How do I study for a closed book examination at A Level?

The aim of the game with a closed book examination is to test your memory, knowledge and understanding of a text, things you should have built upon in class over the year. However, the thought of having to write an examined essay without your trusty, well-worn annotated copy can induce nightmares in even the most confident A-Level student. Thorough learning of the text through plot diagrams, character profiles then careful selection of quotes will have you writing essays with confidence in no time. The first tip, which should almost go without saying is, make sure you've actually read the whole book, cover to cover, at least once! Once you've done that, then feel free to move onto the more fun film adaptations to refresh your memory... A quick search on YouTube can also dig up lots of people commenting on the book or even making plot summaries for you. Try first to summarise the book in twelve sentences, then be discriminating about which points were most important to the plot and development. Every exam board deals with closed book questions differently, so it's important that you understand whether you'll be asked on a theme, section of a book, character or even a sentence from literary theory you need to agree/disagree with. Knowing this, you can select quotes to learn. There are no magic tricks to wrote learning quotes, but there are lots of things you can try to make it easier. A computer or phone app can give you flashcards with trigger words and a scoring system based on how well you feel like you recalled quote. Good examples are Brainscape or Memrise but there are so many for every platform. Equally, if you prefer a pen and paper approach this works. Stick post-it notes or larger A4 posters with your quotes around your room or house, and if your family are willing, you can always get them to quiz you! Writing them out, covering them up and trying to write them again can be boring but also helps activate muscle memory which can be invaluable in the exam. Once you've got your quotes and themes, it's time to think about how you'll approach an exam question and ensure your answers don't sound contrived!