How should I go about answering the ELAT?

The structure of the ELAT exam is very different from the A Level exam. The ELAT exam gives you a great deal of freedom, and the passages included, whilst being centred on a single theme, will be very varied. For the ELAT, it is about transferring the skills that make a good A Level response – a tight and engaging argument, nuanced close-reading, and a well-rounded style – into a framework based on what excites you. Unlike the A level, the ELAT does not require you to adhere to AOs; it simply poses the question 'Explore two or three of the following passages in any ways you find interesting, paying particular attention to language, form, and structure,' meaning the elements you choose to focus on will reveal a lot about you as a close-reader. Because the question is designed to generate individual responses, it is hard to give a single generic answer as to how to give a high-scoring ELAT response. However, these following points should be very helpful in formulating a response, and will be applicable for all ELAT papers.Trusting your instincts when reading the extracts. If there is an extract three pages long, and you are two paragraphs in and feel as though you are not engaging with the extract, then simply move on. Writing about something that excites you is the key to writing an engaging essay, and time is of the essence. Once you have identified the central theme of the paper, consider if there are any forms that naturally suit the theme. For example, the ELAT I sat in order to win a place at Cambridge addressed the theme of "storms". As soon as this theme was identified, it was interesting to think about what a diary entry or a description of a painting (which were both included) adds to the theme, and, following that, whether there were subsequent contrasts to be pulled out of the varying tones of the extracts based on the inherent qualities of their forms. This is important because writing well about points that are not simply language points shows natural ability. A Level essays often hinge on language analysis alone, and this is one way in which the ELAT differs from the A Level.Understanding your own strengths. It is an innate characteristic of mine to write on poetry, and I recognised this before sitting the ELAT. Having the security of knowing that I was going to choose at least one of the poems included was a great way of settling my nerves. It is highly likely, if not a certainty, that every ELAT will feature the three main forms of literature: prose, play script, and poetry. Knowing yourself as a writer and a close-reader is very important.Embracing the difference between the ELAT and A Level. The ELAT is driven almost entirely by practical criticism and critical practice, which basically means focussing on what's on the page, rather than on context etc. However, the difference between the exams should not be cause for your essay structure to go AWOL. Focussing on saying exactly what you want to say in as few words as possible is an excellent skill you should practice well in advance (it is also an excellent interview skill), along with ensuring one point flows onto the next, and that you do not give away everything that you have spotted right away. The ELAT does not necessarily require the extra scaffolding of an A Level essay - by which I mean an introduction that says what you are going to say before you have said it, or paragraph signposting that interrupts the pace and inventiveness of your close-reading. Ideally, you want to develop your ability to recognise the good points from the average points, which is something I can do my best to help with, and then time their entrance into the essay so that your essay both demonstrates your skill as a candidate and is entertaining!