I’m a Year 12 who will be sitting Scholarship English at the end of the year. My teacher just wants me to sit it as a “practise run” for next year. However, with where we are in the year, and the Schol English exam in 2 months, how feasible is it that I pass it this year.
I have all my Section B texts from doing them last year in my Level 1 externals, but I will have to seriously revise them again, and I have 1 text for my Section C which I just finished analysing and reading.
How much work would I have to do to have a good attempt at passing Schol English this year, so next year I can take up another Schol exam instead of doing English next year.
I did very limited preparation for Scholarship English and achieved an Outstanding Scholarship in NZQA English. However, I had studied rigorously for AS English and A2 English at Cambridge and was able to use all of these texts.
You don’t need to know your texts particularly deeply because the essay topics are generally more comparative in nature so it is more important your arguments are creative, analytical and long. In saying that, some preparation is useful depending on how rapidly you can generate new ideas.
I would definitely sit it in Year 12. Many Crimson students do this and it will make it easier sitting scholarship in Year 13 and achieving better outcomes. It also enhances your profile for the US.
Send me some of your sample essays and what texts you are currently considering using and I can give you some more advice. It also matters where you intend to go for university how important this is so let me know on this as well - j.beaton@crimsoneducation.org