The Importance Of Timing In Gcse English Language

When completing you GCSE English Language papers, time is of the essence. Here are my top 5 tips for managing your time!

1. Figure out the exact timings you need.

Both Language Papers are 1 hour 40 minutes, with a section A and B. It s usually recommended that you slit your time with an hour for section A, which has 4 questions and 40 minutes for section B which has one question. The general recommendation for section A is to spend 5 minutes reading your extract, 5 minutes on question 1, 15 minutes on question 2 and 3 each and 20 minutes of question 4. However, if you know that you struggle with a particular question, plan ahead to leave more time for that answer, so that you don t run out of time and leave any questions unanswered.

2. Keep an eye on your watch

Although this may seem obvious, it s extremely important. When doing practice papers get into the habit of wearing a watch and checking it consistently. In the exam, you need to make sure that you attempt every question, and its better to get in the habit of sticking to your time limits for each question you can always go back to add more to each question if you have extra time, but if you miss out section B because you re out of time, that s 50 marks lost!

3.Write quality not quantity

This may not seem like a time keeping tip, but it is an important part of timing in exams. No one is expecting you to write 6 page answers, and keeping your answers relevant to the question and choosing strong points will help you write a quality answer without wasting time waffling. I recommend 3-4 clear paragraphs and points for section A and 2-3 pages for you section B writing section. Reading the question carefully will help you keep your answers on track.

I hope this helps the next time you try a practice test!