General Paper (GP) Essay Questions 2024 and Thematic Strategies

GP Essay Questions (2024) and Thematic Strategies

Looking for the 2023 A Levels Essay Questions? It’s over here!

Practicing prelim questions is an effective strategy to prevent us from stumbling over our actual A Level questions in the exam because it familiarises us with the relevant issues/debates under a specific Theme.

Below are questions from this year’s prelim papers, including the 17 schools*. I have organised them into Themes for our easy reference. I have also added my own insights for each Theme to provide important tips on what we have to take note of if we want to provide critical and quality responses for questions under that Theme. I separated ‘Standard’ questions from ‘Others’ that are more niche or unconventional. I also marked out questions that are more difficult because of various modifiers.

The major Themes to focus on are: Arts, Science & Tech, Individuals & Values, Politics, Media, Environment, General. These themes have been selected based on their frequency in the A Levels. Themes not included here are those that are not common for A Levels (e.g. Education, Sports, Crime, Poverty, Family, Economics)

So below are nearly 160 questions that I have compiled for the year of 2023, all for your easy reference 🙂 If you need more questions, please check out the three-year compilation (2017, 2018, 2019) or  2020, 2021, 2022, 2023. I have also included some general questions for those of you who prefer to attempt general questions. A detailed explanation of all these 7 Themes are also found here, and it is also something I will discuss extensively in my CONTENT CRASH COURSE (which always happens for 2 rounds from Aug-Sep and Sep-Oct)

*17 schools: ACJC, ASRJC, CJC, DHS, EJC, HCI, JPJC, MI, NJC, NYJC, RI, RVHS, SAJC, TJC, TMJC, VJC, YIJC 

Read the following overview to maximise the benefit of this resource!

Overview (Tips for Effective Revision)

• Prepare content knowledge in a Thematic way to ensure maximum effectiveness during the A Levels where our content knowledge would likely be applicable
• Choose at least 3 Themes to specialise in. Recommended to avoid Themes that are not in these 6 because they do not come up that frequently in the exam
• Look at questions to familiarise with what common issues come up for that Theme
• Identify existing gaps in content knowledge and fill in those gaps
• Use questions for practice; come up with detailed essay plans (20 mins per question) and quickly cover as many questions as possible to increase exposure to the different ways a Theme can be tested

Standard questions are predictable core issues that are a ‘must-know’ when specialising in that theme. These represent 80-90% of all possible questions from this theme. I have analysed 3000+ questions over the years to derive these common issues (quite sure I am the only teacher who is crazy enough to do this haha), so that you can easily spot trends for the theme. Again, you must join the crash course if you would like to find out more about standard questions. My crash course answers all the standard questions, which means my students can always answer around 90% of any question that comes out for a theme they are specialising in. If you would like that too, please do not hesitate to join! Standard questions marked with ‘difficult’ are usually because they are similar to standard questions but have other specific requirements that make them challenging to address. Other questions marked with ‘difficult’ are even less standard, and are often very niche or require knowledge from other themes.

To find out more about the essential arguments to answer any standard question, check out our 7 Lessons Content Crash Course that offers 150+ arguments and 350+ examples to cover all these standard questions! In just 7 lessons, you will easily master all the content knowledge required and feel very confident for the A Levels 🙂 Lessons are all online and recordings are also available even if you can’t make it! Click here to find out more and sign up

1. Arts/Heritage

Arts (Standard)

1. Has digital media made artists worse off?
2. Given that creative works can be generated using artificial intelligence, are human creators still necessary?
3. Heritage and traditions create more problems than benefits. How far is this true of your society?
4. How important is it for everyone to appreciate the Arts today?
5. Discuss the view that art fosters well-being.
6. Assess the view that traditional businesses have no future in your society. Difficult
7. Should the government spend huge amounts of money on the arts when the masses are largely uninterested in the arts? Discuss this with reference to your society.
8. ‘The arts should not rely on government support.’ Comment.
9. ‘Poetry is a luxury we cannot afford.’ How far is this true in your society?
10. Assess the view that technology has ruined the arts industry.
11. To what extent has entertainment today made the young incredibly out of touch with the real world? Difficult (Media + Arts)
12. Assess the view that the arts do not contribute to social change.
13. Can the arts truly influence change in the world today?

