What is “Scholar Structures”?

‘Scholar Structures’ is a set of writing structures and comprehension answering methods, based on analysing the very top model essays from Oxford/Cambridge/NUS Law students (all graded 25/30 and above by ex-MOE teachers) and model answer keys.

A snapshot of how we create ‘Scholar Structures’ for essays.

Step 1: Break down a 27/30 essay into its fundamental components.

Step 2: Compile different methods used to create each component.

Step 3: Use data to track which method is the most effective under EXAM conditions (based on 100s of students) and eliminate the ineffective ones.

The result of this is the creation of our unique data insights.

We then turn these insights into an objective system students can use in the exam.

This means there are objective and actionable steps to apply in the exam, as compared to old (cough: useless) teaching methodologies.

If you’re using rhetorical questions and statistics in your hook without the ‘High Connotation Problem’, phrasing your points without a ‘Thesis-Reason Matrix’, elaborating in your paragraphs without ‘Insight + Process’, or phrasing your examples as studies/research/personal experiences without ‘Contextual Evaluation’, then you’re doing it wrong.

Outdated methods are poorly designed to be applied in an exam.

But with data-backed ‘Scholar Structures’, you no longer have to take exams in “guess-mode”.

This is how we produce not just normal As, but class and cohort TOPPERS + the highest scores in the country (think 25, 26 and 27/30 for essays and 19/20 for compre).

Practice like a scholar -
3 times a week

This means 2 non-teaching classes (about an hour) plus 1 live main class (1.5 hours).

Non-teaching assignment classes are on Mondays (vocab) and Wednesdays (progressive practices), 9-10 pm (students can leave the room when they are done with work - it normally takes 30-40min once students are used to the process.

This is just dedicated homework time.

No worries if you can't make it - you can do the work in your own time.

We also have weekly consults for students.

The reason for this schedule is to develop accountability.

A student without accountability will not succeed, even if they have the best plan/resources.

We are also the ones to chase you for work, not the other way round.

Types of students who have excelled under our programme

Type 1: Motivated ‘B’ Student

The motivated average B student is fluent in English as a daily language but has gaps in exam techniques.

The student can get an A in English but fluctuates between A/B or is stuck at a B.

He/she doesn’t have many grammar issues and has a fairly competent vocabulary.

He/she unfortunately thinks that getting better results means doing more practice.

Representative Results:
1. HCI Sec 3 - First A Ever
2. Poly Private Candidate O levels - A1
3. MGS Sec 3 - Top in Class for Situational 24/30
4. DHS Sec 2 - Top in Class for Expository 26/30
5. Bukit Batok Sec 1 - Top in Class Compre 19/20

Type 2: Struggling ‘C/B’ Student

The struggling student is fine with conversational English but has major technical gaps.

Writing shows decent ideas but is filled with grammar and vocabulary weaknesses.

The student also has a limited understanding of what is tested/how to study and just ‘floats’ in school. He/she usually scores around a C or B, only touching the A-band for minor tests and assignments, if at all.

Representative Results:
1. Sec 3 Student from China - D7 to B4 Overall Weighted
2. Sec 4 Temasek Secondary - B4 to A2 Argumentative Essay
3. Sec 1 Bedok Secondary - Fail to A2 Situational Writing