�鶹Լ��

Read the extract

Section B of the exam focuses on the set text and will start with a short extract. It is important to read this carefully before attempting to answer any questions, as some of them will be directly related to it. It can be useful to try to picture how the scene might look on stage while reading, as the questions will focus on personal interpretation.

Type of question

In this section, there are 44 marks available split across four questions, all of which need to be answered. Each question provides progressively more marks:

• 4-mark question
• 8-mark question
• 12-mark question
• 20-mark question - two options will be given but only one should be answered

Different questions require a response from different perspectives:

• performer - consider how physical and vocal skills might be used to portray a character, how the performer uses space and their stage positioning
• designer - focus on the design ideas that are appropriate to the play and the type of staging selected

Command words - describe and explain

Each question will feature exam command words, which relate to how a question should be answered. There are two command words in the written exam:

• describe
• explain

Here is an example of part of a costume design:

• oversized black blazer
• buttons missing
• patches covering elbows
• ripped, off-white shirt

To describe is to set out the characteristics of something, often in detail. A descriptive exam response could look like this:

I would dress him in a slightly oversized black blazer with some of the buttons missing and the elbows covered with spare patches of mismatched fabric. Under the blazer, he would wear an off-white shirt with small rips.

To explain is to set out the purposes or reasons behind a point that has been made. Some questions will require an explanation as well as a description. An explanation exam response could look like this:

By dressing the character in this way, I would be able to convey to the audience that the character had fallen on hard times. This would also provide the audience with a key understanding about the historical context of the play and how challenging life could be for working-class people at this time.