Notecard Template (4″ × 6″)
The exam gives you one 4″ × 6″ notecard (¼ of an A4 sheet). One side only. This is the single most important physical object in your SBA. Build it well.
The rules (from the official briefing)
- Size: 4″ × 6″ (about 10 cm × 15 cm — the size of a standard postcard)
- Sides allowed: one (front only)
- Filled in during the 15-minute prep room, not before
- Allowed content: bullet points, keywords, phrases
- NOT allowed: full-sentence scripts, model answers, "memorised paragraphs"
If your notecard looks like a written essay, you'll read from it under pressure, and you'll drop from 5 → 3 marks in Vocabulary & Language Patterns (the rubric explicitly says so).
What a winning notecard looks like
Here's a complete example for a group focusing on Macbeth with Romeo as backup:
text
┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ MACBETH (main) | ROMEO & JULIET (backup) │
│ -------------- | ---------------------- │
│ • ambition → ruin | • parental ctrl → tragedy │
│ • fate VS choice | • love at 1st sight – real? │
│ Banquo same prphcy | • feud = inherited prejudice │
│ • guilt = mental ill | • miscommunication kills │
│ "Sleep no more" P.2 | • "faithful + unhappy" P.11 │
│ • Birnam Wood trick | │
│ P.6 false security | PHRASES TO USE │
│ | - "Building on your point…" │
│ MODERN LINKS | - "From my perspective…" │
│ • toxic CEOs (Theranos) | - "Can I add something?" │
│ • DSE pressure ↔ Mcb's │ - "What do you think, Wai-Ming?" │
│ school stress | - "To wrap up…" │
│ | │
│ IF I BLANK | TIMING │
│ - "Let me think…" | 8–12 min, 3–4 ppl │
│ - "Reminds me of…" | → aim 2.5 min each, 3–4 turns │
│ - "What about you?" | → I should SPEAK + LISTEN equally │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘Step-by-step: how to fill it during the 15 min prep room
Minute 0–1: Pre-format your card (write fast)
Draw a vertical line down the middle. Label left half "BOOK 1", right half "BOOK 2 / PHRASES".
Minute 1–3: Group huddle (talk, don't write)
With your group, agree:
- "We focus on Book ____ first."
- "Backup is Book ____."
- "Who opens the discussion?" (the most confident speaker — but rotate over rounds)
Minute 3–10: Write your bullet points
For your main book, write:
- 3–4 talking points (2–3 words each)
- 2 quotes with page numbers (use abbreviations: P.2, P.5)
- 1 modern link
For your backup book, write:
- 2 talking points
- 1 quote
Minute 10–13: Write your phrases + rescues
- 4 "building" phrases (e.g. "Building on…", "I'd add…")
- 3 "blank-out" rescues ("Let me think…" / "Reminds me of…")
- 1 "wrap-up" line ("So overall…")
Minute 13–15: Read it out loud quietly to yourself
- Whisper-read the whole card. Does it flow? Can you talk for ~30 seconds off each bullet?
- If a bullet feels stuck, simplify it. ("ambition without limits" → just ambition.)
- Take 3 deep breaths. You're ready.
Three ready-made templates (copy structure)
Template A — Macbeth focus
text
MACBETH (focus)
- Macbeth: loyal → tyrant (arc!)
- catalyst = witches + Lady M
- guilt destroys both (Lady M sleepwalk P.5)
- quote: "Sleep no more" P.2
- modern: leaders w/o checks
BACKUP (Romeo)
- love → impulse? Rosaline → Juliet 1 day
- feud inherited, nobody knows why
PHRASES
- "From my perspective…" / "Building on…"
- "Wai-Ming, what's your view?"
- "Let me think for a moment."
WRAP-UP
- "So we all seem to agree that…"Template B — Romeo focus
text
ROMEO & JULIET (focus)
- love at 1st sight: passion ≠ love?
- parents = real villains (Capulet forces Paris)
- chain of misfortune: letter delayed
- quote: "faithful + unhappy" P.11
- modern: parents picking unis
BACKUP (Merchant)
- justice vs mercy (trial P.14)
- prejudice cycle (Antonio spit P.12)
PHRASES
- "I see it differently…" / "Could you say more?"
- "Building on Ben's point…"
- "Can I bring in another angle?"
WRAP-UP
- "Overall, the play reminds us that…"Template C — Merchant focus
text
MERCHANT OF VENICE (focus)
- Shylock = villain AND victim (P.12 spit)
- justice ≠ mercy (Portia's twist P.15)
- letter of law: "flesh not blood"
- caskets: lead beats gold → real value
- modern: legal loopholes, contracts
BACKUP (Macbeth)
- ambition cost
- "Sleep no more" guilt
PHRASES
- "It's worth considering…" / "On the other hand…"
- "Building on…" / "Picking up on…"
- "Aisha, would you agree?"
WRAP-UP
- "So in conclusion, the play asks us whether…"Writing tips that stop you from "reading"
| ❌ Don't write | ✅ Write |
|---|---|
| "Lady Macbeth was the catalyst because she shamed Macbeth into action." | Lady M = catalyst (shame him) |
| "Shylock is both a villain and a victim of antisemitism." | Shylock: villain + victim |
| "In Hong Kong, students often face pressure from their parents to study certain subjects." | HK parents → uni subjects |
| "My personal view is that Macbeth was not a victim of fate but made his own choices." | Macbeth: choice > fate (Banquo) |
Rule of thumb: If a bullet has more than 5 words, shorten it.
Symbols and abbreviations to save space
- → instead of "leads to" / "becomes"
- ↔ instead of "compared with" / "linked to"
- VS instead of "versus"
- + instead of "and"
- = instead of "is" / "means"
- ? at the end of an open question
- P.X instead of "page X"
- L.X instead of "lesson X"
Pictures and diagrams (allowed!)
The rules say "notes in point form" — they don't ban little diagrams. Examples:
text
Macbeth's arc:
Loyal → King → Tyrant → Dead
↑ ↑
(witches) (Macduff)text
Trial scene:
Shylock ←(law)→ Antonio
↑
Portia (lawyer disguise)These take 5 seconds to draw and save you whole sentences of notes.
What NOT to put on your notecard
- ❌ Long quotes — write just the keyword: not "Sleep no more! Macbeth destroys the sleeping" but just "Sleep no more" P.2
- ❌ Definitions of vocabulary — if you can't remember "remorse", don't use it
- ❌ Multiple paraphrases of the same point
- ❌ Names of every minor character
- ❌ Detailed plot summaries
During the exam: how to use the notecard
- Glance, don't read. Look down for 1–2 seconds, look back up.
- Put the card down when speaking. Pick it up only when transitioning.
- Tick or cross off bullets as you use them — helps you avoid repeating yourself.
- Don't fold or hide the card. Be relaxed about having it visible.
After your prep: a 30-second check
Before you leave the prep room, ask yourself:
- [ ] Can I see 5+ bullets on the card?
- [ ] Are all bullets under 5 words?
- [ ] Do I have at least 2 phrases I can use to respond/build?
- [ ] Do I have 1 modern link ready?
- [ ] Do I know my opening sentence by heart?
If yes to all 5 → you're prepared. Walk into the assessment room with confidence.
Next: Group Practice Plan — how to rehearse before the exam.