Five times a year, students in Canada prepare for the Grade 10 and 12 English Provincial Exams. In some provinces, these exams will account for between 20-40% of their final marks , and their grades will determine eligibility for university entrance around the country. Although there are many exams for various subjects, few are as difficult to grade as the English 12 exam. It is rare for students to grade as well on English Provincials as they do in other disciplines. The main reason for this anomaly is the exam is subjective. While other exams such as Math or Physics rely on formulas, the English Provincials do not. Much of the test is student interpretation based, subjective and therefore difficult to assess. Marking standards are clearly followed but it is important to recognise that in order to do well, students should consider the following:
There are four parts to the Provincial Exam. Sight Passages, Poetry, Prose, and Original Composition.
Sight Passages or Informational Texts, as sometimes they are called, are fairly straight forward and most students average a score of 7 out of 10 on the multiple choice questions. The poetry and the prose components are much more challenging for students. They are comprised of both a multiple choice section, and an essay response question. Students rely on an understanding of the content but very often they don’t understand the information presented.
Generally, the Provincial Exam uses Canadian content. The prose chosen will likely reflect an element of Canadian culture and lifestyle, or the hardships and challenges of living in such a large country. Canadians enjoy a vast wilderness and a changing environment rich with climatic nuances unique to our homeland. The pieces may ask students to understand the challenges from a personal level, and to explicate their relationships with various elements of the poetry or the prose. At the end of the test, there is an original composition which cites some form of a life lesson. The life lesson will be reflective of the entire test, with the exception only of the sight passage component found at the very beginning of the test.
Students should consider the following:
1. Students who memorise the literary and poetic devices that they were taught in their high school classes score better than those who don’t.
2. Students who preview or partake in test samples, tend to have a better understanding of the subject matter. (For information regarding samples feel free to contact the writer.)
3. Understanding the theme of the test allows students to web the information easier and maintain the thought patterns in both the poetry and the short story as they have been historically connected to each other.
4. Time is not a friend on the test. There is a prescribed amount of time available and many students do not complete the written assignments in the prescribed time, and therefore lose significant marks for in-completion.
5. Use the grammar or the sight passage as a mental break. Since generally the grammar or the sight passage is not connected to the life lesson, it is easy to take a well deserved break from a specific topic to allow for new ideas to enter the mind.
6. Poetry is subjective, meaning that each person identifies differently to their own interpretation of the poem. Link the poem to the life lesson, and it will be easier to gain the marks, particularly if the student is unclear of its meaning. As long as three literary devices are noted, and three quotations from the poem support the essay, the marker will be generous. Lacking in these will assure a lower grade.
7. Prose or short stories usually are pretty easy to understand on the test. Students are offered two essay questions and they are to chose the one that best reflects their understanding of the story. It is recommended that students consider writing a character analysis if it is offered as a question. This is generally the easiest essay to write, since most stories contain internal or external conflict and characters can be identified easily. Addressing the characters by explaining what type of character they read about, (stock, flat, round, stereotypical, etc.) and explaining the authors point of view, (first person, omniscient, limited omniscient, third person) again supports the essay and may mask any misunderstanding of the prose content.
8. Original compositions or essays can be written using any number of methods, but for best results, a combination of narration, exposition, persuasive and descriptive should be used. It is not recommended to write the poetry or prose essays in narrative form.
9. While preparing for provincial exams, it is important to take advantage of in school tutorials after school or at lunchtime. they can be of great help to students who are weak at writing thesis statements or narrowing topic sentences.
10. When a student feels overwhelmed, they need to sit back and breathe. All of the answers are hidden in the test. Students will find the answers if they are look carefully at the multiple choice questions. Breathe and plan. Planning is essential for both time management and focus.
If you need help trying to make sense of any English based exam, feel free to ask for help. I will be happy to answer any of your questions and provide or direct you to the information you are looking for.
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