 Arts (Others) – Difficult

NONE this year, all standard 🙂 Arts is a really easy theme. Once again, I would like to highlight that this is the MOST FREQUENT theme appearing in the A Levels, do not let these prelim questions mislead you into ignoring this wonderful theme.  MANY BENEFITS: Standard questions with many overlaps + easily shows personal voice due to vocab used + easy to differentiate from other students + fun examples that are easy to remember. Check out my model essay for Films shared in my Telegram channel (it was my actual essay as a student taking the A Levels in 2014)!

Insight/Strategy:

This year’s prelim questions have very few from the Arts, but we must remember this is not representative of the A Levels (Arts is the MOST frequent Theme that comes out for the A Levels – 24 in 12 years)

When we look at Arts, one of the key question lies in its Value – whether or not the arts has value and can serve a certain function (think of it like useful vs useless/problematic). This exists at the core of Arts questions but are often phrased in different ways. We need to ensure that we do not just regurgitate the content we are familiar with. Instead, we should address the key terms (e.g. engage the real world, contribute to social change, important, fosters well-being).

For the more specific or varied art forms like films, literature, television adaptation, we would need to have concrete examples for these even if the arguments are similar to the more general idea of ‘the Arts’. Do note that the various forms of the arts include: films, music, literature, painting, sculpture, dance, theatre. Out of these, usually films, literature and music are the most common and can exist as the sole focus of a question. This year the only specific art form is poetry (a sub-set of literature, but it precludes the discussion of stories in other forms).

The star of this year’s questions is no doubt those that look at Art and Technology. This is of course due to the latest developments in AI-generated art which sparks an entire discussion on whether technology is a boon or bane for the arts. I have been predicting this question for a while but it has not been coming out, which means there is a high chance it will be this or next year!

The area of heritage/tradition also revolves around the idea of value (specific questions may examine whether traditions have value apart from economic benefits).

Analysis of Difficult Questions: Very few difficult questions because everything is highly predictable. 11 is difficult because entertainment is broader than just the arts, while 6 is about heritage but only businesses.

Pros-Cons of this Theme:

• Highly common in the A Levels [RANK 1]
• Less popular with students = Easier to differentiate yourself and score well
• Questions are often very standard. Just by knowing arguments about value of art can already answer many of the questions below (can refer to the sample essay I have shared on the value of films) |Tip: Take the stand that art has value! It is much easier to argue and shows that we are cultured 🙂
• Honestly, no cons!

2. Science

Sci/Tech (Standard)

1. We are scientific giants but ethical infants. Comment.
2. Should artificial intelligence be feared or embraced?
3. ‘The public’s interest should be prioritised in scientific research.’ Discuss.
4. How far is artificial intelligence a threat to humanity?
5. Is it true that despite today’s advances, we are facing a bleak future?
6. Discuss the view that the government has the greatest responsibility for ethical development of technology. Difficult
7. How far does modern technology impact the pursuit for gender equality? Difficult
8. ‘The process of science is limited by selfish agendas.’ Discuss.
9. Consider the view that advancements in science and technology have made us more powerful but less human.
10. Does reliance on technology compromise our freedom? Difficult
11. ‘Technology has given us a false sense of hope in solving problems.’ To what extent is this true?
12. As much as science is useful, it is unreliable as the means to human happiness.’ Discuss. Difficult (Sci + Happiness)
13. To what extent is international cooperation effective in addressing global concerns?
14. ‘Artificial Intelligence is diminishing our ability to think.’ What is your view
15. Today’s technological innovations have made work more productive and fulfilling. Discuss. Difficult
16. To what extent should we be concerned with AI developments today?

Sci/Tech (Others) – Difficult

1. Is the seeking of knowledge aided or hindered by modern technology? (New Media + Tech-based learning tools)
2. Is change to be welcomed or feared in your society? (Societal change + Tech advancement)
3. Examine the view that people today need to slow down in order to move forward. (Indv Success + Societal Progress)
4. Education, not regulation, is key to keeping society safe from cybersecurity threats. How far is this true in your society?
5. ‘We have too much faith in medicine today.’ To what extent is this true?

