How to Prepare for the Oxford English Admissions Exam (ELAT)

🏫 hardcore-university.teachable... (Hardcore University, Exam Preparation Courses)
------------
📚 Read the Great Books with Hardcore Literature: / hardcoreliterature
🎙️ open.spotify.com/show/70IZA24... (Subscribe to the Hardcore Literature Podcast on iTunes & Spotify)
✍🏼 benjaminmcevoy.com My Personal Website
👕 hardcore-literature.creator-s... Hardcore Literature Merch
------------
Hardcore Literature Lecture Series
------------
📔Contents Page: cutt.ly/CmNhRY3
🚂 Anna Karenina: cutt.ly/vmNhAWv
💀 Crime and Punishment: cutt.ly/rmNhFt5
⚓ Persuasion: cutt.ly/amNhX7b
☕ In Search of Lost Time: cutt.ly/5mNh8oD
⚔️ The Hero’s Journey: cutt.ly/UmNjrE3
🌸 Siddharta: cutt.ly/YmNjuzi
🎠 Don Quixote: cutt.ly/cmNjoK4
❤️Shakespeare’s Sonnets: cutt.ly/nmNlW7V
------------
Happy reading!

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Hey, everyone :) The ELAT Masterclass is open for registration now. Use the code COVID69 to get 69% off. Limited availability - so, if you're interested, don't delay. Course enrolment will close soon: tiny.cc/qilwsz

[@donakahawe8051]

I’ve enrolled and I can’t wait to start! Thank you for all your help!!

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

@@donakahawe8051 Amazing! Thank you very much, Dona :) Let me know how you get on! A new bonus video will be going up on the course shortly :)

[@jadenm8406]

3 years later, watching this video as I'm about to do the ELAT this Thursday! Terrified, of course, but this has helped immensely in boosting my confidence. You speak so clearly and eloquently. Thank you for this!

[@revitaliserevision]

I am the same!

[@jadenm8406]

@@revitaliserevision Good luck!! We've got this!

[@jadenm8406]

@@eljtvtb ahhh i hope so too!!

[@sophiemae4119]

me too! i hope it goes great for us both!

[@user-im2ty8ut4h]

Same here! Good luck

[@hannahme1930]

Thank you so much for all the Oxbridge applications videos on your channel - they have been so valuable to me this year, especially as someone coming from a state school. I'm so excited that I received an offer yesterday, and I think I have you to thank for part of that! :)

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Oh wow! That is amazing, Hannah. Thank you so much for letting me know, and congratulations on the offer! I'm proud of you :)

[@amelieharding6114]

I can’t tell you how grateful I am for this ! Having been out of sixth form for 6 months I am super nervously be doing the ELAT but this made it so much simpler . The book recommendations sound amazing too !

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Thank you, Amelie! I'm so glad you found it helpful! I'll be filming some ELAT practice papers too soon. Wishing you the best of luck!!

[@jonahbabei6883]

I'm in the same position now! Did you get in?

[@cjmacphail3626]

Hi Benjamin, I had my ELAT yesterday. Just wanted to thank you for the help!

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Thank you! I've got my fingers crossed for you :)

[@emilyfreeman6070]

Thank you so so much for this! I've been so anxious about the ELAT and watching this video alongside doing mocks has made the whole process much less stressful :)

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Thank you, Emily! I'm so happy to hear that :) I'm sure you'll do a great job. Wishing you the best of luck!!

[@emilyfreeman6070]

@@BenjaminMcEvoy Update: thrilled to say I got an offer to study English at Christ's (Cambridge). Thanks again :)

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

@@emilyfreeman6070 Congratulations and well done, Emily!!!! I'm so happy for you! Thank you for letting me know :)

[@emilyfreeman6070]

@@BenjaminMcEvoy Thank you 😊

[@spiciestchilliofall]

The ELAT is tomorrow and this video may have literally saved my life. Thank you SO much!

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Thank you. Good luck!!!

[@spiciestchilliofall]

@@BenjaminMcEvoy Quick update to let you know I have an interview! I know for a fact that the ELAT technique is at least 30% responsible!

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

@@spiciestchilliofall That's amazing! Thank you for letting me know. Well done!! I've got my fingers crossed for your interview!! :)

[@sidrah5540]

@@spiciestchilliofall hey, can you please update. how was your interview, did you got in ? please lemme know. thanks.

