Why Some Students Always Score Higher (Even With Same Knowledge)

• They don’t write “more” — they write smarter.
• Their answers look clean, structured, examiner-friendly.
• They know exactly how examiners think.
• They know what triggers marks and what wastes time.
• They don’t reveal these techniques to classmates because this is their competitive edge.
• These are those techniques.

---

SECRET 1: Examiners Reward Structure More Than Content

• Top students follow strict block formatting:
  a. micro-rule
  b. micro-case
  c. micro-application
  d. mini-conclusion
• This pattern triggers automatic AO1 + AO2 marks.
• Their answers look like they were written by someone who “knows the marking scheme.”

---

SECRET 2: They Never Start Writing Immediately

They spend 25–40 seconds doing micro-planning:

Micro-Planning Steps

• Identify offence(s).
• Write elements in order.
• Assign one case to each element.
• Decide where evaluation fits (for 15-marks).
• Plan the bullet blocks.

That 30–40 seconds yields 10–12 extra marks because answers become precise.

---

SECRET 3: They Don’t Write Everything They Know

• Weak students panic → write entire textbook pages.
• A* students only write what earns marks.
• They avoid paragraph-style definition dumps.
• They avoid retelling cases.
• They avoid long explanations of MR/AR.
• They avoid background history of legal principles.

They remove 60% of what most students write — and STILL score higher.

---

Written and Compiled By Sir Hunain Zia, World Record Holder With 154 Total A Grades, 7 Distinctions and 11 World Records For Educate A Change AS Level Law Free Material

---

SECRET 4: They Use “Trigger Word Identification”

They scan the paper for certain words.

Trigger Word Table

Trigger Word	Hidden Offence
“grabbed”, “took”, “removed”	Theft
“pushed”, “force”, “threat”	Robbery
“window”, “enter”, “climbed”	Burglary
“smashed”, “broke”	Criminal Damage
“jumped”, “ran”	Causation (Roberts)
“police shot”	Causation (Pagett)
“refused treatment”	Thin skull (Blaue)

Top students decode the entire question in 10 seconds by spotting these.

---

SECRET 5: They Use the “Offence Block Method”

Every offence becomes a mini-section in the answer.

Example: Theft Block

• Appropriation → s3 assumption of rights
• (Morris/Hinks)
• apply + conclude
• Property → s4
• Belonging → s5 (Turner)
• Dishonesty → Ivey
• ITPD → s6 (Lloyd)

Example: Robbery Block

• Theft
• Force (Dawson & James)
• Timing
• Purpose

Example: Burglary Block

• Entry (Brown/Ryan)
• Trespass (Collins)
• Intent (s9(1)(a))

Each block = 2–3 marks × multiple blocks = A*.

---

SECRET 6: They Use Micro-Application, Not Storytelling

Weak students write:

• “The defendant walked into the shop and then…”

A* students write:

• “Ahmed removed the phone → appropriation.”
• “Push modified movement → force (D&J).”

Every bullet applies law → every bullet earns marks.

---

SECRET 7: They Don’t Just Apply — They Conclude

After each element:

• “Therefore appropriation satisfied.”
• “Therefore force present.”
• “Therefore burglary likely.”

Mini-conclusions = examiner comfort = mark boost.

---

Written and Compiled By Sir Hunain Zia, World Record Holder With 154 Total A Grades, 7 Distinctions and 11 World Records For Educate A Change AS Level Law Free Material

---

SECRET 8: They Know Examiners Hate Two Things

a. Irrelevant Cases

• Donoghue v Stevenson → NO
• Caparo → NO
• Fagan → NO
• Smith & Hogan → NO
• DPP v Majewski → NO

b. Case Facts

• NEVER describe story.
• ONLY one-line ratio.

Example:

• Wrong: “In the case of Roberts the victim was a hitchhiker…”
• Right: “Roberts — foreseeable escape.”

---

SECRET 9: They Use Section Numbers As Weapons

Every statute reference impresses examiners.

Examples

• s3 appropriation
• s4 property
• s5 belonging
• s6 ITPD
• s8 robbery
• s9(1)(a)/(b) burglary
• CDA 1971 → damage
• Fraud Act → representation

Top students use them in every offence, even if in shortened form.

---

SECRET 10: They Use MIRAC, Not IRAC

IRAC is too slow.
MIRAC = Multiple IRACs, one per element.

MIRAC Structure

• Issue
• Rule
• Case
• Application
• Conclusion

Applied 5–8 times → full marks.

---

SECRET 11: They Use Shortest Possible AO1 Definitions

Examples:

• “Appropriation = assumption of rights (s3).”
• “Dishonesty = objective (Ivey).”
• “Entry = effective entry (Brown).”
• “Force = movement modification.”

Short AO1 = more time for AO2.

