English is the first language in Singapore and is a required subject for O levels L1-R5.
Thus, acquiring a decent grade and English ability is critical for students who wish to do well in the GCE O level examinations. In addition, a solid foundation in English would open additional opportunities for university courses, A-level topics, and generally improve communication with others.
Graduating students would have rigorous schedules correcting their work after each academic year, with the majority pushing through every subject’s ten-year series, their teachers’ worksheets, and textbooks.
Fear not if you are one of those who are slipping behind! We’ve compiled a list of 5 ways to assist you in getting a distinction in O level English.
1. Understand the Exam Format and Marking Scheme
To perform well in English, you must be familiar with the four separate papers and their structure, mainly how many marks are in each area. This is so you can organise your time more efficiently – don’t put in too much work for one section and abandon the others!
2. Creating Notes
Your English instructor will provide you with a plethora of worksheets, assessment papers, and test papers to assist you in preparing for the year-end O level English examinations.
The resources will include enormous stacks of comprehension papers, sample answers, and personalised notes. It can be pretty unpleasant to read through everything, absorb it, and re-organise it to fit your studying patterns.
An advantage of making your notes is their mobility. You may condense the notes into smaller chunks to take in your backpack or file, then check them immediately before the test, while travelling on the bus, having a coffee in the cafeteria, or waiting for your friends to come.
3. Improve Your Oral Skills by Reading Aloud!
Many former O level students stated that reading blog posts, articles, and tale books daily will increase your enthusiasm for the language. In addition, reading aloud improves fluency and allows you to do better in oral tests.
Some said that if you want to memorise example essays for composition, you should read them aloud. It’s just as effective.
4. Enlist the Assistance of Others
If you still need help fixing areas you cannot improve using the above solutions, take action.
Your English teachers are the most convenient people to get assistance from since they contact you weekly and are aware of your problems and how to address them.
However, most teachers are probably highly busy, especially during the test period; They may not be able to make additional time for you. As such, you should attend English tuition for secondary level if it is an option for you. Having a personal English tutor can further help you to improve upon your weak areas.
If not, the next source is your close friends who are fluent in English. This way, you can organise small study groups on weekends or after school in a more casual setting.
5. Get Free Exam Papers
Most secondary students use past exam papers to practise answering O level questions. This gives them the skills to plan how much time to spend on each section and the confidence to handle repeat questions that appear in every year’s paper.
