The SAQ Pitfall…...and how to avoid it.

I’ve been writing a few SAQ revision resources lately and I’ve discovered a potential pitfall. In this post, I’ll explain the pitfall and one simple idea that might help. 

The Pitfall

Every SAQ needs an explanation of the topic and a supporting example. I think some students might get caught in a trap – they’ll explain their example in the topic itself and miss out on marks. In other words, they’ll get too specific too early in the answer and leave themselves with nothing left to say. Let’s take the following question as an example:

Explain the use of one animal model in the study of one human behaviour.

I think this pitfall is a reality when SAQs specify one of something. Let’s look at how a student might answer that question.

I wrote this SAQ with the first thoughts that came to my mind. I didn’t plan or prepare, I just wrote. This is just what happens in an exam. But the problem is I’ve shot my wad too early – I’ve gone straight into the example of MAOA knockouts and that leaves me with very little to say. The result is a brief answer that would score a 1, maybe a 2/4. I think a lot of students will make this mistake, especially with cause-effect type SAQs.

Read more:

• 3 Types of SAQs 
•  Biological Approach SAQs
• Cognitive Approach SAQs

The Solution?

Prior preparation prevents poor performance. So when preparing for SAQs, creating something like the following template might help. On the left side you write the definition of the topic term (e.g. animal model), and at least three key points you’re going to make. This is your explanation of the topic. Then on the right side you write down your example. You can add bullet point notes about how the example supports your explanation of the topic. By doing this you can make sure they’re aligned but don’t overlap too much. This wil prepare you to write a fully developed SAQ.

Example: Animal Models

My new and improved notes for animal models might look something like this…

If I’ve studied hard using my revision notes, then I will find it easier to write a fully developed SAQ that’s capable of scoring top marks.