ENGLISH FOR CSEC

PAPER 1 (1 hour 30 minutes) 60 Multiple Choice items

Items 1-20 are may contain some or all of the following:
Spelling
Synonyms
Antonyms
Grammar
Construction Shift
Equivalent Sentences
Items 21-60 are questions based on selected comprehension passages
PAPER2: Consists of 4 sections and takes 2 Hours & 40 min
Section one (1): Summary writing
This section is made up of one compulsory question. In this section, you have to write a
summary of a given passage or report. (There is no choice here, you have to answer the only
question in this section.)
You will be given a letter, passage or report and asked to write a summary of it. Or you can be
asked to use a map and write directions based on it or read a table of figures and write a
statistical report.
The paper 2 directions state that in this section you must write in "continuous prose", that is, you
must write using paragraphs. You MUST NOT write using note form. Also, after the allotted
number of words, anything you write will not be assessed.
Section two (2): Reading comprehension
This section consists of two compulsory short answer reading comprehension questions. (Again
there is no choice here, you have to answer both of the questions in this section).
Each question is made up of a reading passage and 7-8 questions on the passage. You must
answer all the questions on each reading passage.
Section three (3): Short story writing
This section is made up of three questions. They include two short story essays - one with a
picture and one without - and a descriptive essay.(You must choose one question to answer).
The paper 2 exam states that your answer in this section should be approximately
400-450 words in length and you must write in standard english, although you may use dialect
in conversations.

Section four (4): Persuasive writing

This section is made up of two persuasive essay questions. Your answer is usually required to be
in the form of either an informal letter to a friend, a formal letter to an official, a speech,
presentation or an essay. (You must choose one question to answer).
The paper 2 exam states that your answer in this section should be approximately
250-300 words in length and you must write in Standard English.