Insight/Strategy:

The first main issue lies with Impact. However, given that Sci & Tech questions often have complex modifiers that add niche requirements to the question, we would need to tweak our arguments to address these different ideas of impact. We need to pay attention to the specific impacts the question chooses to focus on (e.g. is it helping gender equality, making us more powerful but less human, compromising our freedom, creating a bleak future, a means to human happiness, solves problems). It becomes important to really interpret these terms and consider how to address them instead of merely regurgitating pros-cons. This year, ‘impact gender equality’, ‘compromise freedom’, ‘aiding/hindering knowledge’ are more challenging because they are highly specific and the examples required would be niche too.

The next big group looks at the more Current/Futuristic forms of Sci &Tech. Usually questions are broader in scope referencing the ‘latest advancements’ or ‘current developments’. 2024 Prelims, instead, concentrate much more on AI. I definitely agree (and have been saying in the past few years) that the developments in artificial intelligence (AI) makes it a very prominent issue.

Another group of questions examine whether there are or should be any Restrictions/Limitations on Sci & Tech (e.g. ethical infants, ethical development, prioritise public interest). Such questions overlap heavily with ethics because ethics is the foremost rationale behind wanting to regulate. This particular issue is always popular—a timeless concern in this Theme.

Note the difference between scientific research and technology. Remember that scientific research refers to the knowledge, theoretical and academic aspects whereas technology refers to the applied and practical uses. For instance, social media is a technology but it is not related to scientific research. It is important to clearly note whether the question engages with Science or Technology, and to use the suitable examples.

Analysis of Difficult Questions: Many impact-related questions are very specific. Other questions like 15 and D4 also require specific knowledge (e.g. tech and work, cybersecurity). Some questions like D2 and D3 need extra analysis to realise they have some relation to tech (e.g. change, slow down).

Pros-Cons of this Theme:

• Highly common in the A Levels [RANK 4]
• Students are usually exposed to ideas of tech in schools and in their lives, making this quite relatable (can tap into prior knowledge)
• More popular with students = Harder to differentiate yourself and score well (this is usually the most attempted question in every year!)
• Questions are not standard, there are many variations that make it difficult to answer without proper question analysis | Exception: Questions about impact are quite standard, just need to adapt arguments and examples to ATQ
• Examples are difficult – need to be updated (since Sci & Tech is constantly and rapidly advancing) + must avoid cliché examples that many students like using

3. Individuals & Values

Individuals & Values (Standard)

1. Consider the view that there is too much emphasis on individualism today. Difficult
2. Individuals today can do more about global problems than ever before. To what extent is this true? Difficult
3. It is better to conform than to challenge. To what extent is this true in your society?
4. Since individuals can hardly influence political decisions, is there any point in being aware of current affairs today? Difficult 
5. Is success more important than integrity in today’s world?
6. ‘Too much focus has been placed on outcomes rather than on efforts.’ Is this true of your society?
7. Activism is becoming more frequent, but less effective. Discuss.
8. To what extent does your society foster resilience?
9. Is compromise always desirable?
10. ‘It is necessary to sacrifice leisure time for work.’ How far is this true in your society? Difficult
11. “Comparison is the thief of joy”. Discuss. Difficult
12. ‘The world is in need of more dreamers.’ Comment. Difficult
13. ‘There is no room for failure.’ Is this true of your society?
14. How far do you agree that efforts to promote inclusiveness do more harm than good?
15. How far can the youth in your society be relied upon to effect change?
16. ‘Protests are the only way to be heard today.’ Do you agree?
17. Is idling necessarily a bad thing in your society? Difficult
18. ’Discrimination is not necessarily bad.’ Discuss. Difficult
19. ‘Tackling social issues is best left to the government.’ How far is this true of your society?
20. ‘To be different is to be condemned by society.’ What is your view?
21. Society has lost its trust in public figures today. Do you agree?  

Individuals & Values (Others) – Difficult

1. ‘We expect too much from public figures.’ Discuss.
2. To what extent is it fair to expect public figures to be good role models?
3. Too many people are famous for the wrong reasons today.” Is this a fair comment?
4. ‘Schools should discourage rather than promote conformity.’ How far do you agree?
5. Consider the view that working from home is the answer to work-life balance problems?

