1. A680 Information and Ideas Exam
2 Hours – 40% of GCSE
Tuesday 29th May 9am

2. Reading a text
You should spend 1 hour 10 minutes on this section of the paper
(45-50 minutes on the writing section)
• Read the first text – answer the first two questions on this text.
Then read the second text and answer Question 3. This will
ensure you don‟t get muddled with the texts and give your hand
a rest!
• After you have read the text, you need to unpack the text.
Which means deciding on what the purpose of the text is, who it
was written for and what tone the writing has.
• DON‟T start the reading questions until you are confident that
you have:-
Read the passage to the end
Formed a view of what it is about
Considered some of the ways the writer has tried to
communicate his/her point of view
And remember: Underline and annotate the text to help you plan
your answers the questions.

3. The Higher Paper - Reading
There are TWO Reading Passages but THREE questions:
questions 1 & 2 on the first passage and question 3 on the
second passage.
Question 1 will ask you to respond to WHAT the passage is
about: it carries (about) 10 marks out of 40 (that means
spend about 15 minutes on it)
Questions 2 & 3 will ask you to respond to HOW the
passages have been written: each carry (about) 15 marks
out of 40 (that means spend about 22 minutes on each)
Don‟t forget this when you are planning your time
management in the examination

4. So when reading the extracts for the
first time, you should identify…
• Tone (friendly, argumentative,
sad, shocking, excited etc.)
• Purpose (persuade, argue,
advise, inform, entertain etc.)
• Audience (age, gender,
interests, education...)
• Form (e.g. letter, broadsheet
article, tabloid article, leaflet etc.)

5. Question 1: Outline = Summary
In Question 1 you will be asked to outline
two or three elements of the text. This is
not asking you to explore or explain what
the writer has written, just „WHAT‟ the text
says about the points in the question.
Imagine it like this: you are an editor
and have been asked to rewrite the
text without all the excess.

6. Question 1: What the
examiners are looking for
• Understanding of TASK and TEXT
• An OVERVIEW of the material
• A clear focus on each separate, relevant
point you make without overlap into other
points
• Confident use of “own words” with NO
copying/lifting from the text
• A range of (but not necessarily all of the)
points

7. Question 2 and 3
Questions 2 and 3 ask you to explore ‘HOW’ the writer has
achieved the effect and tone of their piece.
Both question will be about the presentation of the text.
Question 2 will ask you about the first text (which you will
know well from answering the outline question) and Question
3 will ask you about a second text. One text will be an
account and the other a media texts with extra features of
layout you can also explore.
Examine how the passage has been written and produced:
make points about structure, information and language which
are supported with examples from the text.
These questions are looking for you to explore HOW the
writer has achieved their tone and purpose and you will
have to use evidence to support your answers.

8. Question 2 and 3 – What are you looking for as evidence?
Persuasive
techniques: list
of 3, emotive, The writer’s
repetition... Descriptive
Structural Balance of fact
devices: language
imagery,
and opinion
features onomatopoeia, choices
speech...
Informative
How does the
techniques:
writer support
imperatives,
their points? Language facts...
and
Presentation
How is the
How the piece reader
begins, develo addressed? Is
ps and ends. it friendly,
aggressive....
Headlines, sub Pictures,
Non-written headings etc layout etc
features

9. Question 2 and 3 – TOP TIPs
You should always structure your answer
around the effect/tone/mood the text has and
then use the language, structure and non-
written features to support your point. Avoid
making the language/structure feature your
point.
E.g. The tone of the text is sarcastic. The writer
achieves this by insert evidence Or: The purpose of the
text is to shock the reader, the headline intensifies this
with its use of insert evidence.
Instead of: There is imagery in the piece and this...
The best way to ensure you do this is to PLAN

10. What the Examiners are looking
for: Questions 2 & 3
• A range of relevant points (about information,
language and structure as appropriate)
• Effective supporting reference to the text with a
clear attempt at analysis of what is referred to
• A good understanding of the TASK and the
TEXT

11. The Higher Paper- Writing
You will be asked to do ONE writing task from a choice
of TWO. In both Foundation and Higher Tiers this task
will be worth a total of 40 marks.
At least a third of the marks will be awarded for the
technical aspects of your writing, which includes
spelling and punctuation.
You are advised to spend about 45 minutes on Section
B and write between a side and a side and a half.
Do ensure you have time to PLAN your response
before you begin to write.

12. The Higher Paper- Writing
In Section B of the written examination you will be
assessed on Assessment Objective 4:
write to communicate clearly, effectively and
imaginatively, using and adapting forms and
selecting vocabulary appropriate to task and
purpose in ways to engage the reader
This requires you to develop your own ideas, and
present them clearly using an engaging choice of
vocabulary, tone and structure to keep your reader
interested.

13. The Higher Paper- Writing
organise information and ideas into structured and
sequenced sentences, paragraphs and whole texts, using
a variety of linguistic and structural features to support
cohesion and overall coherence
You must organise your writing in a logical, helpful way so that
the reader can follow your ideas easily. A strong beginning is
essential and an effective ending. Careful planning is
essential to achieve this.
use a range of sentence structures for clarity, purpose and
effect, with accurate punctuation and spelling.
Using a variety of sentence structures helps keep your writing
interesting by varying the pace. It is important that you check
your spelling and punctuation carefully.

14. Writing – Top Tips
• DO plan your work carefully! Take five minutes at least
to work out WHAT you are going to say and HOW you
are going to say it.
• DON‟T write too much! If you are going onto more
than three sides ask yourself why!
• Remember that QUALITY is all important and that
QUANTITY need only be enough to show what you
can do at your best.
• Accurate spelling, punctuation and sentence structure
matter.

15. What the Examiners are looking for:-
(Grade A)
• Full control of the material: effective use of linguistic
devices.
• Confident understanding of what you have set yourself
to do and consistent relevance to it. Clear sense of
audience where there is one.
• Use imaginative but appropriate vocabulary: show
subtlety and ambition.
• Develop a clear structure to the work: it must have an
opening, central development and a clear conclusion.
• Use of paragraphs and coherent links between them.
• Use of a range of sentence structures to create effects.
• Secure and generally accurate spelling.
• Use ambitious and mainly secure punctuation.