The Descriptive Paper: What It Tests
How the typed descriptive paper is set and marked — a letter and an essay in about thirty minutes — what the four marking areas are, how to split the time, and why word count, paragraphing and a formal register decide most of the score.
What you will be able to do
- State the format of the descriptive paper: a letter and an essay, typed, in about thirty minutes.
- List the four things the examiner marks: content, organisation, language and length.
- Plan a time split that leaves room to read, plan and check.
- Explain why staying inside the word range and paragraphing well protect the score.
What is inside this lesson
- 1What the paper is
- 2The four things marked
- 3Splitting the time
- 4Letter, essay and precis compared
- 5Register: formal and impersonal
- 6Where marks leak
- 7Quick revision
- 8Practice: judgement calls
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What the paper is
The descriptive paper comes at the mains stage. You type two pieces on screen — a letter and an essay — inside a single time slot of about thirty minutes, with a combined mark that carries real weight against the sectional cut-off.
There is no choice of medium: the question tells you the type (letter or essay), the topic, and a word range. You are marked on what you write, not on handwriting or neatness, but the on-screen editor has no spellcheck you can rely on, so proofreading is on you.
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