---

SECRET 12: They Know Exactly Where to Use Which Case

Use table:

Offence	Case	Ratio	Why Used
Theft	Morris	switching rights	appropriation
Theft	Turner	property control	belonging
Robbery	Dawson & James	minimal force	force
Robbery	Clouden	force on property	alternative
Burglary	Brown	effective entry	entry
Burglary	Ryan	partial entry	backup
Burglary	Collins	permission	trespass
Criminal Damage	Hardman	temporary impairment	damage
Criminal Damage	Jaggard	honest belief	lawful excuse
Causation	White	but-for	factual
Causation	Roberts	foreseeable escape	chain
Causation	Pagett	reasonable act	no break
Causation	Blaue	thin skull	no break

This is exactly how A* students think.

---

Written and Compiled By Sir Hunain Zia, World Record Holder With 154 Total A Grades, 7 Distinctions and 11 World Records For Educate A Change AS Level Law Free Material

---

SECRET 13: They Use The “Opposite Outcome Technique”

They show both possibilities in confusing facts:

• “If force modified movement → robbery.
  If not → theft only.”
• “If escape foreseeable → chain intact.
  If not → broken.”
• “If entry effective → burglary.
  If not → attempted burglary.”

This looks sophisticated → instant AO3.

---

SECRET 14: They Re-Order Facts Into Legal Sequence

Weak students follow story order.
A* students follow legal order.

Example:

• Entry → Trespass → Intent → Theft → Force → Damage → Causation

This is how examiners WANT to read it.

---

SECRET 15: They Don’t Panic When They Forget a Rule

They use safe mini-rules instead:

• “Appropriation = assumption of rights.”
• “Dishonesty = objective.”
• “Force = modifies movement.”
• “Entry = effective.”
• “Damage = impairment.”

All correct and acceptable.

---

SECRET 16: They Use “Case Anchors”

A* students only memorise 2–5 words per case:

• Morris → switching
• Hinks → gift
• Oxford v Moss → info
• Turner → own car
• Lloyd → borrowing
• Dawson & James → push
• Clouden → bag
• Brown → lean
• Ryan → stuck
• Collins → permission
• Hardman → chalk
• Jaggard → mistake
• White → poison
• Roberts → escape
• Pagett → shield
• Blaue → religion
• Mohan → aim
• Woollin → certainty
• Cunningham → gas
• R v G → boys

This makes recall automatic.

---

SECRET 17: They Write Like Examiners Mark

They think:

• “Did I link a fact?”
• “Did I finish with a conclusion?”
• “Did I use correct case?”
• “Did I mention section number?”
• “Did I separate offences cleanly?”

This mindset produces A* answers consistently.

---

SECRET 18: They Never Mix Offences

Weak:

• “D committed burglary and robbery because…”

A*:

• Burglary block
• Theft block
• Robbery block
• Damage block
• Causation block

Each in separate micro-sections.

---

SECRET 19: They Prioritise High-Value Offences First

Order:

1. Burglary (entry matters first)
2. Theft (foundation)
3. Robbery (builds on theft)
4. Criminal Damage
5. Causation (if injury)

This order = maximum clarity.

---

SECRET 20: They Always End Each Offence With A Final Micro-Conclusive Line

Example:

• “Therefore burglary likely.”
• “Therefore robbery established.”
• “Therefore chain intact.”

This tells the examiner the element is finished.

---

SECRET 21: They Use the 40:40:20 Formula For 15-Markers

• 40% AO1
• 40% AO2
• 20% AO3

They know marks are evenly balanced — not AO1 heavy.

---

SECRET 22: They Use Bullet Points, Not Paragraphs

Paragraphs = lost marks
Bullet points = clean marking

A* students use bullet points even for long answers.

---

SECRET 23: They Know Timing per Question

• 10-mark = 13 minutes
• 15-mark = 18–20 minutes
• 25-mark (if any future AS spec) = 35 minutes

They stick to it.

---

SECRET 24: They Practise With Mark Schemes, Not Just Past Papers

They decode every command word:

• explain
• analyse
• evaluate
• advise

And shape answers accordingly.

---

SECRET 25: They Use “Mark Extraction Mindset”

Before writing, they ask:

• “Where are the marks hiding?”
• “Which elements give the highest marks?”
• “What is the examiner expecting?”

This transforms answers from average → A*.

---

Final A Secret Checklist*

• Use micro-definitions
• Use one case per element
• Apply then conclude
• Don’t retell facts
• Use sections
• Use MIRAC
• Use trigger words
• Break offences into blocks
• Use opposite outcome technique
• Use safe rules when memory fails
• Avoid irrelevant cases
• Avoid paragraphs
• Use planning before writing
• Use punchy conclusions
• Stick to timing
• Extract marks systematically