How to tackle Section One in Society & Culture

[beatroot]

As we know it, Section One of the Society & Culture exam includes the core topic- Social and Cultural Continuity and Change. Everyone gets assessed on this same topic every year. This is the Paper One of Society and Culture. So how does one make their response stand out from the rest of the students? How does one structure their answers? How does one tackle section one? This guide will include some tips and lessons I’ve learnt during my time as a Society & Culture student this time last year.

1. Know your concepts from top to bottom

Your concepts are your best friend in Society & Culture- whether you are sitting the exam or doing your PIP, these concepts will and forever be your best friend. It is so important to reference them within your responses because the markers will mark you on your capability to link back your answer and examples back to the course’s concepts and foundations.

2. Your focus study is your best friend

When in doubt, use your focus study as your example. Unlike other subjects, you don’t necessarily have to bring in other examples in order to beef up your response. Rather, use your focus study to create a fantastic response- you’ve been so much time on it so don’t let her get away.

3. Be specific about multiple choice

Just like any other multiple choice, you must be specific! You can’t be 50/50 on your choice at all. Society & Culture is well known for having such an abstract range of questions for multiple choice. If you check out this thread, you will see how complicated the multiple choice questions are. Make sure you are familiar with your concepts because they do tend to pop up in the multiple choice section.

4. Don’t neglect your research methods

Just because you’ve finished your primary research method for your PIP, does not mean that you should throw all your knowledge out the window. It’s been a trend to include a question regarding research methods in Section 1. Make sure you know the difference between your quantitative and qualitative methods and what each of them entail.

5. Memorise the patterns and use them to help you study.

If you’re the type of person who likes to predict questions then you’ve come to the right place. Society & Culture consistently uses the same patterns for Section 1 which makes it easier to study. The multiple choice section alludes to mostly the concepts. There are usually 3-4 short answers- one of which will be about research methods. The others will be about your focus study. Check out how they word the question. I find that in the last question of Section 1, they would usually ask about the impact of X on Y.

6. Be concise!

Yes, you are allocated 40 minutes for section one and yes, you’re only given like 4 questions and 8-ish multiple choice questions. No, that doesn’t mean you should cut down the allocated time in section one in order to make more room for section two. You’ll be surprised at the fact that it actually does take 40 minutes just to complete section one. Why exactly? Mainly, section one is all about planning your response- most especially in the multiple choice area and the very last question of section one. Be careful you don’t go over/under the allocated time. Be concise with all your responses. Markers don’t want to read your blabbering- just go straight to the point damn it.

Good luck everyone