without knowing the prompts/topic, most people will be completely stumped.

If you want to avoid falling into this trap, I'm under the impression that you need to be Rank 1 in SACs and perform just as well on the exam as you did in your SACs.

For example, I go to a private school with a relatively strong cohort. Nevertheless, our second SAC was a Context piece that we were given the prompt two weeks beforehand and allowed to write at home and hand in. Many people got very high marks (even though half of them probably had it written by their tutors!). However, they will fall away after our third SAC (which is this Wednesday) as we haven't been given the prompts/topics for that.

Hope that clears things up further.

[monkeywantsabanana]

Many people got very high marks (even though half of them probably had it written by their tutors!)

This is quite a groundless assumption. Don't you think?

What if the majority of them worked their tails off for those marks?

Hi guys,
I was wondering if you could answer my question? 

Okay, my school tends to tell us the english prompts/topics a week before our sac.
Will this disadvantage me and my classmates? 
What I mean to say is, will our sacs be scaled down because the prompts are given beforehand, in ways other than the way we perform on the exam day because of our lack of experience with unknown prompts?

Thanks

It may be a disadvantage. Having that prior knowledge of the prompt, just make sure you do your best and get yourself as high as you can up that ladder. If so, the potential down-scaling of SAC marks later in the year will not affect you as much.
Also, smash your exams because even though it's "50% of your study score", it matters much more than your SAC scores.

Best of luck.

[pi]

Many people got very high marks (even though half of them probably had it written by their tutors!)

This is quite a groundless assumption. Don't you think?

Groundless but probably true imo. There's nothing *wrong* with having a tutor, it doesn't lessen your score in any way (I had one for English for example).

[charmanderp]

Even if someone's tutor didn't write the SAC, they'd be mad not to hand their tutor drafts after finding out the essay question/prompt early.

[Surgeon]

Many people got very high marks (even though half of them probably had it written by their tutors!)

This is quite a groundless assumption. Don't you think?

What if the majority of them worked their tails off for those marks? tutors!)

I agree with Rohit but also with you, to an extent.

There are 3 types of people who got 30/30 on the sac we were given the prompts for.

1) Those who are very good at English and would have gotten full marks even if they didn't know the topic beforehand.

2) Those that studied very hard for their mark.

3) Those who had their piece written by someone else.