Write a speech for a Leavers’ Assembly, persuading students that they too can make a big success of their futures.

To answer this question, I'd suggest you to focus on persuasion. The question is assessing your ability to adapt your language to fit a specific context, so you need to demonstrate your understanding of using words to influence people. To persuade a group of students into believing they can make a big success of their future, you would need to use some relatable examples. The students in the audience have gone through a similar experience to you. Focusing on these common experiences will earn their trust, so that they are more open and receptive to the rest of your speech. Another thing to keep in mind is that when writing in the style of a speech, we want to be using language that directly addresses the audience, while the tone also needs to be appropriate for the setting - a Leavers' Assembly. To assess whether your answer was truly persuasive, I would also probably read your answer aloud to you, and encourage you to do the same (in your head, of course) during the exam. This way, you get to hear your 'speech' from the audience's perspective and you can determine for yourself whether it is compelling enough.