Written Examination: Analysing Performance and Responding Precisely
What the written exam rewards
The written examination tests your ability to analyse live performance, discuss your own creative work and respond to stimulus material using correct drama terminology. Understand the elements of drama (character, role, relationship, situation, voice, movement, focus, tension, space, time, language, symbol, mood, atmosphere, dramatic irony) and the performance skills (expressive and performance craft). Know the distinction between analysis (breaking a performance into components and explaining how they create meaning) and description (retelling what happened). Marks live in analysis.
Traps to avoid
A frequent trap is the narrative summary: candidates recount plot and never explain effect. Another is unsupported assertion - "the tension was high" without naming the technique that created it. Watch for questions that direct you to a specific element; answering about mood when asked about symbol loses marks. In stimulus-response questions, candidates often ignore the stimulus or bolt it on superficially. Also beware of confusing the playwright's choices with the actor's or director's; the exam frequently asks you to separate them.
Rule of thumb
Use a claim–evidence–effect structure in every paragraph: state your interpretation, cite a specific moment or technique, then explain the impact on the audience. For instance: "The actor's sudden stillness and lowered vocal pitch at the confrontation created tension because the shift broke the established rhythm of the scene." That sentence makes a claim, gives evidence and explains effect.
Key points
- Learn the elements of drama and use their exact names.
- Analyse rather than describe; explain how meaning is made.
- Support every assertion with a specific technique or moment.
- Answer the element the question actually names.
- Separate playwright, director and actor choices.