Hi MJ

Thank you for returning my mock feedback to me so promptly.

I note your comments around adding more detail to my answers. My problem seems to be time constraints.

I am confident that my typing speed is fast enough. Would you suggest making less points but exploring them in more detail? The last mock script I sent in contained 3,277 words. I think the guide suggests around 1,000 words per hour-long question, so assuming 750 words per 45-minute question, I appear to be writing enough words but I’m still not scoring as highly as I would like.

Any guidance you can provide would be greatly appreciated.

Kind regards
Leonard

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Hi Leonard

I found that you made a lot of key points, which was good. But you went a little overboard. Lots of key points are great but you need to be realistic about your ability and the available time that you have. You must ascertain if you can reasonably add details on all the key points without going over the set time. While there is no minimum, remember the level of answers required to pass.

On the question planning stage, we ask students to place weights (minutes and possible points) on each point raised. The minutes and points then determines how long and how much depth you’ll need in your answer.

I felt you failed to recognise and rank the importance of each key point and wanted to treat them equally by giving them all the same kind of detail. Hence, they all got one-liners without much explanation.

I can probably suggest that when you plan for key points, list them down based on importance. Spend more time and detail on the important ones. Explore these first and relate them properly to the scenario. Do not just simply restate information. Put your thought, logic and spin in it.

If you don’t get to finish expanding all the points, then the remaining ones could be left as one-liners. This does not solve all your problems but you will at least have the depth and detail you need on the major ones, at the same time, you will not have compromised any ideas that you’ve included in your original plan.

Alternatively, if (and only if) the points truly are less significant than others, then you might consider dropping them from your script altogether.

I hope this helps you in your preparation.

Your tutor,
MJ