What makes a top-band A-Level answer?

Firstly remember that a brilliant A-Level English essay is not based on one correct answer, it is a well-supported point of view.

1.) CONTEXT - Context is absolutely key at A-Level, for my AQA A2 exam context was worth 40 out of the 60 marks for the question. It is absolutely vital that you have researched and memorised information about the author/playwright (biographical, aims for play/novel etc). Remember instead of simply learning useless facts such as their date of birth, try and relate this to the literature - for example Arthur Miller grew up during America's Great Depression, which may have led him to develop a negative view of the "American Dream". Ask yourself about the historical context of the writer and how this may have shaped any views expressed within the novel/play.

2.) QOUTES/PASSAGES - Whilst you may be allowed to have the text with you during the exam (as I was), I would still strongly advise memorising quotes. Having them ready in your mind saves valuable time in the exam when you would be otherwise searching for the exact page number, it also means that if you have a quote memorised, you likely have some points about this quote already in your head. Another key tip is to memorise short descriptions of key passages; this way instead of writing longwinded explanations in the exam you will already have a succinct description at the ready. You may have the most fantastic points, however if they are not supported by key moments in the text then you will lose valuable marks.

3.) THE ARGUMENT- Having a strong argument is absolutely key to achieving the top mark - your conclusion contributes greatly towards your overall performance, so your argument must be logically supported the whole way through. This does not mean that you can't begin by agreeing with the statement and then discuss elements of the novel/play that disagree, this may contribute to a well-rounded answer, just make sure that in your conclusion you express clearly which argument carried more weight for you and why. It is important to have a clear introduction which should introduce your 3-5 key points by name, and equally vital that each paragraph begins with a strong introductory sentence to give both you and the examiner clear direction, and ends with a supported conclusive statement.

This might seem like a lot to take in, but practice is KEY! Once you've written 3-5 practice essay in this style, it will come naturally to you - just remember there is no right or wrong answer, just a well-supported one!