Insight/Strategy:

I came up with this Theme, so you wouldn’t find this anywhere else! This is a very easy-to-master Theme, and also something very commonly tested! Individual/Values are questions that are more philosophical in considering the importance of different values in an individual’s life (e.g. Success/Adversity, Happiness, Competitiveness vs Selflessness, Freedom/Originality/Conformity, Integrity). We can do very well when we realise how these questions are repetitive. You will see many similar questions below that essentially ask about the same thing. The strategy lies in how we are able to tweak our content knowledge to handle different phrasings (a common strategy across Themes that you will notice I keep emphasising and are also teaching in my crash course and weekly lessons!).

For Success, questions prompt us to ponder what defines success and whether our societies are emphasising traits related to success (e.g. foster resilience, focus on outcomes/efforts, prioritising success over integrity, encourage failure). For Happiness, it is often intertwined with ideas of work and achievements. For Non-conformity, questions are interested in whether there is value in being daring to challenge norms and fight instead of conform or compromise. You will notice there are significant similarities across these topics because they all relate to values found in an individual’s life; this makes it easier because knowing one issue helps with arguments for another. Note: these values may also be embodied by countries/organisations and these can be also be used for examples unless the question’s focus only relates to individuals.

The structure of the essay response becomes fairly straightforward where we analyse the pros-cons of these values, or discuss whether society offers a favourable environment for some of these values.

This year’s big winner is definitely on Social movements and Activism to consider its value and importance (e.g. individuals solving problems, dreaming about improvements for the future, influence decisions, promote inclusiveness/diversity, effect change, voice out concerns to the government, tackle social issues). It is the most I have seen in any year (despite there being only 8 questions for each school). Activism is categorised here because individuals are drivers of activism and they use activism to manage power dynamics with governments, Also, activism synergises beautifully with the other values being mentioned above (like success, selflessness, or non-conformity). Furthermore, it also aligns with major Themes like Media, Politics and Arts because all of these have questions looking at how individuals fight for change in society and let their voice be heard by others and by the government.

Activism has always been an incredibly popular question type. In 2022, I predicted this and it did come out and recurred again in 2023! 2024 and 2025 may still find ways to focus on the same issue, but with a different question framing. Main trend = discuss the Value/Effectiveness of Activism.

Analysis of Difficult Questions: Success questions are not just looking at what contributes to success, but rather whether societies currently have a healthy environment, which is actually quite a different discussion. Some very specific questions for 10, 11, 18 (e.g. work and happiness, idling, comparison being the thief of joy, discrimination). Other questions like 2, 4, 12 require us to tweak to relate to more standard Indv & Values questions (e.g. individuals can solve global problems, should be aware of current affairs, world is in need of dreamers).

Pros-Cons of this Theme:

• Highly common in the A Levels [RANK 2]
• Less popular with students = Easier to differentiate yourself and score well
• Questions have a lot of overlaps, making it easy to adapt arguments we know for many questions in this theme
• Have a lot of synergies with other Themes also because of how general it is
• Honestly, no cons!

4. Politics

Politics (Standard)

1. Assess the view that the world today is more divided than before.
2. To ensure peace, it is vital to prepare for war. To what extent is such a viewpoint justifiable?
3. The government should never interfere with people’s private lives.’ To what extent is this true of your society?
4. To what extent is it more important for a government to be efficient rather than democratic?
5. To what extent is it justifiable for the state to control what an individual eats or drinks? Difficult
6. Examine the claim that political leaders should pursue peace at all cost.
7. The stronger the country, the lower the likelihood of war. Comment.
8. ‘Countries cooperate only when it suits their interests.’ Do you agree?
9. To what extent does the government have the right to monitor what people do online? Difficult
10. Consider the view that politics today is all talk and no action. Difficult
11. ‘Governments should encourage greater participation in matters of governance.’ Discuss this with reference to your society.
12. ‘Only powerful nations have a significant voice in global affairs.’ Discuss. Difficult
13. To what extent should the state interfere with the private lives of its citizens?
14. To what extent can your society balance individual freedom and national interests?
15. To what extent is the success of a government measured by its ability to maintain law and order?
16. Discuss the view that powerful nations should take the lead to address global issues.
17. In this global age, national boundaries are no longer relevant. Discuss. Difficult
18. ‘Peace should be imposed at all costs in the modern world.’ Comment.
19. Is it true that despite today’s advances, we are facing a bleak future?
20. Examine the view that discussing politics on social media is a waste of time.

