is it hard to get an A1 in English Higher Level Leaving Cert?

Lollipop95

I was just wondering because not many people get them! Apparently it's notoriously hard to get an A1 and few manage to attain one. Is this true?

AnamGlas

English is subjective, so a paper that one examiner would find brilliant could be a paper that another examiner might find average.

kate.m

I got an A2 and am waiting on the appeal to see if I get moved up (not expecting much!)

With English, everything depends on your essay. You need to read a lot or have a good ability to write either a short story, article etc.
Don't learn one off by heart!!! It's hard to perfect the essay. Especially on the day. Where I fell down to be honest. Paper 2 is grand and if you know your texts an shouldn't be a problem if you know quotes an points.

Just practice with paper 1!

5 of my friends got a1s and they are all fantastic at writing short stories and stuff like that. Thee essay is really subjective too so it depends on the examiner!

LittleMissLost

Anyone who says English isn't subjective is talking shíte. It is unbelievably subjective and really depends on the correcter.

I got A1/A2's constantly from 1st to 6th year even with external correctors for the mocks, JC etc and ended up getting a B3 in the LC. I didn't learn any essays off and did the article. However my friend who learned essays off word for word got an A1. I'm not saying this is the way to go, but in this case it was. Perhaps if it was another corrector they would have smelled her pre-cooked essays miles away and penalised her for it, who knows?

All I'm saying is apart from the obvious, like knowing your texts, knowing your quotes and being able to express yourself well, your result really depends on who is correcting your exam!

I decided to do what had worked for me for years and use my natural writing ability but that proved in vain. Perhaps, like most of the other subjects in the LC, English is also about rote learning essays and regurgitating them on the day?

If I seem as if I'm being bitter, there were 3 of us in my class who my teacher was convinced would get A1's/A2's with natural writing ability, and there was a B2, a B3 and a C1. In my opinion, LC English is all down to the luck of the draw to the corrector you get!

jayteecork

I was barely managing a C all through school and came out with a B2 in the LC.

Gambled on learning quotes from poets and they came up (this was soundings days)

We did King Lear, Wuthering Heights etc, and I never read a word of the texts. Just got the york notes. And I learned off an eassy which I was able to use.

So I was very happy. Ended up getting a B2 in physics as well which I would have gotten As all the way through so it just goes to show how it goes.

Sarah?

http://examinations.ie/statistics/statistics_2011/gender_ard_2011lessthan10.pdf

4.3% got A1s this year. It probably doesn't vary too much from that each year, only a certain amount can get As/Bs/Cs/etc so it can be pretty unfair on people.

:mad:

(Having said that I was happy with my result!)

partyatmygaff

You need a certain flair for the language to be safe as that will impress any examiner.

LittleMissLost

partyatmygaff wrote: »

You need a certain flair for the language to be safe as that will impress any examiner.

I would have agreed with you until the 17th of August

Solus01

I got an A1 in English this year so I can tell you what sort of work I done. First of all, I had a fantastic teacher so that really helped. Anyways, there isn't a lot of preparing that can be done for Paper 1 so I would say just know the characteristics of each genre of writing (Argument, Persuasive etc.) and read, read, read. Reading books can really help you out for Paper 1.
For paper 2, know your single text inside out, I used the book Key Notes along with my teachers notes and it helped so much, brilliant book. For your comparative just really use your teacher's notes because most likely the texts your class are doing won't be the ones in Key Notes. For poetry, learn 5 poets, don't chance it by learning only two or three and know the poet's biography so you can connect events in their life with their poems. For every question on Paper 2, you need to use lots of qoutes to back up your points and just generally engage with the read, use words like "My", "I", "We" and so on. Do exam questions over and over and get you teacher to correct them and tell you where you going wrong. However, I wouldn't advise you to learn of answers, the examiner will know if it's learned off. My teacher gave my class a sample answer he got at an "In-Service Day" and the examiner had marked the parts of the question that were learned off and the parts that the student had made up on the day.

That's all really, if you have any questions, feel free to PM or qoute me.

Aoifums

I got high Cs/low Bs for most of sixth year. I ended up getting an A1 in the LC.

Paper 1: Technique is the most important thing. An interesting answer is good but if you waste time not answering the exact question then you are on the wrong track. You need to find an essay style that suits you and stick with it. If it's the personal essay then you need to make your point, apply it to three areas of your life in detail and wrap it up by reiterating your point.

Comparative: I learned most of mine off. I think almost everyone does that. There's nothing wrong with it as long as you are able to apply it to the question being asked.

