Exam tips for novels

In the SPM examination, novels are tested in Section D. The novel section assesses students’ ability to provide relevant responses to the task. The response must be well-supported with textual evidence. Language has to be accurate, and the response well-organised.

The allocation of marks for this section is as follows: Poem - 10 marks

Novel - 15 marks

For the question on novels in Section D, students are given three choices which are:

1. Sing to the Dawn by Minfong Ho

2. Captain Nobody by Dean Pitchford

3. Dear Mr. Kilmer by Anne Schraff

TIPS TO ANSWER QUESTIONS ON NOVELS

General guidelines:

1. Read the question carefully. Identify the focus of the question.

2. For one focus provide a minimum of three pieces of evidence.

3. For more than one focus, provide one to support each focus. Include your opinion.

4. Make sure you do not make factual errors when providing evidence.

5. Spend five minutes to plan your answer using the suggested framework. You can elaborate based on the framework when you answer the question in full.

When answering the question on novels, it is helpful to have a framework to organise your answer. A simple, but comprehensive, framework may look like this:

Remember: This is a single-focus question – ‘One’s future lies in one’s hands’. How far is this true? Therefore, you will need a minimum of three pieces of evidence. Provide an opinion for each piece of evidence also.

Sample answer for Sing to the Dawn:

Sing to the Dawn is about Dawan, a young Thai girl who lives in a village with her family. She won a scholarship at school and got the opportunity to pursue her studies at a school in the city. She and her brother, Kwai, have great ideas for using their education to improve life in the village.

The statement “one’s future lies in one’s hand” is indeed true because a person should take positive steps to determine his or her own future. If you believe that hard work and perseverance will bring you one step closer to success in your future, then you should take the necessary actions.

In Sing to the Dawn, Dawan knew that furthering her studies in the city school would help her in the future. She knew that she needed the education to accomplish her plans for improving the social and economic situation in her village and other rural areas. So, she had worked hard in order to win the scholarship. It was an opportunity that she was unwilling to give up easily as her future as well as those of the rural community were in her hands. She was determined to have a better future for herself and for everyone around her.

As Dawan needed her father’s permission in order to go to the city school, she tried her best to get it. It was not easy as her father did not see the importance of education for girls, believing that it would be more useful for boys. Eventually, she was able to convince her father and was allowed to go. Her persistence is proof that her future was in her hands.

At first, she sought help from Cousin Noi, who had once lived in the City. She thought that Cousin Noi would be able to persuade father into giving permission. However, she was disappointed when Cousin Noi painted a bleak future for girls going into the City. Next, Dawan, went to the temple to ask for the head monk’s help. She even went to the market to get a lotus bud for her visit to the temple to coax the monk. However, the head monk was not supportive and tried gently to make Dawan give up pursuing her dream.

Dawan, knowing that her future lies in her own hands, worked hard to make her dreams come true. She was adamant not to give up no matter what came her way. In the end, she proved that with hard work she can have a good and comfortable future for her family and herself.