How different are ELAT essays to A-level essays?

In terms of structure, the two are not all that different: ELATs just allow you a lot more freedom. A-level essays are of course limited by a set syllabus, by your revision, by the other essays you've got to write during the exam, and by the mark scheme that you're going to want to adhere to. The difference with the ELAT is that you can use all the skills you're learning as you develop your A-level essay-writing, but the content is a lot more varied and exciting. You get to pick your texts from those they provide you with, and you'll be given a very loose theme which you can interpret in whatever way interests you, or refine in a way that you know will lead you into more interesting questions and arguments. You shouldn't think of the run-up to the ELAT as 'revision' but as 'preparation' - there's nothing for you to memorise, unlike with GCSE and A-level. It's just a chance for you to start flexing your close-analysis technique and to explore the way your mind links different texts to trigger different ideas. Creativity and excitement, rather than knowledge and famliarity, is what your markers are looking for here.