Politics (Others) – Difficult

1. ‘Societies today have learnt nothing from the mistakes of the past.’ Discuss.
2. Society has lost its trust in public figures today. Do you agree?
3. How far does a country’s geographical location influence its success in the modern world?
4. Religion should have no place in politics. Discuss.

Insight/Strategy:

Politics is an incredibly popular theme both in the A Levels and in the 2024 Prelims/ The two main branches of Politics questions look at International Relations (External) and Governance (Internal). International Relations is a big winnder this year, look at how many questions relate to this! IR includes looking at International Cooperation and Diplomacy, considering what approaches should be recommended, i.e. should it be aggressive and confrontational or should it involve diplomacy and other alternative conflict resolution methods. Questions commonly discuss the importance of international relations and the benefits they present (e.g. ensure peace or prevent war, address global issues, create a hopeful future, take action). Questions relating to conflict and war would also fit well into this topic because these are the problems that countries try to prevent. Questions about history would also synergise well since many historical events revolve around conflicts.

Governance looks at the factors that determine good governance (e.g. take action instead of only talking, encourage greater political participation from the people, maintain law and order). Another bulk of Politics questions in 2024 come from Restriction of Rights. These questions consider whether it is justified for governments to violate certain human rights and implement intrusive policies (e.g. interfere with private lives, control diet, monitor online activity, sacrifice individual freedom, value efficiency over democracy).

Some questions also look at the idea of Borders (e.g. boundaries being relevant, geographical location affecting success). These kinds of questions would get us to consider how the world has changed with globalisation and its connectivity. How do issues in one place affect the other? Can countries thrive on their own?

Analysis of Difficult Questions: 5, 9 and 12 are difficult because the context is more specific (only powerful nations). 10 has both external (international relations) and internal (governance). 17 requires knowledge from more than 1 Topic, needs a lot of Tweaking to answer. D1 needs extra knowledge on history, which is synergistic with Politics but still considered something beyond the standard questions. D2 and D3 are very niche, while D4 is broader than only politics.

Pros-Cons of this Theme:

• Highly common in the A Levels [RANK 3]
• Less popular with students = Easier to differentiate yourself and score well
• Questions are often very standard. Mastering this theme requires just two main areas of knowing about external international relations between countries and the internal governance within a country |Tip: Start realising that countries and governments may not always be so altruistic, and your essays will sound much more nuanced and matured!
• Examples are easy because an issue happening to a country is a major one, which means that the same issue can be framed in many different ways to suit different questions
• May be intimidating to try this Theme at the start because there are some technical terms and concepts needed. However, these are recurring ideas across different questions and provide significant value once we are exposed to them!

5. Media

Media (Standard)

1. Education, not censorship, is the solution to misinformation. To what extent do you agree?
2. Consider the view that social media cannot fully alleviate feelings of loneliness in young people. Difficult
3. Is traditional media always more reliable than social media?
4. Is the seeking of knowledge aided or hindered by modern technology?  Difficult
5. Discuss the view that traditional media outlets are still relevant in society today.
6. “News outlets have little value today”. Discuss.
7. Discuss the view that our obsession with social media is the key factor behind urban loneliness. Difficult
8. To what extent has social media influenced financial decisions among people today? Difficult
9. Assess the view that people are too quick to take offence today. Difficult
10. In today’s troubled world, should governments impose more restrictions over the media?
11. Examine the view that discussing politics on social media is a waste of time.
12. If you are not with us, you are against us. How far is this statement reflective of attitudes in modern society? Difficult
13. To what extent has entertainment today made the young incredibly out of touch with the real world? Difficult
14. Examine the claim that social media worsens human relationships. Difficult
15. ‘Social media promotes progress.’ Do you agree?
16. ‘In times of conflict, the media should not be regulated.’ Discuss.

Media (Others) – Difficult

1. Examine the claim that our obsession with the trivial distracts us from what is important.
2. Society has lost its trust in public figures today. Do you agree?
3. Discuss the view that in the modern world, companies have full control over their image.