Poetry: Have five - seven points on each poet, at least half which are stylistic points. My Dickinson essay this year was entirely on her style and I got 50/50 for it. Know these points and your quotes relating to them and you will be fine.

Single text: Know your main characters and your main themes. You can mix and match them a little too. Revenge can be worked into an essay on Hamlet himself or something similar.

Technique, quotes and sticking to the damn question are the three most important things you need to be aware of, with quotes being the least important of the three.

sganyfx

No it is easy as hell. 3 weeks into 5th year and I am already getting A1s in mocks I am doing.

Aoifums

sganyfx wrote: »

No it is easy as hell. 3 weeks into 5th year and I am already getting A1s in mocks I am doing.

Of course you're doing well becuase fifth year is the Leaving Cert and your teacher an official corrector doing their job :rolleyes:

AnamGlas

sganyfx wrote: »

No it is easy as hell. 3 weeks into 5th year and I am already getting A1s in mocks I am doing.

You haven't even started yet bud :rolleyes:

partyatmygaff

sganyfx wrote: »

No it is easy as hell. 3 weeks into 5th year and I am already getting A1s in mocks I am doing.

lolwut?


You're doing Mock exams in a course you haven't even properly started yet?

Wolfe Tone

Its hard enough, I got one, it all hinges on your essay.

stealinhorses

I think your question answers itself. If there aren't many people getting A1s, then it's probably because it's hard to get one.

I would recommend just pwning English, because it's a measure of how well you're gonna do in life.

nlgbbbblth

I got a A in mine - no A1s or A2s back in 1989. Generally scored 70 - 75% up until 5th year and upped a gear for the last lap. I remember getting 82% in my mock.

Not sure what the syllabus is like now. It wasn't that difficult to get full marks in the Paper 2 questions - on the basis that expanding on three or four relevant points (along with supporting quotation) was all what the examiners were looking for. The crucial thing was not to put all of your eggs in the one basket i.e. a detailed knowledge of the key texts is essential. And you needed to study more poets than just the Irish ones. Constant revision and re-reading is very important. I read Castle Rackrent (a much easier and shorter novel than Wuthering Heights) about 30 times.

The essay is crucial. I picked "The Takeaway". Was urged to avoid the short story option.

bscm

4 of us (out of 67 in my year) got A1's in HL English. Granted we were the ones who continually got A's, and 2 of us decided to read Ulysses in 6th Year

If you work throughout the year, have a decent teacher, read and do the unexpected, then it isn't difficult IMO... I found the exam fair, just a bit long writing-wise with very little time to breathe.

If you are an A-standard student, study your texts/poets well and do an unusual essay then there is no reason why you shouldn't get an A

ClaireBearBoat

My two older brothers both got A1s in English. :eek:
It's practically a family tradition! Although, I'm pretty sure that I'd need a very generous examiner to keep the tradition going!

implausible

LittleMissLost wrote: »

I got A1/A2's constantly from 1st to 6th year even with external correctors for the mocks, JC etc and ended up getting a B3 in the LC. I didn't learn any essays off and did the article. However my friend who learned essays off word for word got an A1. I'm not saying this is the way to go, but in this case it was. Perhaps if it was another corrector they would have smelled her pre-cooked essays miles away and penalised her for it, who knows?

Every examiner can 'smell a pre-cooked essay miles away'! However, a student does not get penalised for this. You get penalised for not answering the question asked. It doesn't matter if an examiner has to read the same essay a few times, as long as it addressed the question, it has to be marked on its own merits.

There are three essentials to getting an A:

1. Reading (everything that you can get your hands on)
2. Preparing (your essays, especially for Paper II)
3. Answering (closely the question you've been asked, not the one you wanted to be asked)

emzz

I got an A1's throughout senior cycle then got a D1 in the mocks despite being really pleased with my paper! Managed an A2 in the leaving cert with some really hard work, my advice is to give equal attention to both paper one and paper two, as most just focus on paper two- or at least that was the case in my school! Watch the news and read papers and develop your opinions on what's going on in the world, also get to grips with a thesaurus to expand your vocab a bit and improve your writing! and be original and sincere! the examiners see a lot of learned off essays but your own thoughts and feelings are just as valid as those from books:) best of luck!:)

Gordon Gecko

Whatever you do: don't waste your entire sixth year fretting about which poets they're going to ask (it's only 50 f***ing marks) just learn 5 end of. Know your essays for Hamlet, have all 3 possible Comparative essays learned and if you're no good at Paper 1, keep reading examples of A1 paper 1 answers

GoldRush4821

I got an A1 in English this year and I would echo what most have said about Papers One and Two. One thing I'd advise is to practice timing for Paper 1 and get it down to a tee. If you start early you could possibly buy yourself an extra 10 minutes for the 100 marker which will be time to assemble your thoughts and write an overall more coherent essay, whichever one you choose. 10 minutes may not seem like a lot, but in an exam it can be the deciding factor between an A1 and another grade.

