ELAT About the Test

ELAT is a 90-minute test, candidates write one essay comparing two or three passages. This is not a test of wide reading, nor is it based on the assumption that there are certain texts that all students should have read by this stage in their education. Marks will not be awarded for reference to other texts or authors, nor will candidates be expected to try to apply any theoretical frameworks to their essay.

The test will be only one of the elements admissions tutors use to decide whether to invite a candidate for interview.

Background and development of ELAT

Test Format

Candidates will be given six poems or passages from prose and/or drama. The prose may include fiction and non-fiction. The six passages will be linked in some way, and this link will be made explicit in the introduction to the passages.

Answer sheets will be provided to candidates.

Notes for candidates
Notes for teachers

There will be a single task worded as follows:

Select two or three of the passages (a) to (f) and compare and contrast them in any ways that seem interesting to you, paying particular attention to distinctive features of structure, language and style. In your introduction, indicate briefly what you intend to explore or illustrate through close reading of your chosen passages.

Table: Paper table

Section

What does it test?

Questions

Timing
Writing Task

It will assess how far students have developed their ability in the key skill of close reading and, with it, the ability to shape and articulate an informed response to unfamiliar literary material.

 One essay question using two or three passages of text
 90 minutes

Scoring

The maximum mark for the paper will be 60. All scripts will be double marked, each examiner marking out of 30. The two marks awarded will be added together to give the final mark out of 60. Where there is a difference of five or more marks between the two examiners, a third examiner will assess the script, and the two nearest marks will be totalled. The full range of marks will be used. A full breakdown of marks for each candidate is given to University of Oxford admissions tutors.

The scripts will not be marked by the University of Oxford, but by external examiners; however, the final grading will be decided by an invited panel of awarders which includes members of the Oxford English Faculty and selected representatives from schools and colleges.

Three thresholds are set by the awarding panel to establish four bands of achievement.

  • Band 1 (top) - should indicate those candidates most likely to be called for interview (unless other indicators suggest otherwise)
  • Band 2 - should indicate those candidates who should probably be invited to interview
  • Band 3 - will contain candidates who may not be called to interview (unless there is convincing evidence to suggest otherwise)
  • Band 4 - should indicate those candidates who are less likely to be invited to interview (unless other factors outweigh the evidence of the test)

Delivery

The ELAT will take place on 3rd November 2010 at 9.00am. The majority of candidates will sit the ELAT at their own school or college; other candidates should use the Open Centre Network to locate a centre.

Results

Results will only be released to candidates who have applied to one of the courses requiring ELAT at the University of Oxford.

A statement of results will be issued to each candidate on 14th January 2011.  Candidates and centres will be able to download their results using our online results sites:

Results Online - Candidates
Results Online - Centres

Results will be passed to the college at Oxford to which a candidate has applied.

Previous years’ explanation of results can be downloaded in PDF format:
2007, 2008.

Table: Paper table

ELAT

Content

Time
Writing Task One essay question using two or three passages of text 90 minutes

ELAT


Background & Research
Information about the need for ELAT and research relating to ELAT


Dates & Costs
Find out when tests are taking place and how much they cost


Registration
Information for candidates and teachers about the ELAT registration process


Results
View an explanation of results from previous years in PDF format