O Level English Written Paper Test Date & Study Advice

If you are taking the O Level exams in Singapore this year, you should already know that English is the first main paper to kick off the written exams in October (not counting the Mother Tongue and Third Language papers). As such, making plans to tackle this first written paper well is of paramount importance!

To kick off your studies, be sure to lock in the exam dates into your calendar so you have a target to work towards. This year’s O Level English exam in Singapore will be held on the dates below:

Format of O Level English papers 

This year marks a special year, as there have been some changes to the O level English syllabus and exam format. But as before, Paper 1 still contains the writing components, including editing, situational writing, and continuous writing. Paper 2 contains the comprehension components, tested across three sections. Details about the exam format is outlined below.

Tips for O level English Paper 1

Paper 1 tests a few skills, including your ability to write in standard or ‘proper’ English, respond to a writing task with the appropriate tone of voice, audience, and purpose, and be able to explain your ideas in a convincing way. All these skills are not something you can easily study for at the last minute. Instead, they require consistent and long-term practice to perfect.

Some recommended steps for studying for Paper 1 are:

• Read a variety of texts with good language

Most people with good language and grammar do not actually sit down and memorise all the grammar rules. It comes with being exposed to good language and knowing what ‘sounds right’. If you are ready to put in some long-term work, it’s time to expose yourself to plenty of good reading material like official news websites and recommended books at your school library.

• Review past practices

Reading extensively may not be enough to help you pick up all the rules of language. In that case, spend some time reviewing your past practices and highlighting the mistakes you made. Compile a list of rules and exceptions that you find particularly difficult to remember and study that for the editing section.

• Analyse model essays

In primary school, you could probably get by with memorising model essays. But in O Levels, we recommend analysing model essays to understand what makes them good – and apply these to your own writing. Make notes on how good essays are structured and good phrases to use, and incorporate them regularly into your own writing practices.

• Practice and get feedback

Writing is something that requires lots of practice. Practising blindly won’t cut it, either. To improve, you need to get feedback from a trusted perspective, like a O Level English tutor who understands the syllabus requirements. This way, you can ensure you are improving from one essay to the next.

Read more tips on English Paper 1 here:

• A Guide To Writing Introductions For Expository Essays
• Better Ways To Describe Emotion in Your English Composition
• Expository Essays Made Easy: 5 Tips to Writing Better

Tips for O Level English Paper 2

Paper 2 tests your reading comprehension, including your ability to infer, evaluate and critique a viewpoint, and summarise information. Besides being able to understand and engage with the text, knowing the right answering techniques is also essential to score as many marks as possible.

Here are some study tips for Paper 2:

• Know the question types and answering skills

Comprehension questions are not random; there are a few question types that are often tested during exams. Ensure you know what the different question types are, and be familiar with how to approach them and phrase your answer properly. Read more about how to do well in comprehension paper in our earlier post.

• Practise paraphrasing

A key skill in comprehension is paraphrasing. You will need it for questions stating ‘in your own words’ and also the summary question. To improve your paraphrasing and summary skills, keep a list of common words and synonyms and practice often.

• Read actively

The most difficult questions in the comprehension paper are those that require deeper inference and evaluation. To practice critical thinking skills needed for these questions, cultivate a habit to read actively – reading not just to understand, but also questioning the validity of the points being made, forming your own opinions, and finding out about opposing views about the matter.

Conclusion

With the English papers kicking off the O Level written exams, it’s worth it to prepare early (and consistently) and have more time to focus on other content-heavy subjects closer to the exams.

To gain more individualised coaching and feedback, joining a O Level English Tuition class can offer you supervised practice, more effective study advice, and comments on your work by expert tutors.