Also, with the poetry this year, it was very easy to predict who was coming up so I only studied Boland and Dickinson but I assume it will be much harder to predict this year so I would cover at least 4, 5 if you want to be safe. Structure your essay whichever way you feel more comfortable, either one paragraph per poem, a paragraph per theme etc... But like someone already said, don't get bogged down with it as it's only worth 50 marks.

I have to say though, I'm not great at English by any stretch of the imagination and my essay was pretty awful if I remember correctly. I think if paper 1 isn't your strongest, don't let that make you think you can't get an A1 because odds are the examiner will see the work you put into Paper 2 and will try his/her best to bring you up to a deserving grade. Of course, not all examiners are like this, but you never know, you might just get one of em! Good luck this year

JamJamJamJam

What I found most difficult was just knowing how to improve my grades. I was always lost when it came to English and I never really had a 'natural ability' to get As. I might write an answer thinking it's good and then end up disappointed, and vice versa. My teacher wasn't bad but his advice often didn't exceed telling us to (somehow) 'improve' :P But I tried to stick at it and thought about what a good answer should need based on what I'd heard and what was logical. I think it was just a matter of putting in the hours every week to try to come up with answers that followed guidelines like these...


- Every sentence should contribute to answering the question. If it doesn't, it's irrelevant and doesn't belong there.

- Refer to the question a lot. Of course, you can rephrase it to continue sounding fresh and natural, but as long as you keep the question in mind your answer is probably going to be relevant. English questions can be quite specific, so you've got to make sure you're answering exactly what they ask.

- Be self-centred: give your view, and let it be known that it's your view. Leaving Cert English rewards original thought. In fact, I personally think it sounds great to relate a poem (or whatever) to the emotional turmoil you experienced when your dog was ill, or the pride you felt when you got a 20 kill streak in Call of Duty, or whatever tickles your pickle.

- Don't repeat yourself. Don't repeat yourself. Once you've made a particular point, there's no need to say it again because that won't contribute anything else to the answer (see point no. 1 :P).

- Try to be articulate, but try to allow it to sound natural. Even throw in, say, a bit of alliteration into your sentences if you like! The amount of time I spent on thesaurus.com/ last year...! (If a word sounds good, but you don't know exactly what it means, check the definition because some of the words on thesaurus.com are only loosely synonymous.)


I think those are the key ones I tried to bear in mind, but I'm recalling those off the top of my head so I could have forgotten something crucial, in which case, I'm sorry :P

Otherwise, try to keep your level of grammar as high as possible, be conscious of your spelling and don't worry about writing too much or too little. My composition essay was under 3 pages and I got 100% in it, while other people get massive marks for writing 6 or 7 or 8 pages! Emm... Oh and I really think LC English students should keep a vocabulary copy and write phrases you hear anywhere and everywhere. And also, read the Chief Examiner Reports on examinations.ie - they might help. The internet is a wonderful place full of notes and ideas for all of your texts - use it! After that, it's simply a matter of putting in the time to learn your quotes, plots and maybe a bit about the poets or authors themselves.



I can't think of anything else I did, but more importantly, after all my talk of answering the question, I haven't answered yours! From my experience LC English is hard until you know what to do. Many, many people (if my observation is anything to go by) never really get to know, and it is always a struggle for those people. But other people discover what must be done, and then it simply becomes slightly challenging, fairly time consuming, and very rewarding.

I normally got between 70 and 80 in fifth year, but after a steady improvement I ended up with an A1 in the leaving. *air thrust*

Keano!

All I would say about English this year is that you will need to put in work, especially for Paper 2.

As a student for last years Leaving, I couldn't believe how easy it was and someone who had never got above a C2 in the subject got a B1... mainly because the predictions were so clear.

As for advice... nail your play and comparative. Crucial really. I spent hours on end doing Hamlet and it paid off. So important those two...

jumpguy

I found English as far as paper 1 is concerned was a natural progression in my writing which was perhaps more accelerated in recent years due to boards use, reading novels outside my usual genres, reading billions of good-quality internet articles and posts over the 2 years, etc. I didn't really consciously do this. Technique for the paper itself revolves around timing and perhaps learning some good adjectives to describe the various types of language they love asking about in the comprehensions.

