How does the ELAT differ from a normal A' level essay and what are the best ways to prepare?

An ELAT essay is similar to an A' level essay in preparation and different in execution. Unlike an A' level essay, the ELAT allows for a freedom of thought and a flow of ideas. Where in the A' level examiners are looking for a demonstration of knowledge, in the ELAT they are looking for a demonstration of your thought process and the way that you react to a given text. Like an A' Level essay, the ELAT requires a mixture of in depth textural analysis as well as an overall idea about how the texts compare. However, technical terms and a defined conclusion are not necessarily as important, they are more concerned with the development of your ideas and how you engage with the given texts. In terms ofpreparation, I would recommend looking through the past papers and doing spiderdiagram plans of what you could include in order to get into the habit ofthinking quickly and then choose two or three of these ideas and develop themin a paragraph in order to practice writing. It might also be useful to readsome criticism, I recommend Christopher Ricks: The Force of Poetry, for style.