Turn on to politics, or politics will turn on you.
Ralph Nader
This American political activist speaks from experience. In the late 60s, he took on the United States (US) government to force changes in the automotive industry. He became persona non-grata in American politics, as noted by his four presidential runs. He was forced off the ballots, despite being the most popular candidate.
Running for office is not the only reason to be politically aware. We're living in topsy-turvy times; the more informed you are, the better you will navigate them. All that starts with understanding how governments work. Your A-Level government and politics lessons delivers that foundation; Superprof shows you how to build on it.
Maximise Your Learning Effectiveness By
- correlating marks from coursework with marks on exams
- plotting and drafting your essays
- developing and applying test-taking strategies
- refining strategies to stay ahead of your coursework
A-Level Politics Revision: Coursework Vs Exams
As you likely know, few A-Level subjects demand coursework, these days, this one, included. That lack of obligation frees you to guide your own learning and revision efforts.
Extracurricular reading is the best way to spend the time you would normally devote to coursework. Your teacher will likely present you with a list of suggested titles to read. It should include books discussing current or recent events, as well as politics in the US and the United Kingdom (UK).
As your course syllabus spells out, those are two of its three topics. The last one is political ideologies: socialism, conservatism, liberalism, and others. All of them provide ample material to write volumes about.
Should your teacher fail to offer a recommended reading list, you will find titles on the AQA Politics resources page. This page groups titles by their relevance to select topics, and where they appear in the syllabus.
This exam board isn't as generous with reading resources. Edexcel candidates may visit AQA's site for a list of titles.
Politics A-Level Strategies for Coursework
Often, students begin their college-level studies with a relaxed attitude. They've just finished their General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) marathon. Their next ordeal is two years into the future. Why not take it easy for a while?
That's an effective strategy from an 'easing into things' perspective. To stay ahead of your learning and exam revision, it's the worst possible tactic.
Your course's start is your signal to build your organisational framework. That way, you only need to slot new information in as you receive it.
Start building your revision resources - notes, mind maps, and flashcards, when you start your course.
How does that work? We know what the A-Level Politics specification covers, starting with UK government and politics. If AQA is your exam board, you'll also study US government and politics, and you'll compare/contrast the two. Edexcel Politics A-Level lets students choose from US or global politics.
Political ideologies marks this course's third (and last) topic. This limited number is convenient to mind-map. Create one map for UK politics and government, and another for the US (or global politics study). Your third map will cover all the ideologies, and show how they relate to one another.
You will have this information organised as you progress through your course, and you won't have to scramble to create it come revision time.
As the tutorial video below shows, mind maps aren't just for revision. You can use your maps throughout your course, to inform your class discussions and group study sessions. You can also use that information to construct your essays.
Strategies for Effective Politics A-Level Essay Writing
Unless you love writing essays, they are a tiresome chore. That is, until you know the secret to writing them effectively. Mastering essay writing is your key to earning high marks on your exams. Unfortunately, that key isn't a simple factor, such as wordcounts or keyword usage.
Give the examiners what they want.
When you downloaded your copies of A-Level Politics past papers, you must also have secured the marking scheme and examiner's report. The question papers aren't revealing, in this instance.
But the other two offer the mother lode of information. They are where examiners state what they want. Consider this excerpt from the 2023 Examiner's Report:
Responses at lower levels tended to make assertions about the beliefs of thinkers without tangible examples, or tended to repetitively state liberal faith in the free market.
This critique reveals that examiners want concrete examples to back up assertions - and they want more than one. They don't want repetition. They discount students who stick with one idea or concept, and expound on it throughout the essay. Let's contrast what examiners look for with how students should deliver.
✅Examiner's report says:
- unqualified assertions
- too few or no examples
- repeated information
- fail to demonstrate broad knowledge
🙋♀️You will strive to:
- qualify assertions with supporting evidence
- give more than one example
- make another point/broach another topic
- write about several related concepts
As sound a strategy as 'give 'em what they want' is, it's not a magic lift to automatic high marks. Constructing your essays plays a role, too. Take a moment to view this 'use marking schemes' recap before exploring essay-writing techniques.
✍Politics ALevel Essay Writing Tips
A-Level candidates often stress over how long their essays should/must be. In some subjects, that's a valid concern. However, A-Level government and politics papers do not insist on a set number of words. Use as many - or as few, as you need to make your points clear.
Now that you know your task is giving examiners what they want, you must exercise how to do it. We advocate applying the Rule of Three. This technique gives your writing power and persuasiveness. It also demonstrates you know your subject material in-depth.
Make three major points, supporting each point with three examples or facts (evidence).
The Rule of Three helps you avoid examiners' most frequent observations. Those include information repetition, lack of evidence, and failure to demonstrate deep knowledge.
You'll need a lot of practice to master this technique, so the sooner you start, the more prepared you'll be. We'll let this bow-tied professor instruct you on essay writing mechanics, so we can move on to our final point.
A-Level Government and Politics: Effective Exam Strategies
With no coursework marks to add to your overall score, your exam marks are the only proof you've mastered your subject.
Thus, it's in your best interests to deliver your top performance. If you followed the strategies this article outlines, you're already halfway to success.
1. Begin organising information from the start of your course. 2. Master the writing skills and techniques you'll use to answer exam questions.
Now, we add the knockout blow: timing. Your past papers - and your exam board, promise two hours per paper. You will have five questions (per paper), each of which require as detailed and specific a response as you can deliver. Mathematically, that breaks down to 24 minutes per question.
You won't need that long to answer the three short-answer questions. However, you will need time to plan your answers, especially the ones worth 25 marks. You only have two of them (per paper); they are the ones to devote most of your time to. This strategy will streamline your efforts.
✅Do this:
- read the prompt carefully
- note your three main arguments
- three supporting points
- write short introductions and conclusions
❌Not this:
- focus on prompt keywords
- fail to make notes
- forget supporting evidence
- write long introductions and conclusions
🛑Avoid this:
- repetition
- belabouring a point
- presenting few facts
- making all your points in your introduction
- introducing new information in your conclusion,
As stated above, the more you practise essay-writing from past paper prompts, the more reflexive doing so will be. Then, once you enter the testing room, the steps you take for essay-writing will come automatically. Now, we have tips for preparations of a different sort to offer.
💪Effective Exam Strategies: The Night Before
Sound rest and a confident, balanced mindset are crucial to exam success. So is preparing everything you need for the next morning. You'll find nothing more stressful than having to scramble for what to wear and what you need before blasting out the door on Exam Day.
At some point - maybe 5:00 or 6:00 in the evening, put away all your revision materials. Lay out your clothes and what you'll need at the test centre. Such might include pens, pencils, identification, and so on. Make sure your path to school is clear; if not, plan an alternate route.
Enjoy a sound meal, and relax. Come bedtime - reasonably early, put your phone on the charger and retire. Don't fret over whether Politics A-Level is hard or if you made a big mistake choosing this course. Tomorrow is your chance to prove you didn't.
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