Assess the task
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The first step to writing a strong GAMSAT essay is to assess the task.
You should start by reading all the comments and identifying the overarching theme. Then you must decide which comments you can most thoughtfully explore in relation to that theme.
This step is essential for making sure your essay is thoughtful and clear.
Whilst there is no single ‘correct’ response to a Section II essay task, there are certainly wrong responses, or ways that a response could go wrong.
‘Wrong’ responses include essays that do not accurately identify and respond to the core theme running throughout the comments.
If your essay falls into this category, it will not be related to the task, and you will receive a low score. Therefore, identifying the theme correctly is absolutely critical.
To identify the theme correctly, look for common terms across the comments. Sometimes, the same word will appear in all or most of the comments; other times, each comment might use a different synonym or related word.
Then organise these terms into core concepts.
When put together, the comments will almost always refer to a relationship between two core concepts or form two sides of the same concept. The relationship will often be in the form of pros and cons. The core concepts might appear more obvious in some tasks than others, but you still need to take time to assess the task to make sure you’re not rushing and have understood the theme correctly.
The core concepts for Task A will be social or cultural, while the core concepts for Task B will be more personal.
Sometimes, the comments might refer to concepts that appear contradictory or even unrelated.
In order to address the theme, you’ll therefore need to identify an underlying concept that they share or that links them. This underlying concept probably won’t be mentioned in the comments themselves.
To identify the underlying concept, think about:
- The definitions of any key words in the comments.
- Assumptions needed to understand or accept the ideas in the comments.
- Processes involving the ideas in the comments.
Once you have identified the relationship between the two core concepts or the two sides of a single core concept, try reformulating the theme as a question.
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This will help you:
- Articulate the theme clearly to yourself
- Brainstorm ideas when you plan your essay
- Stay on task as you write your essay
A good question should:
- Be specific — you need to directly address all parts of your question within time, which is much harder if your question is too vague
- Be answerable — you need to take a side in your essay, so make sure the scope of your question is reasonable
Walkthrough
Identifying the theme
Let's see how theme identification works in practice.
After identifying the theme, you must decide which comments to engage with in your essay.
You should read every comment in each task before making your selection. For each comment, confirm that the following is true:
- You can address all components of the comment and draw out some key implications.
- The comment fits with possible arguments and counter-arguments on the theme as you’ve identified it.
- You can provide an example to demonstrate your point about the comment.
If any of these conditions aren’t met for a particular comment, it’s better to choose a different one.
The most important thing is to choose comments you feel confident that you understand.
You will not get extra points for choosing comments you perceive to be more difficult or profound than others. In fact, if you choose to respond to a comment you don’t understand, you might struggle to produce a thoughtful and clear essay, which will limit the marks you get.
When selecting comments, ensure they fit relatively clearly with possible arguments and counter-arguments on the theme as you have identified it. If you can’t think of exactly how to use a comment, don’t use it.
Remember, you don’t have to discuss every comment in your essay. However, we recommend that you discuss at least two of the comments in some detail in the body of your essay to improve your chances of getting a good score.
You might choose comments that illustrate opposing viewpoints on the theme, in which case you would likely separate them into paragraphs dedicated to pros and cons.
Alternatively, you might choose comments that more or less take the same side. In this case, you might examine and critique a central assumption that your chosen comments share. This approach requires more sophisticated analysis but can lead to a nuanced, high-scoring essay if done well.
When reading each comment, ask yourself whether you can provide an example to demonstrate the point it makes (or rather, to demonstrate what you want to say about the point it makes).
The best examples are general and current — they pertain directly to the contemporary world but are clearly applicable to a wide range of cases. Keep this in mind as you select your comments.
Using a range of relevant examples shows that you’re engaged with the world around you and that your ideas apply to real-life contexts.
You don’t need to have a detailed, expert knowledge of the examples you use, but bear in mind that if you misremember or misrepresent your examples, you might weaken your argument.
Walkthrough
Choosing comments
Let’s practise assessing comments to decide which ones to address