English Language Admissions Test - (Expert Oxford & Cambridge Application Advice)
So - you’ve submitted your essays and your personal statement, you’re preparing for your interview, and you’re half-way through the Oxbridge application process for English. One hurdle looms ahead: the ELAT, or English Literature Admissions Test. The first thing you need to know is that this test has the potential to be a creative and intellectually inspiring experience, one which allows you to display your enthusiasm for reading, your writing style, and your ability to connect ideas across a broad spectrum of texts. Unlike, say, the Classics test, the ELAT requires no memorisation; unlike the interview, no prior reading. Great! But how do you prepare for it?
The first thing you need to know is what exactly the ELAT is testing you on. They won’t tell you this in the (still quite useful) information on the Cambridge Assessment Admissions Testing website, but the ELAT is very similar to a paper which, if successful, you’ll do at Oxbridge: the Practical Criticism and Critical Practice paper. It’s essentially seeing how well you do without teacher feedback, without memorised quotes: just you, a selection of texts, 1 hour and 30 minutes. When you open the exam paper, you’ll see a list of the texts in the paper - which can be anything from poems and prose extracts to critical readings, art history texts, and dramatic scenes - and the theme which links them all together. In previous years, themes have included: storms, food, fathers and children, speech, and time, all pretty broad thematic concerns which give you a lot of creative scope in the paper. You need to pick TWO texts (it used to be two or three, so make sure you don’t make the mistake of doing three when you do past papers) and compare and contrast them in ONE essay with reference to the prescribed theme.
So how do you divide your time?
I found that about 15 minutes reading time was important - you need to be able to get a good understanding of ALL the texts, rather than just picking two at random. Spend the next 15 to 20 minutes planning, and the next hour or so writing - but try to leave yourself 5 minutes at the end so you can go over your work and correct any errors. The times may vary a little depending on your personal style - some people prefer to write and plan at the same time, others prefer a sparse plan to allow for more reading time.
What does the marking criteria want you to do? When it comes to the plan, you need to make sure that your argument is ‘well-structured’ - you’ll need, obviously, an introduction and a conclusion, and about 3 or 4 paragraphs, each with their own point of argument. You may already have your own essay style all worked out, but if not it’s always good to remember PEAL:
P - Your main POINT in the paragraph, and also your topic sentence.
E - Direct quotes from the texts are your EVIDENCE (‘apt and illuminating references to the text’).
A - Your ANALYSIS, which needs to focus on ‘sensitive, analytical close reading’.
L - Your final sentence should help LINK to the topic sentence of your next paragraph to ensure a ‘well-structured argument’.
You also want to make sure that you’re ‘moving confidently between passages’, or, in other words, directly comparing and contrasting them. There will be plenty of interesting, intersecting, or differing points and ideas in the texts, so make sure you spot as many as you can, and focus on both texts equally. In terms of style, higher marks reward ‘impressive work’ which is ‘understanding and sensitive’, while more ‘mechanical and descriptive’ work will be penalised. The trick is to make sure you’re always engaging with the text, thinking about language, style, ideas, imagery, allusion, form and structure. Don’t just describe - things like “both poems are about trees” won’t get you any marks, but an analysis - “Poem A sees the forest as a deadly, quiet, empty space, while poem B explores the forest as a living, breathing body” - will be rewarded.
So, how can you prepare?
There really is only one way, and that’s past papers. You can do as many as you like, although you should aim to do at least two in the run-up to the exam. If you don’t have time for the full hour and a half, then make sure you’re familiar with the exam papers and the kind of content you’ll be given, and give yourself about half an hour to read and plan a few essays. The more practice you do, the more you’ll benefit, but make sure not to overwork yourself - you need to go into the test feeling refreshed and ready to write. Keep practising close reading, as it will help you in your interviews, as well as your exams and beyond. These are skills which you already have - you know how to read and analyse a text, and you know how to structure an argument. The key is practice and confidence.
A final tip from a Cambridge supervisor - try to decide what your final sentence will be before you start writing. This is so a) you know where you’re going, b) you don’t need to waste time at the end trying to find the perfect final sentence, and c) if worst comes to worst and you run out of time, you can jot down your final sentence and make your essay look less rushed.
Summary
Make sure you read through all the past papers and try to write at least one or two practice tests in exam conditions. Aim for a few more half-hour sessions to practice reading and planning out essays.
Remember you can only write on two texts.
Read through all the texts before you make your decision - you need a good idea of what you’ve got to work with.
Remember to focus on COMPARING and CONTRASTING the texts.
Don’t be descriptive - be analytical.
Make sure you organise your time properly in the exam, giving yourself time to read over your essay if possible.
Let us know if you have any questions about this article or anything related to applying for English.
This article was written by Izzy (Cambridge - English)
If you find this content useful, please visit Izzy's profile for further information on applying to Oxbridge. Alternatively, book support now with Izzy, using the form below.
Author: Izzy - Cambridge
BA English
With previous experience in coaching Oxbridge applicants in sessions at my old school, my aim is to help students through their application with sound advice, personal feedback, and helpful guidance.
