Are you getting a 'B' or 'C' for your General Paper?

Why not try our G.P. Exam Classes?  Our popular GP Exam Classes taught by law school graduates, Shaun & Jacob, together with several assistant teachers.  You will learn to read critically, write persuasively, and articulate your ideas.  More importantly, you will likely improve your GP grades significantly (Over 50% of our JC2 students scored a distinction in the 2012 'A' level exam).  Call us to find a class in your neighbourhood, we have 9 locations island-wide.

Why Us?

We Teach ONLY English

Lots of Teaching Experience

Our Students Score

Affordable Fees

Also...

• We enjoy teaching!  
• We train you to use argumentative writing skills taught in law schools.  
• We are NOT some agency selling you tutors, we personally teach you. 
• If you need to leave, we'll be sad to see you go, but we will refund unused fees. 

Tuition Classes

G.P. Exam Classes

G.P. Exam Classes are taught either by Shaun or Jacob.  Class sizes are between 5 to 10 students, and last for 2 hours.  JC1 and JC2 classes follow disparate syllabuses.  JC1 classes are intended to stimulate creative thinking, critical reading, and logical argumentative skills.  JC2 classes focus on the exam question analysis, and exam taking strategies.

We utilize teaching materials from numerous JCs

'O' level English Classes
'O' level tuition classes are taught by either Shaun, Shimin, or Jiaping.  Class size is limited to between 5 to 10 students. Paper 1, 2, and 3 exercises will be done on alternate weeks.  For Paper 1 (composition), the class will focus on paragraph planning, sentence structure, topic selection and content.  Paper 2 (reading comprehension) classes will teach speed reading, question analysis, and the approach to the summary question.  Paper 3 (oral examination) will be practiced every 4 weeks, until July, where 3 classes will be used to prepare for the August 'O' level oral examinations.

Home Tuition

1-to-1 tuition is generally considered the fastest way to help a student.

We go to the student's residence and give tuition.  1-to-1 tuition allows us to evaluate a specific student's English proficiency and come up with a suitable teaching plan.  Students tend to be more relaxed when they are in familiar settings (like their home), and travel time is minimized because we come to you.

After the first lesson, students may decide if they want to continue with the current tutor.

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Here's what we do during 1-to-1 tuition.

•  Composition (Paper 1)

Firstly, we ask the student to show us how he or she does composition planning.  Evaluating the question and planning the essay is critical.  Many students shorten the planning to about 5 minutes and start writing as soon as possible.  We teach the student to identify the call of the question, go through a mind-mapping exercise, create an argumentative strategy, and then do a quick paragraph planning.  With practice, the student can perform all these within 10 to 15 minutes.

In later lessons, we show students how to pick question topics most suited to them.  We also correct your grammar, teach sentence structuring, and train the student in developing a written argument.

• Comprehension (Paper 2)

We ask the student to do a comprehension paper.  From this, we can evaluate the student's reading speed, reading pattern (does he re-read the same line 2-3 times?), and overall comprehension of the passage.  Some students have good comprehension but read too slowly.  Others get stuck on a phrase or word and re-read it several times.  We teach the student techniques to improve comprehension as well as basic speed reading skills.

We teach you how to answer a question "in your own words".  Many students simply paraphrase the relevant part of the passage, this is not always the correct way to answer.

Lastly, the summary and the AQ are not difficult if you know the correct way to approach them.  Usually, we start teaching the summary and AQ during the 2nd or 3rd lessons.

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Many students just want to "do well" for the exams.  Other students want a crash course 3 months before the exams.  There is no one-size-fits-all lesson plan.  Each student is motivated differently.  But if you can get the teaching method right, the learning process is a very rewarding one.

How We Teach

• For 'A' level students:  We teach GP students argumentative writing techniques and issue analysis skills (to prepare for Paper 1).  For Paper 2, we coach you in critical reading and show you how to break down the passage into understandable parts.  We also show you how to approach the summary and the AQ.  The General Paper is a daunting examination but it is possible to do well if you prepare.  Using methods we learnt in law school, we coach our students to read critically, and to write concisely, articulately, and persuasively.  With an average JC student, we see a notable improvement in grades after about 4 months.

• For 'O' level students:  We tutor students in composition writing and reading comprehension, with the emphasis towards good grammar and sentence structures.  For students who are weaker in English, it is still possible to perform well on Paper 1 if the student learns narrative writing techniques.  For Paper 2, we train the student to break down the passage, identify the call of the question, and then write a grammatically accurate and concise answer.  Paper 3 Oral Examinations follow the same format every year and are relatively easy to prepare for.  We prepare you for different conversation scenarios and train you to speak articulately and expressively. 

Taking the General Paper

 ●   Isn't the General Paper simply more "advanced" English?

Actually, no, it isn't.  The General Paper ('GP') seeks to inculcate "maturity of thought, independent thinking and the proficient use of language".  See http://www.seab.gov.sg/aLevel/2013Syllabus/8807_2013.pdf.  Doing well in GP takes a little more than having fancy vocabluary and organized paragraphs.  The GP presumes you have moderate knowledge about relevant contemporary issues, and, on the premise of that assumption, asks you to (1) identify the call of the question, (2) synthesize arguments both supporting and opposing a hypothetical position, and (3) write an analytical and persuasive discussion of the issue.  If you can do all these (and under time constraints), you are ready for the exam. 

 ●   I don't have much "general" knowledge, can I do Paper 1?

There are several questions with different topics to choose from. Although it helps to have more than one topic to write about. We suggest you read one or two news articles each day to be aware of current events. 

During the examination, some of your peers will be sweating while trying to figure out which of the given composition questions best allows them to regurgitate that model composition they memorized the night before.  This is a dangerous game to play.  Examiners are very good at spotting a memorized composition.  Your results affect a considerable part of your foreseeable future.  Instead, you should be thoughtfully formulating your arguments, putting pen to paper, and walking out of the examination hall knowing you have 'done it'.  You have just submitted a genuine A-grade composition.

 ●   What GP materials are best?

In general, utilizing the materials (compositions and assignments) that you have been issued to work with by your GP teacher is a good way to start.  We also use the 10 year series (now 6-year series) extensively, espeically for weaker students.  For stronger students, we use the "KS Bull" essays, the RJC Examiners' Reports, and FBP's "General Paper Topical Studies Sample Essays".

We have also found the following to be effective and affordable learning materials:
GP Matters (Vol 1 & 2) by Robert Wilks, 2006, ISBN:981-00-4105-5
New Edition GP Power by Robert Wilks, 2007, ISBN:981-00-9494-9
The Essential GP Companion (1 & 2), Strategies to tackle General Paper by Mervyn Blake, ISBN:981-242-746-5

... And finally

Whether or not you decide to learn with us, finding this page already reflects a tangible effort to improve your language skills.  All the best to you.