Insight/Strategy:

Social media is a clear focus of the current trend of questions. Just like Sci/Tech, the first major area of concern lies in looking at Impacts. The latest trends and also from what we see this year, Impact of Social Media is immensely popular (e.g. promotes progress, made the young out of touch, worsens human relationships, fully alleviate feelings of loneliness, causes urban loneliness, influence financial decisions, aids/hinders knowledge). There are, however, many difficult questions for this. All impacts that are more personal (loneliness, worsens relationships, financial decisions) are much harder to write about because it is difficult to find convincing examples. Students will usually default to statistics which are not as good as case studies. But for such topics, it is very difficult to find suitable case studies to discuss. For instance, looking at relationships we should examine the case study of online dating apps instead of finding some random statistic. Or, for loneliness, we should look at global reports or at particular countries with high loneliness rates (e.g. Philippines) instead of giving numbers. Essentially, such questions are much harder due to the limited examples available and I usually encourage students to avoid such questions.

Media could also explore Other types of Media, namely newspapers and professional news agencies. But this year there is only one question on news outlet. It aligns with the larger trend of questions gravitating towards social media. But it is still helpful to know examples from traditional media because there are other questions that get us to Compare Both (e.g. traditional media is always more reliable, traditional media outlets are still relevant). Another type of question considers whether we should Censor/Restrict/Regulate content. This is a timeless issue that appears every single year in the prelims, and every now and then in the A Levels.

Finally, there are some topics within this theme that are usually popular but less so in 2024 prelims. One of which is Reliability of the Media and fake news. 2024 only has 1 such question (e.g. education is the solution to misinformation). I would still advise looking at such questions because they are likely to come out given the recent trends, especially with AI deepfakes exacerbating fake news. The last area would be an intersection between Media and Politics. Despite there being only one question, this is also an area I would encourage students to focus on because it was quite popular in last year’s prelims and has yet to come out.

Analysis of Difficult Questions: As mentioned, many questions about impact of social media are individual-centric. 4 and D2 go beyond only Media to consider other types of technology and public figures. 9 , 12, D1 require critical thinking to realise they are linked to Media. D3 is just very niche.

Pros-Cons of this Theme:

• Overlaps with many other Themes
• Students are usually exposed to ideas of media in schools and in their lives, making this quite relatable (can tap into prior knowledge)
• More popular with students = Harder to differentiate yourself and score well
• Relatively less common than other major Themes, inconsistent (some years it does not appear) [RANK 5]

6. Environment

Environment (Standard)

1. Consider the view that all countries have an equal responsibility to tackle climate change.
2. ‘What happens to the environment is of little consequence to the rich.’ Difficult
3. Has your society done enough for the environment?
4. ‘Anger motivates change.’ How true is this in the context of environmental activism?
5. How far do you agree that the destruction of nature to make way for a country’s development can be justified?
6. ‘It is unrealistic for countries to completely ban the use of plastics.’ Discuss. Difficult
7. Given the space constraints, do parks and green spaces still have a place in cities?
8. Environmental conservation efforts benefit the affluent at the expense of the poor. Do you agree? Difficult
9. Is modern technology a benefit or a threat to the environment?

Environment (Others) – Difficult

1. Profits should be the sole concern of businesses. Do you agree?
2. There is no such thing as sustainable fashion. Discuss.

Insight/Strategy:

Unfortuantely, Environment questions have been increasingly unpopular. We hardly see them appear at the A Levels (10 times in 12 years, compared to the more popular themes appearing around 20+ times). This trend is reflected in every year’s prelims, including in 2024. Many students still treat this as their primary Theme that they are working on, which I would actually discourage. The inconsistency makes it unreliable and not worth the effort.

The first main focus of Environment questions looks at the Severity of the Problem (e.g. of little consequence to the rich, need parks and green spaces). The next one thinks about Evaluating Solutions and considering whether they are effective or feasible (e.g. has your society done enough, unrealistic to ban plastics, only benefit the affluent). We also look at the Types of Solutions that exist (e.g. anger and activism, modern technology, all countries cooperating). Even within all these 3 topics, questions are not very predictable. It means that there are little overlaps across questions and each requires its own unique response, i.e. tweaking is much harder.

Notably, we also look at Key Tensions that pose a challenge in our fight against climate change (e.g. country’s development). Other related issues are about fashion and businesses—both of which greatly influence sustainability.

Analysis of Difficult Questions: 2 and 8 need specific examples about economic divide. 6 is very specific, with all the solutions only focusing on banning plastics. D1 and D2 are also specific areas we are looking into, meaning the examples are harder.

