How to Study General Paper (GP): 3 Secrets to Success

This is the first in the Subject Guides series, which gives detailed advice on how to study and score well for specific subjects. It contains edited excerpts from Chapter 4 of the book “How I Study”.

General Paper, or GP, is probably one of the most daunting papers we’re confronted with in the A Levels. It demands not just knowledge of current affairs and global issues, but also an ability to think critically on those issues.

What’s more, these can’t be mere thoughts in your head—you have to express them eloquently on paper. In other words, your proficiency in the English language is put to the test.

You Can Study for GP

“GP? Just wing it.”

Heard that before? Well, let’s face it, if you want an A, waiting for the exam to come and improvising on the spot is simply not going to make the cut.

At the start of the year, I met with a junior to give her a bit of guidance for GP. I spent more than an hour talking non-stop about all my GP study methods.

She looked a little stunned. Some (or perhaps most) of what I was saying seemed to be things she was hearing for the first time.

That’s when I realised perhaps not all students studied for GP they way I did. Perhaps not everyone knew that if they simply used the right methods, they could ace GP. Without incurring expensive tuition fees. Even if you think you are terrible at writing or suck at English.

So I decided to put together a comprehensive post on how exactly I studied for GP (and got consistent As, and had my essays featured as model essays). By the end, you’ll discover how you can master the subject—in just 3 simple steps.

Understanding the GP Exam Format

I will not go into the details here, since your teachers will likely be going through with you, in-depth, the format of the two papers, as well as exam skills for each. You can also check out the SEAB syllabus document for GP.

This is a very concise overview of what each paper entails:

Expanding Your GP Inventory

You can rely purely on your school’s resources if they are good enough. However, since GP is not a facts-based subject (unlike the Sciences), and concepts are not neatly laid out for you to absorb, you may find it worthwhile to curate your own notes.

That begins from reading widely and keeping up with the latest news.

Where Can I Start Reading and Gathering Content?

I recommend subscribing to two news magazines: TIME and The Economist. These are paid subscriptions, but it’s a worthy investment.

Newsletters (free!) are a great way to keep abreast of current affairs. I mainly got my news from The Straits Times (local news) and The New York Times (global news). Any credible news site is fine.

Other resources include TED talks and books. These are entirely optional.

The 3 Secrets to GP Success

1. Focus on Two Topics (Only)

There are so many topics you can possibly be tested on. It’s impossible to know all of them and to know each one in-depth.

You have to be selective. Choose two—and only two—topics that interest you most (you can also go for topics you think have the highest likelihood of coming out in the A Levels).

The smart thing to do would be to focus on “Your Society” (Singapore)—either as one of your two topics, or as a third. This is essential for the Application Question (AQ) in Paper 2. It can also be used for “your society” essay questions in Paper 1.

Then, importantly, study your two chosen topics exclusively and intensively. Prepare for them so well that you become an expert on these topics. So, how do you do that? For each topic:

1. Make content notes: Read relevant articles on your topic. Condense them into key points. Make sure to cover all aspects—you can do this systematically by breaking the broad topic (e.g. “Science and Technology”) into subtopics (e.g. “The Fourth Industrial Revolution”, “Artificial Intelligence”, etc).
2. Save good articles: Some articles are so well-written they are worth keeping in full. These are usually opinion articles that analyse (rather than describe) a news event or issue.
3. Practise writing essays: For every test and assignment hereafter, write essays for only those questions on your chosen topics. This will give you ample practice.

Details and examples of exactly how I make GP notes can be found in How I Study. (While I find value in making my own notes, if you wish to skip the arduous process of synthesising vast amounts of information from different sources, I’ve actually done it for you. My GP notes are available here.)

2. Express Your Opinions (Write!)

To ace the GP paper, you need to (1) present a balanced argument, and (2) take a nuanced stand. If you’re not used to expressing your opinions—with felicitous vocabulary—you’ll find it hard to convince the GP examiner to elevate you to the highest band.

There are many ways to hone your skills, including engaging in an intellectual debate at the dinner table. And that’s a great place to start. But I would suggest that you force yourself to write sometimes. (You’ll be writing for the GP exam, after all.)

One way to do this is to write news journals. It’s simple. Select a new article, then write a response with the following components:

• Summary: What the article is about in your own words
• Reflections: Your response to the article
• Vocabulary: Words that you don’t know and their definitions

The “Reflections” portion should form the bulk of your news journal (2 to 3 main points).

Your news journals do not have to be long. And you should commit to writing them regularly (weekly or fortnightly, for instance). You will see improvements in the long run.

3. Expand Your Vocabulary

Note that for Paper 1, 20 out of the total 50 marks (40%) are awarded for the “Use of English”; for Paper 2 it’s 15 out of 50 marks (30%).

In Paper 1, you need apposite expressions to argue your case convincingly. In Paper 2, you have to be able to express ideas using your own words for the Short Answer Questions and paraphrase adroitly for the Summary.

I keep a Vocabulary List (using Google Docs, so that it’s easily accessible from my phone and any other device). Every word I come across that I don’t know, or know but seldom use in writing, goes into this list.

Another useful list to have on hand is a compilation of common words and their paraphrasing for Summary. Just note that you cannot be rigid about it when doing the paper. Chucking in any synonym won’t work; you have to paraphrase in context.

A-Level General Paper (GP) Notes

Have a question? Leave a comment below or drop me a message anytime. Don’t forget to check out the other articles in the Subject Guides series too.