Hi, I have a lot of difficulties to deal with the "Discuss" type of question. After a lot of practices I’ve always noticed that the examiners' answers are very far from my answers and even go very far from the core reading material. At best, I’m mentioning a similar idea to the correction. However, the correction always takes a direction that I haven’t thought because the development of the idea is outside the Core Reading. So there is no chance that my answer is going with the examiner's direction. What do I have to do to beat them? I am practicing them a lot and still feel that the situation does not improve.
Hi The 'Discuss' command verb is quite commonly used on questions that require application rather than just a pure recall of the bookwork. Such questions may require higher order skills with the development of ideas that are an extension of the core reading. If, as you've have mentioned, some of your points are 'similar' to the examiner's answer then they are likely to score, as you are expected to discuss the themes on the marking schedule but do not have to replicate the schedule exactly. In relation to other points that you do not manage to generate on a question, spend some time at the end of each question seeing how you would have had to think about the question to develop that point. Was there a particular viewpoint you had to take? Was there a key word or phrase in the question you did not pick up on? I hope this helps Helen
