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ELAT Tutors - English Literature Admissions Test 

ELAT Tutors – English Literature Admissions Test 

The English Literature Admissions Test (ELAT) is a requirement for admission to undergraduate courses in English Literature at the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge. It can also be a requirement for joint honours courses at the University of Oxford, such as English and Modern Languages, and Classics and English. Admissions requirements for different Oxford courses can be found here. The ELAT is now also a requirement for the Cambridge undergraduate course in Q300 English, and it is taken once a candidate has been shortlisted and assigned a college. This may vary for students applying to mature colleges, so it is worth checking with the relevant college. Our ELAT Tutors can help you prepare for this Oxbridge entrance test.

The ELAT test is a written paper lasting ninety minutes. The English Literature Admissions Test exam tests applicants ability in the key skills sets of close reading, paying attention to elements  language, imagery, allusion, syntax, form and structure of the passages set for comment. Tailored tuition sessions focus on all subsets of the test to include close reading of the passages to develop a well structured and focused argument, and how to draw effective comparisons between texts and variety of literature.

Candidates are presented with six unfamiliar literary passages, from which they must choose two to discuss in a comparative essay. The English Literature Admissions Test is not designed to test a candidate’s knowledge of other literature; it should instead be focused on critical and analytical approaches to the texts presented. The test assesses close reading skills, including attention to form, language, imagery, allusion, syntax, and structure, as well as the candidate’s ability to construct high-quality written prose to frame a coherent argument. Preparing for the ELAT therefore requires practice in applying these skills to unfamiliar material. It benefits above all from individual feedback on a candidate’s written analysis, in order to improve their application of the skills that the English Literature Admissions Test.

 

ELAT Tuition and ELAT tutors London

Mayfair Consultants offer private tuition for applicants preparing to take the ELAT exam, and those seeking to learn more about their aptitude to read English. Tailored tuition sessions focus on all subsets of the test, including the skills of close reading and comparison of texts, and the development of a coherent and focused argument under time pressure. ELAT revision advice will be provided alongside general university entrance advice. Courses are delivered 1-1 for the English Literature Admissions Test with past paper practice and expert advice from past English Literature degree graduates from Oxbridge colleges. We also offer private tuition for younger students with a budding interest in English Literature. Many of our tutors hold PhDs and other postgraduate qualifications in English and in teaching, indicative both of their passion for, and expertise in, the subject.

If you’d like to arrange private lessons of have any questions about our English Literature Admissions Test tuition services in London, Cambridge, Oxford or online please call us on Tel: +44 (0) 207 665 6606 or you can send us an email via our contact form.

 

Links to Useful Resources for ELAT Tutors & Students.

https://www.admissionstesting.org/for-test-takers/elat/about-elat/ – the Cambridge Assessment page on English Literature Admissions Tests

https://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/applying-to-oxford/guide/admissions-tests – University of Oxford page to search for course admissions requirements

https://www.admissionstesting.org/images/47476-elat-marking-criteria.pdf – English Literature Admissions Test marking criteria

https://www.admissionstesting.org/Images/47477-elat-sample-paper.pdf – Sample ELAT paper

https://www.admissionstesting.org/Images/302037-courses-requiring-elat.pdf – overview of courses requiring the English Literature Admissions Test

https://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/applying/admissions-assessments/college-registered – Cambridge written assessments for those shortlisted to interview

https://www.english.cam.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/applying.htm#:~:text=All%20applicants%20for%20English%20(except,in%20advance%20of%20their%20interview. – Cambridge Faculty of English information on application requirements

https://open.conted.ox.ac.uk/resources/link/close-reading-cooperative – podcasts on close textual analysis, provided by Oxford’s Open Educational Resources

https://www.english.ox.ac.uk/learning-resources – Oxford English Faculty page on learning resources for English Literature applicants and offer holders

https://www.york.ac.uk/english/writing-at-york/writing-resources/close-reading/ – University of York page on close reading

https://www.admissionstesting.org/Images/509986-practice-paper-2018-candidate-1-with-examiner-comments.pdf – a sample candidate essay with examiner comments

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