Unseen

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** IGCSE Unseen ** ** Paper 3: Unseen (1 hour 20 minutes) ** ** This paper accounts for 30% of the Literature Grade **

This paper will contain two questions, each requiring a critical commentary and appreciation of previously unseen writing printed on the question paper One of the questions will be based on a literary prose passage (e.g. an extract from a novel or short story); the other will be based on a poem or an extract from a poem. Students must answer **ONE** question ** It is recommended that students spend about 20 minutes reading the question paper and planning their answer. **  ** Attacking the “Unseen” **

Your whole school career has been practice for the “Unseen” exam, as you are always being given passages to read and then asked to write a response! This is NOT NEW for you! On the cover sheet for this exam it will say:

Answer **either** Question 1 **or** Question 2. You are advised to spend 20 minutes reading the question and planning your answer.

2 things should be noted here:


 * 1) 1. Only do **ONE** question! This is a common mistake in exams. Students do not read properly and then rush to get all questions completed only to find out they only had to answer one!
 * 2) 2. ** 20 minutes reading and planning – ** make use of this time, a better plan will yield a better, more focused and coherent final product!


 * Step 1 – Reading the passages and questions **
 * Read both passages and the accompanying question for each
 * Decide which passage you want to do – this is entirely up to you, but I would choose the one you like, whether because it is prose or poetry, or because the passage itself appeals to you. Don’t take too long to decide though – you need to get planning!
 * Once you have decided on the passage read the question carefully; break it into part so that you are sure what it is asking; highlight or underline key words in the question as the first step of your planning.

It is difficult to say what the question will be exactly as every passage will have its own elements, depending on the extract. Below you will find examples take from previous exams. Notice that the questions have more than one part to them and that each question, whether prose or poetry, has a section to help you: ** To help you answer, you might consider: ** Followed by 3 or 4 bullet points to guide your answers. You do not need to make use of all the information here, however, use it as a guide when planning your answer. Chances are it will give you further insight into the passage and the points you should be touching on in your answer!
 * What will the questions be like? **
 * Sample Questions: **

** Explore the different feelings that the poet has towards her very young baby and how the words of the poem help you to share in her experience of being a mother. **  To help you answer this question, you might consider:
 * Poetry **
 * 1) A. Read the poem by Sharon Olds, in which she writes of her daughter in the first weeks after her birth.
 * The way the poet describes the baby
 * The way she describes the handling of the baby
 * The mother’s developing thoughts and feelings.
 * 1) B. In this story, Conrad has left his car near the ‘red zone’ – a no-parking area – of the city in which he works. He comes back to find that some people are enjoying watching it being towed away.

** Prose ** ** Read the passage below carefully and then explore now the writing makes you feel sympathy for Conrad and how it is amusing at the same time. **  You should include in your answer a response to:
 * Conrad’s situation
 * The characters and the words they use
 * The way the incident is narrated

** How will my exam be graded? ** ** Assessment Criteria: ** Every year the assessment criteria for the **Unseen** are different as it is dependent on the passage and the question being asked of you. Below please find an example general assessment criteria that can be applied to this exam.

** How do I revise for this exam? **  Most of the work you are already doing in your revision for the Literature exam will help you with the Unseen exam. As you can see from the example questions you are being asked to apply all that you have learned about reading and analyzing passages to a new passage, one that you have not seen before. ** Tips to get you started on this exam: ** ** How to annotate – TIPS ** What you should be looking for and highlighting during the annotation phase: Poetry Prose
 * 1) 1. Read the question quickly and then move on to read the passage you are going to work with.
 * 2) ** 2. ** ** Reread the question highlighting what it is asking from you. Be sure you understand what the question is, and be sure to highlight all parts of the question. **
 * 1) 3. Reread the passage and annotate it using your highlighters, pencils, pens, whichever method works for you. (How to annotate – TIPS attached)
 * 2) ** 4. ** ** Once you have annotated your piece go back to the question and read it again. Have your annotations covered the important elements from the question? If not go back and reread adding more annotations! **
 * 1) 5. Plan your answer – using the question and the bullet points as your guides, structure your answer quickly on the paper provided. To do this, use Paragraph 1, Paragraph 2 etc as headings and add what you will cover in each paragraph, moving ideas around until your plan is coherent and makes sense.
 * 2) ** 6. ** ** Write your answer – FOLLOWING YOUR PLAN! One big mistake students often make is not planning or moving so much away from the plan that they ramble and do not cover the important elements of the question. The examiner can easily distinguish between rambling and well-planned and constructed responses! **
 * Form & Genre
 * Appropriate Technical Language
 * Content & Structure
 * Tone & Mood
 * Poetic Technique & Effect
 * Focus & Perspective
 * Language & Diction
 * Theme & Meaning (Title)
 * Your Personal Response
 * Form & Genre (source)
 * Appropriate Technical Language
 * Content & Structure
 * Tone & Mood
 * Literary Technique & Effect
 * Narrative Perspective
 * Language & Diction
 * Theme & Concern
 * Character & Relationships
 * Your Personal Response