1Commit to a Decision
Fence-sitting is the commonest weakness in recommendations. The task asks you to decide; a clear choice, well justified, beats a balanced non-answer.
Making the Call
- State your recommended option clearly and early in the recommendation section.必考
- Ground the choice in your preceding analysis, referring back to the criteria and evidence.
- Acknowledge the trade-off you accept, showing the decision is considered, not naive.比較
- Avoid hedging language that leaves the reader unsure what you actually advise.易錯
Coherence
Your recommendation should follow logically from your analysis. If a reader could not predict your choice from the earlier sections, either the analysis or the decision needs work.
2Justify and Implement
A decision without justification is an assertion. Explain why your option is best, and add a brief sense of how it would work in practice to show administrative realism.
From Decision to Action
- Give the main reasons your option outperforms the alternatives.必考
- Explain how you would address the chief objection or risk to your choice.
- Sketch implementation basics — key steps, resources, or timeline — in brief.
- Suggest how to monitor and review so the decision can be adjusted if needed.比較
Practicality
You do not need a full implementation plan — a sentence or two showing you have thought about execution and review is enough to signal practical judgement.
3Close With Authority
The final lines should leave the reader confident in your judgement. A crisp, professional close reinforces the decisiveness the whole paper is testing.
An Effective Ending
- Restate the recommendation succinctly without repeating the whole analysis.必考
- Convey confidence in a measured, professional tone — decisive but not arrogant.
- Do not introduce new arguments in the closing that you have not analysed.易錯
- Ensure the ending answers the original question posed by the case.
Time discipline
Reserve time so the recommendation is not rushed. A paper that analyses well but ends abruptly loses exactly the decisiveness marks it was building toward.
4Clear, Formal English
The paper is not testing ornate vocabulary but clarity and control. Plain, precise, well-structured English serves policy writing better than long or elaborate sentences.
Writing That Reads Professionally
- Prefer clear, direct sentences over long, convoluted ones.必考
- Use precise vocabulary; avoid vague filler and needless jargon.
- Signpost with structure — headings or clear paragraphing guide the reader.比較
- Proofread for grammar and spelling; frequent errors undermine credibility.易錯
Style
Shorter sentences are easier to control under time pressure and are less likely to contain errors. When in doubt, split a long sentence in two.
5The Right Tone
Policy advice has a distinctive register: measured, balanced and objective. The tone should convey authority without overstatement, and fairness without indecision.
A Professional Register
- Keep the tone measured and objective, avoiding emotive or sensational language.必考
- Be balanced in presenting options, yet decisive in the recommendation.比較
- Avoid absolute claims and overstatement that the evidence cannot support.易錯
- Write as an adviser to a decision-maker, not as an advocate or a campaigner.
Register
Imagine you are briefing a senior official who must act on your words. That mental frame naturally produces the balanced, confident tone the paper rewards.
6Time Management Across Two Papers
With three hours split between Chinese and English papers, time discipline is decisive. A well-analysed paper that runs out of time before the recommendation loses its most important marks.
Budgeting the Three Hours
- Agree a time split between the two papers in advance and hold to it.必考
- Within each paper, cap reading and planning so writing is not squeezed.
- Watch the clock at checkpoints, and move on even if a section feels unfinished.易錯
- Reserve a few minutes at the end for proofreading each paper.
Time discipline
If time runs short, deliver a complete but concise recommendation rather than an elaborate analysis with no conclusion. Finishing beats polishing.
