Selecting relevant evidence

    AQA
    GCSE

    Candidates must demonstrate the ability to discriminate between essential and peripheral information within unseen texts to address specific question foci. This process requires the precise extraction of explicit details and the derivation of implicit meanings to support interpretive claims. Examiners assess the judiciousness of textual references, rewarding quotations that are tightly integrated into the candidate's argument rather than lengthy, indiscriminate lifting. Mastery involves synthesizing evidence from multiple sources to construct a cohesive response.

    0
    Objectives
    4
    Exam Tips
    4
    Pitfalls
    4
    Key Terms
    4
    Mark Points

    What You Need to Demonstrate

    Key skills and knowledge for this topic

    • Award marks for 'judicious' selection of references that precisely address the specific focus of the question (Level 4).
    • Credit the synthesis of evidence from both texts in Paper 2 Question 2, rewarding the connection of details rather than separate treatment.
    • Ensure evidence is embedded fluently within the candidate's own sentence structure to maintain the academic register.
    • Distinguish between 'relevant' textual detail (Level 2) and 'apt' textual detail (Level 3) when assessing the quality of support.

    Marking Points

    Key points examiners look for in your answers

    • Award marks for 'judicious' selection of references that precisely address the specific focus of the question (Level 4).
    • Credit the synthesis of evidence from both texts in Paper 2 Question 2, rewarding the connection of details rather than separate treatment.
    • Ensure evidence is embedded fluently within the candidate's own sentence structure to maintain the academic register.
    • Distinguish between 'relevant' textual detail (Level 2) and 'apt' textual detail (Level 3) when assessing the quality of support.

    Examiner Tips

    Expert advice for maximising your marks

    • 💡Draw a box around the specified lines in the source text immediately to prevent drifting outside the focus area.
    • 💡Select evidence that allows for inference; avoid purely factual statements that lead to analytical dead ends.
    • 💡For Paper 2 Question 2, pair evidence from Source A and Source B that deals with the same sub-topic before writing.
    • 💡Shorten quotations to the specific 3-5 words that carry the weight of meaning to ensure they are 'judicious'.

    Common Mistakes

    Pitfalls to avoid in your exam answers

    • Practising 'chunking': copying out large sections of text hoping the answer is contained within, rather than selecting precise phrases.
    • Selecting evidence from outside the specified lines (e.g., quoting from line 15 when the question specifies lines 1-10).
    • Providing quotations as a standalone list without inference or connection to the question focus.
    • Confusing explicit facts with implicit ideas when asked to summarise differences in Paper 2 Question 2.

    Key Terminology

    Essential terms to know

    Likely Command Words

    How questions on this topic are typically asked

    List four things
    Write a summary
    How does the writer use language
    Compare how
    To what extent do you agree

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