[@emmairwin581]

Thanks for this! I made the last minute decision to apply to Cambridge on deadline day, so I don’t have loads of time to prepare for the ELAT but this was super helpful:)

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

That's amazing to hear, Emma!! Good luck!!! :)

[@zarinspriha5490]

🦋Loved this one..!

[@alisoncummins5405]

I am hoping to apply to Oxford for English language and literature this year as an international student. Currently very stressed about the personal statement but you going through the ELAT papers sounds very helpful.

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

I'm wishing you the best of luck, Alison. And I sympathise with how stressed you must feel. The personal statement is a tricky one to get right, but if you would like some help, you might want to check out my free video course 'How to Write a Personal Statement for Elite Universities': skl.sh/2WllJaN - It should help you crack it and make writing your statement a little easier!

[@ameliam1957]

Okay, gotta rant! I'd prepared for months for this exam, done several practice papers, watched this video (and it really helped, thank you!), revised all the terminology and techniques, and when I opened the paper, the passages were easily understandable and I was happy that the theme was something I knew a decent amount about. Then a fire alarm hit!!! It totally threw off my sense of time and, after twenty-ish minutes stood outside, I returned to my paper and was totally lost. I'm so annoyed because I had SO much to say and knew I could've done well, but the product ended up being incoherent, rambly and rushed. Though I tried to show some of the things I knew I had to, and there were some decent enough points in there, the overall essay (I literally wouldn't even call it that, more like a couple pages of random ideas) was nowhere near anything I'd ever written before - and this is the most important one out of the lot!! What I'm basically trying to ask is, does it matter? I basically did what was asked of me, but it was badly organised and at times I fear it veered into mere paraphrasing. Can I still do well based on the good parts, if the bad parts were pretty shit?? I'm hoping my written work will reflect my predicted grades, which are def good enough, but I feel like this paper was supposed to be the most important, showing how I work under timed conditions without external help... and I kinda fucked it up. Someone please tell me I still have some shred of a hope :')

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

That is so frustrating! I feel your annoyance, Annie. Don't despair too much though. Examiners can still see through surface-level stress and interruptions. They should be able to tell that you're good at the subject but something interfered with the process. This is quite normal (although fire alarms are not), and I know I can tell if someone has a good analytical eye even if their paper wasn't perfect. Sounds like you did some of it very well even in spite of the obstacle. And every part of the process kind of works together, so they'll still take everything else into consideration. There's still hope! :)

[@leahvadher]

I’ve just done the 2022 one! The theme was sleep and i think it went well! thank you for the video it was so helpful :)

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Well done, Leah! And 'sleep' sounds like such a lovely theme. I'm so glad to hear it went well :) I've got my fingers crossed for you!

[@leahvadher]

@@BenjaminMcEvoy thank you so much!

[@helenkidd6496]

thank you for this🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Thanks, Helen! I've got a longer class on the ELAT coming out soon :)

[@izzym717]

Thank you for this video, it was very helpful! How long before the ELAT should you start revising (e.g. doing past papers every day)? Thank you!

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Glad it helped :) You can never start too early! If you want to be relaxed about it, I would recommend starting past papers a few months out - 1 or 2 per week, even just fleshing out/scribbling a plan and not doing a full answer would be helpful :)

[@ditziie]

This video has been SO helpful, I'm sitting my CELAT in six days so thank you so much for this. What are your tips for refining the ability to analyse structure and form of a text? Analysing form in poetry is something I need to work on a bit more, and I'm worried it's a detriment to be unable to name different forms of verse (like heroic verse as you mentioned in the video) :,) But maybe I'm overthinking because I can still discuss structure quite well even if I don't know the appropriate terminology

[@judetorpey-aldag7507]

I loved the video Benjamin, you delivered the info excellently! I'm floundering with a week or so to the exam and I don't know really where to begin with preparation. Of the three books you mentioned, do you think there's a specific one I should try and get through in the time I have? Sorry for the long comment, and thanks for the video!

