The H1 General Paper examination was over not too long ago. To satisfy your curiosity, here is the list of GCE A-Level 2022 Essay Questions:

1. Consider the view that people imprisoned for crimes should lose all their rights.
2. Does religion still have a role in the modern world?
3. ‘Dramas on television or film are never as effective as a live performance.’ Discuss.
4. Assess the extent to which different age groups in your society are valued equally. 
5. To what extent can individuals shape their own lives when the world is so unpredictable?
6. ‘Too many historical figures are famous for the wrong reasons.’ Discuss.
7. ‘The results of scientific research should be available to everyone.’ How far do you agree?
8. Examine the claim that music without words lacks both meaning and appeal. 
9. Since the extinction of species is a natural phenomenon, is there any point in trying to prevent it? 
10. ‘Consumerism is more of a curse than a blessing.’ How true is this of your society?
11. Consider the view that mathematics is of little interest to most people as it is too complex.
12. ‘It is not winning, but taking part, which matters.’ How acceptable is this as an approach to life?

Here are some general observations:

1. Essay questions appear to touch on sub-themes that students often don't specially prepare for (e.g. religion, music, mathematics and scientific results).

• This means that students need to be discerning when choosing the RIGHT question instead of panicking.
• Students should also be mindful not to immediately choose essay questions that cover familiar themes as there may be hidden traps (*see point 4 below).

2. There are several broad-based questions.

• Questions 5 and 12 are considered broad-based questions. Broad-based questions are a gamble because they require greater breadth and scope in order to give a more well-rounded evaluation. This may not be the best question type to do due to exam time limitations

3. There are doable essay questions but with caveats.

• Question 10 is a good question but it is a Comparative Question Type in the context of Singapore. Students who did not make comparisons and bring in Singapore examples may risk being penalised for Content.
• Question 3 is also a good question but it is a Comparative Question Type and includes the word ‘effective’. This means students need to approach the question from a problem-solution standpoint (e.g. Problem: Convenience and accessibility Solution: Which is more effective in achieving this? Live performance OR television dramas and films?)
• Question 4 is another good question but it centres on government and social issues. Students who are familiar with the GCE 2015 question: “When a government’s finances for social welfare are limited, should they be directed towards the young or the old?” and GCE 2012 question: “In your society, how far is equality for all a reality?” should be able to attempt this with confidence. 

4. Traps for questions with familiar themes.

• Question 7 centres on the theme of Science & Technology which is a theme widely popular among students. However, it is not about the benefits and demerits of the developments in the field, but about whether results and findings should be accessible to the public or not. Students who fall into the trap of listing benefits and demerits would have missed the question focus.
• Question 9 centres on the theme of Environment which is also another widely popular theme among students. The trap is that it focuses on biodiversity and protection of plant and animal species.

Final comments:

Overall, GCE 2022 Paper 1 essay questions are considerably more difficult than the years prior, mainly because students who try to predict themes would find the questions very surprising and might be at a loss of what to do. While building content knowledge is important, skills and techniques to make effective and sound arguments are important as well - and perhaps in the most critical period, crucial to scoring well.