How do I go about preparing for and answering an ELAT question?

When approaching the ELAT, it’s important to keep in mind that there is no set format or method for answering. Rather, the ELAT is designed to be a text of your close reading skills as opposed to any prior knowledge of the texts or their historical contexts. The exam is unseen, meaning that no candidate has seen the passages prior to the exam, and that – accordingly – no answer can be prepared. Instead, what the ELAT tests you on is the ability to process information quickly, and compare and contrast texts that might initially seem utterly at odds with one another. Because the texts are unseen, you can’t necessarily prepare in the traditional sense. What you can do, however, is practice analysing unseen passages and forming your ideas into an argumentative superstructure. This might be by doing old ELAT exams, but you can also just pick any text you have to hand and practice close analysing it. Give yourself maybe 15 minutes, say, and practice picking out points and coming up with a rough plan. It’s a good idea to read widely in preparation, just so that you’re not thrown when presented with writing from periods less familiar at A-Level – say a bit of Middle English or Renaissance sonnets. You don’t need to be an expert by any stretch of the imagination – the ELAT is all about what’s on the page, and you won’t be rewarded for any additional information you bring in – but it can help you to feel more comfortable.ELAT questions are often general and open-ended, inviting the candidate to: ‘Select two of the passages (a) to (f) and compare and contrast them in any ways that seem interesting to you, paying particular attention to distinctive features of structure, language and style.’ Pay attention to the wording here. What the ELAT requires, in other words, is an understanding of the interplay between form and content – between ‘distinctive features of structure, language and style’ and the themes of the piece. In preparation, then, spend some time picking out specific features of texts – they can be A level texts or texts you read for fun – and relating them to content. Play around the differences between drama, poetry and prose, considering how the medium affects the piece. The ELAT lasts 90 minutes, during which time you have to plan and write an essay. So before you enter the exam, it’s worth spending some time working out a rough sense of timings – how long you will spend reading, how much time you will spend writing – to make sure that you don’t run out of time in the exam. These don’t need to be strict timings, rather just a general sense of how much time you will donate to each activity. The time spent working out timings is useful not just for making sure that you don’t run out of time, but also for making sure that you use the time given to you effectively. As opposed to beginning writing immediately (and thus potentially sacrificing an argument), you should make sure that you spend some time paying attention to the passages at hand. There will be six extracts per paper, each linked by a common theme. Begin by trying to skim read each passage to get a feel for the texts – decide which texts excite and interest you, which texts you have a lot to write about. Having done so, choose the passages you’re going to focus on in depth and close analyse the passages (remembering to pick points of comparison and contrast). Sketch out a rough plan before beginning, then start writing!Having an argument is essential – almost as essential as signposting it to the examiner! Make sure you’re laying out the terms of your argument clearly in the introduction, and throughout your essay. The ELAT rewards consequential, or what you might call ‘joined‐up’ thinking, so make sure the examiner can actively see this joining up throughout. You might not need all your material – foreground your best and most innovative points. And above all, be enthusiastic! The ELAT is a sample of the kind of opportunities you’ll get at Oxford and Cambridge, so relish it, and let your passion shine through.