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Thank you, Jude! I really appreciate that :) If you're floundering, I would recommend my ELAT Masterclass as it covers everything. We go through past papers together, learn how to brainstorm and outline, write answers (even in real time), and there are modules on the best language to use for comparing and contrasting, and how to get into Band 1. I even look over practice answers for enrolled students. Personally, it would be the best bang for your buck, especially with not much time until the exam. It would be difficult to limit my recommendation to just one book, but, if I had to, I would strongly recommend Mortimer Adler's How to Read a Book. The ELAT Masterclass is here: tiny.cc/qilwsz - Wishing you the best of luck!!!

[@judetorpey-aldag7507]

@@BenjaminMcEvoy Thanks very much Benjamin. That's really helpful. I'll have a look at your masterclass! I'll look at 'How to read a book' too. Thanks again.

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

@@judetorpey-aldag7507 Great stuff! Let me know how you get on! :)

[@isabelwilliams233]

Have my ELAT in 3 days and I’m TERRIFIED but this made me feel a bit better ty

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Wishing you the best of luck!!!

[@isabelwilliams233]

@@BenjaminMcEvoy thank you!!

[@KatherineTreasure]

me too!! good luck :)

[@isabelwilliams233]

@@KatherineTreasure aw ty you too!

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

@@KatherineTreasure Good luck!

[@alicercave1893]

Hi, I wrote an ELAT practise response last night and I am happy with it but it doesn't follow PEE. I prefer to quote or point out a structural technique and then explain what effect it has and then feed that into a wider point. Is there any way you could take a cursory glance at one of my paragraphs and let me know if I need to reverse me EEP? Thank you!

[@deanbilly9073]

So underrated!!

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Thank you!

[@rosieharding9726]

This is really useful! How long in timed conditions did you spend planning? Because i know it says 30 mins however that just seems like quite awhile to me :)

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

30 minutes seems about right to me. I've always spent a TON of exam time just planning. Measure twice, cut once :)

[@satintaupe8970]

I looked for the checklist document you said you would post the link to below the video but I can't see it - please can you let me know where you've posted it?

[@mehwishahmed1722]

do you have any tips on how to analyse your own writing? and how to see if you can make it better? it's always quite difficult to properly go over something you've written, so if you had any advice on that, it'd be very helpful :) thank u so much!

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Great question. If you can't work with a mentor or tutor to identify areas to work on, I recommend you draw up a list of potential facets of writing. For essay writing, you could break this down into introductions (thesis statements), outlining, coming up with ideas, critically comparing, close analysis, etc. Then pick just one area that you feel you struggle with the most. Back in Oxford, I focused only on writing introduction sentences and practicing comparing different critics. Kind of like a painter sketching or a pianist practising scales - I'd just write tons of introductions every day for essays I never wrote. So make a list of potential areas you could work on, breaking down into small chunks, and give yourself a grade for each one. Trust your instinct. You'll know where you need to focus more work :)

[@DomesticGhost]

That's funny. I also went to Oriel. I left eleven years ago, though. I wonder if we were taught by the same people. A hankering for that old college vibe is what I was looking for, and found it in your channel, so thanks.

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Nice one :) It's always great meeting fellow Orielenses. I'm sure we were taught by the same people. I have the fondest memories of Dr. Methven's tutorials!

[@nationsfavouritegravy6866]

@@BenjaminMcEvoy Yeah, I had a gut feeling when you said "Tutors might invite you to their house for dinner..." - I liked his tutorials too, and his general warmth.

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

@@nationsfavouritegravy6866 Yes, he would make us these lovely homemade dinners. Pineapple and whipped cream for desert. And we'd try to get 'Precious Asses' into conversation! Wonderful memories :)

[@ellaboxall4305]

Love this, you're a lifesaver! Can I just ask one question, if we're analysing an extract and our interpretation of the message and language etc isn't necessarily right, can you still get marks if you prove and explain your argument? If I make sure that my essay is coherent, will I still be ok even if my understanding of the text may not be 100% correct or the same as everyone else?

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Thank you, Ella! :) Absolutely! This is one of my favourite things about English. Even if you're not "right" in the conclusion you've arrived at by someone else's standards, you can still be rewarded if you pave a compelling path to your answer. Explain, elaborate, expound, back-up, and provide nuanced thought, and you absolutely will get some strong marks!