Pros-Cons of this Theme:

• Students are usually exposed to ideas of environment in schools and in their lives, making this quite relatable (can tap into prior knowledge)
• Questions have a lot of overlaps, making it easy to adapt arguments we know for many questions in this theme
• More popular with students = Harder to differentiate yourself and score well
• Relatively less common than other major Themes (basically the least), inconsistent (some years it does not appear) [RANK 6]

7. General

FAQ: Why are these not considered major Themes? 

Answer: They do not come out frequently enough, both in the A Levels and Prelims. So if you thought this is a Theme, you would need to quickly pivot now to pick from the above instead! These are just backup questions that you can learn, but they do not count as a Theme. Remember, you must choose 3 out of 6 Themes from above to get a good chance at having at least 1 out of 8 questions you can answer in the exams. Again, if you are feeling lost and overwhelmed, please just sign up for the crash course so that I can guide you. In just 7 lessons, you can easily progress through mastering these themes. Many of my students have successfully done it before you, and so can you 🙂

Sports

1. Is it wise for individuals and nations to stop at nothing to achieve sporting excellence?
2. Is fair play still possible in sport today?
3. ‘Major sporting events today are mainly about commercial profits. How far do you agree?
4. To what extent has sport made a positive impact on gender equality?
5. ‘Popular sports are a threat to traditional sports.’ Do you agree?
6. ‘Winning at sport is due to wealth, rather than talent.’ Comment.

History/Humanities

7. ‘Without knowing our history, we are lost’. With reference to your society, to what extent would you agree with this statement?
8. To what extent is the study of local history more important than world history?
9. Consider the view that we have merely been paying lip service to the lessons that history teachers us.

Equality

10. Not enough is being done for people with disabilities in your society. Discuss.
11. To what extent is the concept of gender becoming obsolete in today’s world?
12. Should there be greater involvement of women in decision-making?

Tourism

13. ‘Tourism today is nothing but exploitation.’ Do you agree?
14. Consider the view that travel is a desirable but frivolous pursuit.
15. “Tourists today show little respect for the places they visit.” Is this a fair comment?
16. ‘Foreigners do not see the country the citizens know.’ How far is this true of your society?

City Living

17. City living is increasingly isolating.’ Is this a fair comment?
18. ‘City living is no longer attractive in the world today.’ Discuss.
19. Has city living become less attractive?

Education

20. In our pursuit of academic success, we have forgotten the true aims of education.’ How true is this of your society?
21. Examine the claim that true education only happens outside the classroom.
22. ‘Formal education is less valuable today than it was in the past.’ What is your view?
23. ‘Education liberates.’ Discuss.
24. Is a university degree still necessary today?
25. ‘Education has led to greater inequality.’ How far is this true in your society?

Insight/Strategy:

General questions for this year come from a few key areas: Sports, History/Humanities, Equality, Tourism, City Living, Education. We should remember that these General questions are not individual Themes on their own because they are not as popular for A Levels. These General questions should be viewed more as a backup Theme rather than a main Theme that we are preparing for.

These ones that I have selected have some synergistic overlaps with the main themes above (those that do not overlap have been excluded, i.e. family, crime, youths, religion)

• Sports: Overlaps with Individuals & Values
• History/Humanities:Overlaps with Arts
• Equality: Overlaps with Arts, Media, Individuals & Values, Politics
• Tourism: Overlaps with Arts, Environment
• City-Living: Overlaps with Individuals & Values (happiness/success), Environment
• Education: Overlaps with Arts, Media (these are alternative ways to gain knowledge), Individuals & Values (success)

Out of these, Sports is actually the most promising. I have been tracking A Level trends; it is the most popular out of all these general issues. If you really want to pick one, you may consider Sports especially since the examples here can very likely apply to other IV questions too!

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It’s 4 more weeks before the A Levels! The last lap can be nerve-wrecking but it can also be game-changing! I have seen many students make tremendous and miraculous improvements in the final lap.

Join us in our crash course for a last lap booster in just a couple of hours, reach out on WhatsApp or Telegram over here! All lessons are also recorded for easy access, Our crash course offers 150+ arguments and 300+ examples!

That being said, good luck for the upcoming exams. Take care of yourself, please ensure not to burn out in this period!!

Check out the most recent 2023 A Levels Questions Analysis here 🙂

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