How do I approach an unseen passage question?

Many A level Literature papers will feature unseen passage questions. These are extracts from a novel, or a play, in the genre you are studying, such as tragedy. I have 5 steps to make approaching these daunting questions much easier.1) Do not pick up your pen until you have read the text at least twice. It is important to focus on understanding the text before you start annotating and focusing on forming an answer. You will be surprised at how the more you read the text, the more you can extract from it.2) After two initial reads, you can now read the extract again and this time highlight and annotate anything that stands out to you as significant. 3) As you are annotating, remember to think of the key features of the genre you are studying. Try to find at least one example for each of these features.4) Before you begin writing your answer, it is important to create a plan as at A level you are not only marked on what you write but how you write it. I suggest writing at least a few bullet points for every paragraph, including an introduction and conclusion. In this plan I would also include the quotations from the extract that you are going to use to support your point.5) Finally, you can begin writing. Remember to use your plan throughout - it will help your writing seem well thought through and coherent, despite being written under timed conditions.Don't be afraid to spend at least a quarter of your time planning as it really is worth it.