What order are you going to do the exam in?

[Anon123]

I am CONSIDERING [although probably end up doing CAB] doing section A first. Why? Quotes/themes/etc fresh and ready to go, if I can get that down nice and quick I think my head will be a little clearer for the other sections.

[Keo]

I am CONSIDERING [although probably end up doing CAB] doing section A first. Why? Quotes/themes/etc fresh and ready to go, if I can get that down nice and quick I think my head will be a little clearer for the other sections.

people generally do C first because its the easiest and when you read the prompts for section A+B your brain processes more info for it while your doing section C

[LachieEvans]

I've recently considered doing Section C last.. the rationale is that if I can get a couple of quality A and B essays out in 1h 40-50m that will leave me with more time to analyse the language in detail. Also, as the depth in which you analyse the text can vary it can be flexible based on time.

If I did it first, I wouldn't really be able to pace myself and might find that I have fifteen minutes at the end with nothing to do :| Anyway, Im still considering...

[nemolala]

C A B

[iffets12345]

acinod your tutor sounds retarded. No offence. I can't believe tutors advocate rote learning of txt responses.
But in all honesty, do what you are comfortable with. Don't change your routine now

[jinny1]

CBF

[jane1234]

CAB, like most people.
C - Because LA is completely unseen, I find writing an essay from scratch is more difficult than using past knowledge to formulate a response. This is why I want to do this first because my brain is at it's freshest...
A - I find this requires a fair bit of thought to actually dissect the topic well and structure your essay appropriately. While this does use past knowledge, you still have to be able to think clearly to come up with a decent piece of writing.
B - I have a template piece, so most of the work is already done. My brain can be completely fried at this point and it won't matter as much because I don't have to be thinking of a whole new piece - I just need to tweak my memorised piece a little bit. This section, for me, requires the least thought so that's why I do it when all my brain power has gone...

[Rhea.bh.]

I do the exam in chronological order, because when I've got the text and context out of the way, it's this huge relief, and I find LA the most mathematical/logical section, so I find it easier when I'm exhausted and can no longer string a sentence together (that feeling usually hits about 2 and a half hours into the exam).

[SamiJ]

Yeh for me its
1. Language Analysis - since it is my best section and since you read the article in reading time, it's fresh in your head. While you are writing it you can think and plan the othes.
2. Context Text response- I like this section best and I do alright on it, so while my brain is still working
3. Text response Context- wost section, bound to crash and burn halfway through it.

Almost the same haha just reverse

[cltf]

Everyone I know is doing Language Analysis first.

But I will be doing it last.
Doing the exam in chronological order. My tutor, as past examiner told me to do this because her other examiner friends also agree. The exam wasn't written in that specific order for no reason. Many argue that language analysis should be attempted first because not only is it easier for many students, it also allows you to make the most use out of reading time since you can analyse the article. However this is how my tutor sees it:

Text response and context is mainly memory work. If you have prepared well, you can write two essays in a relatively short time as you are basically regurgitating knowledge. However as time goes by, your mind will begin to feel tired and you will become less effective in remembering. The first two tasks are rote-learning while language analysis is based on logic and analysis. Haven't you wondered why you can sometimes do maths even when you are stoned?! That's maths isn't a rote-learning subject and requires you to analyse on the spot, just like language analysis. On the other hand, rote-learning tasks such as text response and context become difficult to concentrate on after an hour or two. This is one of the reasons I am doing language analysis last.
But what about reading time? Won't you be wasting 15 mins if you analyse the language analysis but don't being on it straight away? Well the trick here is to not actually read the language analysis at all, maybe just a skim of it to get the basic gist. The logic here is simple, by the time you finish your other two essays, it would have been around 2 hours since you've attempted to analyse the article so there wouldn't be much point to analyse it during reading time. Instead, reading time should be dedicated into analysing the prompts, mainly text response. What I am going to do is plan my entire text response in my head, recall all the past quotes and sentences I have used in the past and formulate an incredibly detailed plan. Personally, I find I am terrible at planning and that if I do not have a plan, I have no direction and take forever to write an essay. If I am able to use that 15 minutes to plan, then when writing time starts I can immediately do my plan on paper in 5 minutes and then write an essay in 50, maybe even 40 minutes. Also this is a personal thing but, I haven't really practised language analysis much and it will take the longest time to write since I take ages to find the words to express myself. So just in case, I'll do it last because I might run out of time for my other pieces.

BUT since so many people are telling me to do language analysis first, I don't think I should totally trust my tutor.
Do you think I should stick to my tutor's advice and do it chronologically?

I completely agree with you, my school teachers have all said the same thing.
But im still going C-A-B.
Purely cause I don't plan, so I might as well make good on the reading time. Furthermore, Context is last because text response requires the most memory of quotations. Context you just need ideas not quotes etc, so all you need to be is philosophical, writing expos of course.

[acinod]

I completely agree with you, my school teachers have all said the same thing.
But im still going C-A-B.
Purely cause I don't plan, so I might as well make good on the reading time. Furthermore, Context is last because text response requires the most memory of quotations. Context you just need ideas not quotes etc, so all you need to be is philosophical, writing expos of course.

I agree that text response requires a lot of memory work due to quotations and scenes etc. Context also requires some memory work but not as much as text because they are mainly ideas. Language analysis requires little to no memory work because it requires us to 'analyse' on the spot. Perhaps that is why the exam is set in that way. It tells us to do the most taxing task first, which requires the most memory work and finishes with the task that requires no memory, when we are tired.

However for some students like me, context is actually the most memory work but also requires us to think on the spot because we have chosen to memorise an essay word by word and adapting it to the prompt given.

[Greatness]

Just stick to your strengths, but make sure you have a plan. If you've done a few 3 hour exams then you should know what to expect.
I can understand where your teacher/tutor is coming from, but just do it how you want to do it and how you've practiced it. There's no point in changing your approach 2 days out from the exam and potentially stuff it up completely.

[acinod]

Just stick to your strengths, but make sure you have a plan. If you've done a few 3 hour exams then you should know what to expect.
I can understand where your teacher/tutor is coming from, but just do it how you want to do it and how you've practiced it. There's no point in changing your approach 2 days out from the exam and potentially stuff it up completely.

I've only done two 3 hour exams in the past and in each I've only written 2 essays O_O. Going to have a run through of Thursday's exam tonight though. Just one last preparation.