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Exam advice: writing
About the exam
Preparing for the exam
In the exam
What the markers are looking for
About the exam
The writing section of the exam is worth 15 marks.
You may use dictionaries in this section of the exam.
This is the third section of the written exam. It is designed to assess your ability to express ideas through the production of original texts in Chinese.
You will be required to respond to two tasks graded in difficulty. The tasks will involve presentation of ideas and/or information and/or opinions.
The tasks will require different kinds of writing. The first will be informative or descriptive, and the second will be reflective, persuasive or evaluative, and could require you to explain or justify a point of view.
There will be a choice of questions for each task.
The tasks will be related to the themes prescribed in the syllabus.
Tasks will have different purposes, audiences and contexts and require different text types.
You will be expected to write two responses of 130-180 characters each in Chinese.
The tasks will be in English for a response in Chinese.
Preparing for the exam
To prepare for this section of the exam you should:
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learn your list of active prescribed characters
Make sure you know and can write every prescribed character well. Make a list of characters that are used regularly and learn them thoroughly.
Please note that you are expected to use simplified characters consistently in tasks requiring written responses in Chinese. A small number of pinyin will be accepted. The pinyin should be confined to vocabulary and expressions which would not normally be expected to have been covered during a 400-500 hour course. The use of full form characters or pinyin will not be acceptable for items included in the character list.
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read widely in Chinese
As you read a wide range of texts and text types you will notice the different features of these text types.
As you read, analyse the different text types.
Note down interesting phrases, new vocabulary and facts that you will later be able to incorporate into your own writing.
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learn from your mistakes
Carefully go over work handed back by your teacher. If you do not understand why something has been corrected, ask your teacher. Keep all your work in a folder and read over earlier pieces to see how much progress you have made. Check that you are not still making the same mistakes.
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practise regularly
Write in Chinese as often as you can. Correspond with a Chinese friend by letter or e-mail. Get into the habit of always planning your work and putting effort into it. When unsure, check words in a dictionary.
Practise writing under exam conditions by giving yourself a time limit to complete a task.
In the exam
Read the questions carefully and select the ones for which you are best prepared.
Jot down a rough plan of your response. This will help give your writing direction and structure.
Try to include a variety of appropriate and relevant phrases. Avoid regurgitating irrelevant phrases that you have learned off by heart and intend using no matter what the question is.
Do not copy sections from the reading and responding section of the paper. These are easily identified by markers. They score no marks and are a waste of precious exam time.
Keep your answers accurate and interesting. Avoid being overly ambitious and attempting complex structures beyond your level of Chinese. Stick to phrases that you can express confidently.
Make your cultural references authentic.
Keep to the required word or character length. If you exceed the suggested length by a significant number of words you will increase your chances of making mistakes. You will also use time that could be devoted to another section of the paper.
Check through your answer at the end. Ensure that you have been consistent with register and that your language is appropriate for the context, purpose and audience.
Always avoid word for word translation from English to Chinese. Think in Chinese and try to give your writing an authentic Chinese feel.
What the markers are looking for
- Content relevant to the task
- Relevance of the treatment of ideas, information or opinions
- Accuracy of vocabulary and sentence structures
- Variety of vocabulary and sentence structures
- Capacity to structure and sequence responses.
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