What is the best way to structure an A Level essay in order to most effectively meet the Assessment Objectives?

At A Level, the structure of essay is absolutely essential to ensure the Assessment Objectives are fully met. Examiners will have hundreds of texts to mark, delegating a relatively small amount of time to each one and so making clear that you are aware of, and have met, the AOs is crucial to success. Also, having a clear structure and framework in mind can really help when put under pressure in exam conditions. (This advice is based upon the OCR mark scheme. For every student I would ensure that I have thorough knowledge regarding the specific exam board they are on).I would encourage students to have clear knowledge on what AOs are being assessed in each question and give the appropriate weighting to each AO based upon this.AO1: I would advise that it is best to answer questions thematically, rather than chronologically, unless you have an extract question which you are confident lends itself to a chronological approach. Each l point should have its own paragraph and for comparative questions, I recommend that the texts are dealt together as part of one point and in the same paragraph, using connectives such as 'similarly', 'likewise' and 'in contrast' to fulfil AO4 ('explore connections across literary texts').AO2: This is an analysis-based AO and won't be required in every question but for extract questions when it is, it normally holds a large proportion of the mark weighting and so it is important that analysis forms the major part of your answer. It is thus important to have wide knowledge of literary terms and practise identifying literary techniques.AO3: Contextual information is a crucial part of A Level essays. In the OCR mark scheme, AO3 can account for up to 50% of an essay's marks. For essays where this AO is required, I recommend integrating contextual detail into each paragraph and relating every point to the text's literary, social or historical context. It may be useful to briefly outline some key contextual information in your introduction, whilst you should also draw upon overarching social, historical or literary concepts in the conclusion. AO4: See the advice for AO1. Texts should be explored in the same paragraph and related to the same point, connecting the two texts using a connective to clearly signpost to the examiner that a comparison is being made. AO5: This AO concerns different interpretations of texts and can be met through including critical quotes and ideas, challenging or supporting these with your own arguments and in regards to plays, exploring different productions and director interpretations. Try to integrate quotations into your points and attempt to take issue with critical views. For the full-play question in Paper 2 which designates a high percentage of marks to AO5, your points and overall argument should focus on critical interpretations over time.