Paper 1 skills are involved in paper 2. You have to learn what you write to a certain extent, like the content of your novels/plays/poetry, but how you write it is crucial after that. You need to think about your course material and form opinions on them (it obviously helps if you enjoy the course material, and don't have a teacher that chooses course material to their own preference instead of the students' preferences), and respond to the question on the day.

If you go into English with a load of learned off essays for paper 1 and 2; with the idea that the only time you will put your brain to the test is when you're trying to decide how to twist your essays into a question, you will not get an A1 in English. Bits and pieces of stuff you've already written will come in handy (I recall throwing in some good sentences and ideas that I'd already written over the 2 years when they were relevant).

Oh, and you need have a bit of luck on the day. :P

Mardy Bum

LittleMissLost wrote: »

Anyone who says English isn't subjective is talking shíte. It is unbelievably subjective and really depends on the correcter.

I got A1/A2's constantly from 1st to 6th year even with external correctors for the mocks, JC etc and ended up getting a B3 in the LC. I didn't learn any essays off and did the article. However my friend who learned essays off word for word got an A1. I'm not saying this is the way to go, but in this case it was. Perhaps if it was another corrector they would have smelled her pre-cooked essays miles away and penalised her for it, who knows?

All I'm saying is apart from the obvious, like knowing your texts, knowing your quotes and being able to express yourself well, your result really depends on who is correcting your exam!

I decided to do what had worked for me for years and use my natural writing ability but that proved in vain. Perhaps, like most of the other subjects in the LC, English is also about rote learning essays and regurgitating them on the day?

If I seem as if I'm being bitter, there were 3 of us in my class who my teacher was convinced would get A1's/A2's with natural writing ability, and there was a B2, a B3 and a C1. In my opinion, LC English is all down to the luck of the draw to the corrector you get!

If you were that sure you were wronged you should have got a re-check.

Paper 2 is minimally subjective, if one would even call it that, as can be seen from the marking scheme which pertain to presentation a small mark overall. The essay/short story is the only part that I would consider subjective and most teachers discourage students from attempting it. All markers correcting LC English will have been correcting papers for years and unless they have a lapse of concentration most* will be corrected properly. Its been a good few years since mine but I remember my class was almost almost all A students with an excellent teacher but only 3 out of nearly 25 got As.

Also it takes more than 'natural writing ability' to get an A in English at all levels from secondary school to doctorate level. Writing ability is no substitute for interpreting a text and analysing it properly.

* not all obviously

Gott

Got A1s both times I did English back a few years ago. I did it outside school the second time but the teacher I had helping me with poetry and King Lear said something that stuck with me:
'If you argue your point properly and persuasively, even if the examiner disagrees with you personally, they'll understand it's good English and mark you accordingly.'
That's Paper Two, if you genuinely believe what you're writing and can back it up with proper quotations you're flying. As the poster above pointed out they have a marking scheme and can't just say 'he disagrees therefore no marks for him.'
Paper One lives and dies on your essay. I got full marks in it both times on two wildly diverse subjects but I will say this - don't put in unnecessary big words. I saw papers where a dude putting in 'lunar orb' where 'moon' would be perfectly acceptable was crucified because the florid language was an attempt to hide a piss poor essay.

Daniel S

Nah its pis e z all u gotta do iz jst right loooooads nd ur grand lyk!

alejandro1977

Never posted in LC before.

I got an A1 back in the day. You need a good command of the language - that means reading quality books, newspapers and magazines (Economist for example) - and it comes from years of reading.

I also worked quite hard and had a good teacher.

Fireball07

I got an A1 in the exam in June and I would advise simply knowing your texts. Know exactly what happens in the texts and be able to discuss any aspect. Have a few quotes learned off but don't learn off essays, it is such a waste of time (in my opinion). I think that the effort going into rote learning is just too much and wasting time for subjects where you might actually need to learn things off.

In general, you'll need to have a fairly high standard of writing- the ability to phrase your sentences well and choose the right words to make your point. Some people have this naturally... I think it comes to people who read a lot and if you need to improve your standard read as much as you can. It can be anything, I like reading novels and I assume it helped me over the years.

Even good writers can fall into traps... don't use the same words over nad over again (that did happen to me at times, though luckily I had corrected it by the time the exam came around). For paper 1, choose the one that you're best at. I found speeches easy to pick up marks in and my advice for that is just to imagine what words would suit if you were giving a speech. Some people use overlong sentences in speeches and from an oration point of view, it doesn't sound good. But some people prefer other questions.

Definitely advise not learning stuff off by heart unless that is really your preferred method...