QCAA Philosophy & Reason study plan

Map the Unit 3 IA1 examination requirements onto a one-page checklist covering question types, time allocation, and marking criteria language

Deconstruct three unseen-style extended-response prompts by identifying the key philosophical issue, the required reasoning move, and the conclusion demanded

Draft and time a 10-minute essay skeleton for one prompt, allocating words to introduction, argument body, objection, and evaluation

Compile a personal glossary of 15 core reasoning terms (validity, soundness, entailment, counterexample, etc.) with one worked example each

Construct four full extended responses on distinct philosophical issues, each with an explicit thesis stated in the first two sentences

Integrate at least one named objection and a direct rebuttal into every response drafted this week

Practise quoting and paraphrasing stimulus material accurately without copying its wording

Self-mark two drafts against the criteria descriptors and record two concrete improvement targets per draft

Reduce extended-response drafting time to 25 minutes per response across five practice prompts

Identify the structural differences between an exam extended response and an analytical essay by comparing one of each side by side

Build a bank of eight transferable philosophical examples and thought experiments with a one-line explanation of what each illustrates

Rehearse a 30-second planning routine (issue, position, two premises, objection, resolution) before each timed write

Formulate a defensible thesis for an IA2 analytical essay and test it against two possible counter-theses

Outline an essay structure that sustains a single argumentative line rather than surveying positions

Locate and annotate six credible sources, recording the claim each source supports and its limitation

Draft the introduction and first body section of the IA2 essay, embedding at least two citations

Complete the remaining body sections of the IA2 essay, ensuring each paragraph advances the thesis rather than restating it

Anticipate and answer the strongest objection to the essay's position in a dedicated section

Revise the full draft for argumentative cohesion, cutting any paragraph that does not serve the thesis

Check referencing against the required citation style and correct at least five formatting inconsistencies

Redraft the IA2 essay in response to feedback, rewriting at least two sections substantially rather than editing superficially

Compare the IA2 and IA3 task requirements and list the additional demands IA3 places on argument complexity or independent research

Select and scope an IA3 essay question that permits sustained philosophical argument within the word limit

Draft an IA3 research plan naming the primary position, two rival views, and the evidence needed for each

Draft the IA3 essay's central argument, making every inferential step explicit rather than assumed

Integrate two rival positions and demonstrate precisely where and why the essay's argument departs from each

Evaluate the strength of the essay's own premises by identifying the weakest link and defending or revising it

Refine philosophical terminology so that technical terms are used consistently and defined at first use

Finalise the IA3 essay after a full read-aloud edit for clarity, logical flow, and referencing accuracy

Sit two full-length IA1 practice examinations under strict timing and mark them against the criteria

Consolidate a one-page revision sheet of recurring weaknesses drawn from all eight weeks of feedback

Rehearse the opening two minutes of an exam response five times to lock in a reliable planning habit