the tempest taking the ks3 test

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The TempestTaking the KS3 Test

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© Boardworks Ltd 20062 of 12

Contents


This presentation is designed to help you prepare for the KS3 Shakespeare test. In it you will find…

Practical advice on how to prepare for the exam

Important information on the test format

Useful tips on planning your answers and making the most of your time

Advice on what to include in your answers – and what not to include

Hints on using paragraphs


Taking the test

Taking the TestA Student’s Guide to Survival!



The KS3 Shakespeare test

In May 2007 you will have to sit the key stage 3 tests. As part of your English test you will be examined on your knowledge and understanding of The Tempest.

Don’t panic! The tests may seem scary right now, but your performance in them won’t radically affect the course of your life!

The tips on the next few slides will help you to get the best possible mark in the Key Stage 3 Shakespeare test. Remember that although you will only be tested on the set scenes, you will need to know what happens in the rest of the play in order to gain a good mark. Do some revision, and last but not least, remember to take all the equipment you need on the day.


Preparing for the test

The set scenes from The Tempest for 2007 are Act One, Scene Two, lines 189–321 and Act Five, Scene One, lines 1–134. Study these scenes in detail. You will be given extracts of these scenes in the test.

Make sure you understand the plot, the themes, who the main characters are and how their personalities and relationships change and develop during the course of the play.

Shakespeare wrote his plays for an audience. Try to see the play in performance. If you are not able to see a production of the play, watch a film.


The test format

You will not get a choice of question in the test so it’s important that you are prepared to answer each different type of question equally well.

In the test, you will have 45 minutes to answer one question on The Tempest.

The test question will take one of three possible formats.

You may be asked to demonstrate your understanding of one or more of the characters. You may be asked to undertake a literary analysis of the text. You may be asked how you would direct the scenes in performance.


Read the question, plan your answer

Read the question carefully. Pay careful attention to the extracts the question focuses on. Remember to answer the question that’s set, not the one you wish had been set!

Take some time at the beginning of the test to plan your answer. Try bullet points, diagrams, or perhaps even a rough sketch of the stage (for performance questions). But don’t spend too long! Decide beforehand how long you’re going to spend on planning and take a watch.

Allow time for checking your answer at the end of the test.


Using background knowledge

Some background knowledge about the play can be helpful – but it has to be used with care.

Reading the whole play will help you understand what is going on in the set scenes.

As you study the play, build up a bank of useful quotes. Learning these before the test will enable you to easily show your knowledge of the rest of the play.

But beware…

It can also be helpful to know a bit about the historical context of the play. For instance, if you know that magic was treated with suspicion in Shakespeare’s times you will have a better understanding of Prospero’s character.

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Using background knowledge (well)

You can sometimes impress an examiner by making occasional, relevant references to other parts of the play, for example:

Prospero’s decision to give up magic in V.1 [the set scene] contrasts with his use of his art to torment his enemies in the spirit banquet of III.3 [another part of the play] and is a sign of the moral development of his

character.

That’s just fine. But don’t fall back on reciting everything you know about Prospero when the question asks you about Ariel, or padding your answer with interesting but not particularly relevant facts about Shakespeare’s life. You are being tested on the set scenes, not on the play as a whole, or

on your grasp of history!


Using paragraphs


Don’t stress.

Get plenty of sleep.

Eat a balanced diet.

Make time for the things you enjoy – cinema, TV, sport, music, or just hanging out with friends.

Make sure you have all the equipment you’ll need: pens, pencils, highlighter, rubber, sharpener, etc. It’s a good idea to get all your stuff ready two days before the exam. That way if you suddenly find you’ve run out of pencils, or your pen’s burst in your pencil case, you’ve got time to buy a replacement.

Before the test


And finally…

the tempest taking the ks3 test

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