[@ellaboxall4305]

Ah perfect! Thank you so much, that's really helpful :)

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

@@ellaboxall4305 Good luck! :)

[@ampersandcastle1091]

I’m applying to Oriel too!

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Yay :) Good luck!

[@sebastiandibb3176]

Hi Ben, would you say it’s always crucial to spend a third of the meat of your response on structure, even if both passages happen to be prose?

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

There can be a gulf of difference in how two writers render prose. James Joyce, for example, crafts prose in vastly different ways than, say, Hemingway. So, absolutely, it would be worth still focusing on :)

[@sebastiandibb3176]

@@BenjaminMcEvoy Thanks very much

[@maxwrld368]

thanks so muchhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

You're welcommmmmmmmeeee :)

[@larakennedy1806]

Does the essay have to have one overriding, cohesive argument? Or is it okay for it not to have one overwhelming point? This was all super useful, thank you!

[@larakennedy1806]

Also, does it matter if you choose to compare two poems instead of a poem and prose?

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Both work well. I would pick my direction depending on how compellingly I can write in that vein. If you have an overriding argument, go for it. Make sure to plan on paper for at least 15 minutes in order to identify cohesion throughout your argument. But there's tons of value in the simple "exploratory" answer too, which doesn't have to be as cohesive. It can just be a series of poignant/interesting points. Hope that helps :) I wish you the best for the exam, Lara.

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

@@larakennedy1806 It doesn't matter. As long as you can compare and contrast in ways that seem interesting to you. I prefer comparing prose and poetry because the structure is so different right from the start. But poems can have huge variance in structure and language used, so there are still ample opportunities for comparison between two poems. Go for whatever you can write about best - if that's two poems, great :)

[@lylabellamy9963]

Hiya, I have really enjoyed you’re videos on literature and have learnt so much! I would love to apply to Oxford next year (for English) and was wondering if you still tutored? I would be really grateful if you could let me know :)

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Hi Lyla :) thank you so much, and I wish you all the best in your application process! My schedule is currently full, but I am planning to offer consultations and tuitions again towards the end of the year, so stay in touch! We also have some video courses that help with the different aspects of the application if you’re interested - there’s a new discount code 69OFF which will give you a large discount! - Benjamin

[@lylabellamy9963]

@@BenjaminMcEvoy thank you so much!I will be in touch :)

[@lylabellamy9963]

@@BenjaminMcEvoy Hiya Ben, I hope u had a wonderful Christmas and New Year! I left a comment a few months ago in regards to tuition. I was wondering if anything had opened up? :)

[@ameliam1957]

Good evening everyone :')

[@livbarber7822]

me crying because ive been so focused on mocks that i forgot i had the elat exam in just over a day :)))

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Good luck! :)

[@rmc3956]

@liv barber, how was the exam?

[@livbarber7822]

@@BenjaminMcEvoy thank you!! I listened to your advice and I think it went really well! Did a paragraph on structure, language and style. But the topic was dance...which was very strange. But anyways, thank you :)

[@livbarber7822]

@@rmc3956 I think it went quite well actually...I managed to write 4 pages in the hour we had to write it, can’t promise that it wasn’t all absolute ramble though! Did you do it too?

[@rmc3956]

@@livbarber7822 I’m 4th year in Scotland so I think that’s year 11 in England, so I have my national 5s (which are cancelled) so basically we are just getting assessed throughout the year and will be getting predicted grades. I will probably will study English Literature at uni though 🤷‍♂️.

[@maxwrld368]

omg i got an interview at cambridge

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Well done!!!! :)

[@owenjames1156]

Not me doing my first timed ELAT mock the night before the real thing 😳

[@idmlily]

we doin this together 😤

[@owenjames1156]

@@idmlily good luck!

[@idmlily]

@@owenjames1156 you too!!

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Good luck!!

[@JanetteHeffernan]

It is a very simple poem to understand if one knows who Mithridatis was. He was an Emperor in Asia Minor who ate small amounts of poison to build up immunity to avoid being killed off by his enemies or lovers. Obviously he does not trust his would be lover.It is a very famous Joyce poem so I suppose one is supposed to know this. It is almost in the style of Robert Louis Stevenson and could easily be included in a "Child's Garden of Verses". Oh I should never get into Oxford.