Five steps you follow for every question, every subject, every exam. Open this beside your practice paper and work down the list — don't write a word until you've finished See.
S
See
What is this question actually asking?
Circle the command word — explain, evaluate, describe and discuss want different things.
Name the question type before you choose a method.
Hunt the hidden constraints in the rubric: word limits, the number of points, the text you must refer to.
H
Hit
Which framework is built for this exact question?
Select the named tool, not generic advice — STAMP CARD for editing, RAWCP for situational writing, P-E-E-L for expository paragraphs, CAPS for summary.
If you can't name your tool, you're guessing. Go back to See.
A
Apply
Have I built the structure before writing prose?
Write the plan first — the outline, the spine, the diagram. Structure before words.
Construct your own answer rather than reading a model one. Watching isn't practising.
R
Refine
What would the examiner take marks off for?
Self-check against the checklist for that paper before you look at any answer key.
Fix the mark-losers first: missing text reference, wrong register, over the word limit, inconsistent tense.
P
Practise
Can I still do this a week from now?
Retrieve from memory rather than re-reading — close the notes and redo the question.
Space it out: revisit the same question type days later, not minutes later.
Before you hand anything in
I answered the command word that was actually printed.
I can name the framework I used.
Every claim has evidence or a text reference behind it.
I'm inside the word limit and the format the rubric asked for.
I re-read it once for tense, spelling and agreement.