Exam-day Checklist

Practice only. Check your draft on screen. Ticks last for this browser session only; they are not submitted or intended for printing.

• My thesis makes a specific, debatable interpretation that answers the topic and can be supported with evidence. A Section 5 frame is optional. I remove unsupported hedging and keep qualifications the text supports.
• My introduction identifies the text, establishes my interpretation of the topic, and gives the reader a clear direction for the argument. Its opening and order suit my purpose.
• Each body paragraph has a topic sentence that develops my thesis.
• I introduce each piece of evidence, whether it is a quotation, a paraphrase, or an event, and I analyze it afterward. If I check 70/30, I use it as a draft check. Markers score selection and connection, not that ratio.
• In Stage 4, or wherever I bring the analysis together, I explain WHY the outcome matters.
• My conclusion restates the argument in fresh words without retelling the plot.
• If the topic uses and, I have addressed both ideas. If it uses or, I follow the path the text develops rather than proving both sides.
• Throughout the essay, I explain how the author uses the text to develop an idea about the topic.