ICSE Preparation tips: How to prepare for English Literature- Paper 2

The Telegraph Online Edugraph brings you expert tips from Ms. Sweta Rao, a high school English teacher at Ekya School to ace the ICSE 2023 English Literature Paper 2. Read on for details on ICSE paper structure, tips for studying, stress management and revision techniques.

The English Literature paper is divided into five compulsory questions where you are allotted 15 minutes for reading the paper followed by two hours of writing time. You are advised to use the reading time judiciously and use it to decide on the questions you will be able to answer best. Now let’s take a look at the structure of the paper. 

ICSE 2023 English Literature Paper structure

The paper has four sections. Of these,

• Section A is compulsory
• You must attempt one question from each of the other three sections (Sections B, C & D ) 
• You also have to attempt one additional question from a section of your choice.

Let’s take a look at the individual sections now.

Section A

Question 1 (16 marks):

• This question follows the MCQ pattern.
• Eliminate distractors and choose the most appropriate answer.
• When answering, make sure you write the correct serial number and corresponding word or phrase.

Section B- Drama, Section C- Prose & Section D- Poetry 

Questions 2 to 7 (16 marks each)-

• Each section (B,C & D) has two questions, each carrying 16 marks.
• One question from each section is compulsory and one other has to be chosen from any of the sections.
• Utilise the reading time to choose the questions that you can answer best.
• Make sure you answer the questions based on the marks allocated.
• Try to answer all sub-questions under each question in a sequential order.
• Focus on the question words like how/what/comment on/justify and answer accordingly.
• Answers should be with reference to the extract, as far as possible. Additional information can be written based on the context.

Also, when answering the paper, if you are unsure of an answer, leave some space for it and come back to it later rather than spending too much time thinking about it.

Now that you know about the question paper pattern, let’s take a look at how you can study for the ICSE 2023 English Literature Paper 2.

Tips for studying

• Avoid skipping any topics while preparing for the exams.
• Refer to class notes and answer questions in your own words as far as possible.
• Do a thorough reading of the assigned textbooks.
• Solve several grammar based exercises from past papers and other available resources.
• Written practice of at least one past board paper for Language and Literature every week. Time yourself while solving these papers.
• When studying, make note of important points, key words, figures of speech and other elements as bullet points on flash cards. These are a great help when revising. 

And how much time should you spend on preparing for the ICSE 2023 Paper 2 - English Literature? Here are some tips:

Time Allotment:

• In the time before the board exams, it is important to allot 6 hours per week to studying English. 
• The time can be divided by allocating 4 hours to English literature and 2 hours to English language.
• Allocate one hour each out of the 4 hours for drama, prose and poetry every week.
• Doing a written practice of one board paper each for Language and Literature every week will be extremely helpful. 

Besides putting in the time to prepare for the test, it also helps if you know how to revise last minute. And here are some tips for that from Ms. Rao. 

Click here to read How to prepare for English language paper 1

Revision Methods for ICSE 2023 Paper 2 - English Literature

• Go through the board papers of the past 5-10 years and mark the important and repeated questions from each topic. Ensure you practise these.
• The revision flash cards you made will be extremely beneficial for ready reference just before the exam.

And finally, stress management is another important area you should spend some time on. Here are some points from Ms Rao. 

Managing Stress in the run up to ICSE 2023.

• Eat healthy, hydrate well and sleep at least eight hours a day. 
• Meditate and do breathing exercises.
• Go for a walk or play sports for some time everyday.
• Doodle, listen to music or do your favourite activity to refresh your mind.
• Share your concerns with your parents and teachers.
• Keep a plan for your daily and weekly study schedule.

We at Edugraph hope that these tips from Ms Sweta Rao are helpful for you. Best of Luck!