By Lockin Team
22 January 2026
If you’re taking JC GP, you’ve probably heard advice like “memorise more examples” or “read more news.” But memorising whole essays (or forcing yourself to remember 50 random case studies) is exhausting and it usually doesn’t work under exam pressure. A strong GP examples bank isn’t about quantity but about having flexible, reusable examples that you can adapt to many questions. Plus, knowing how to use them for your argument and evaluation. Here’s how to build an examples bank the smart way.
1) Firstly, Understand What an Example Bank Should Do (and What It Shouldn’t)
A good example bank helps you: generate points quickly for many topics, support arguments with real-world evidence, evaluate (not just “name-drop”), and write with confidence under time limits.
A bad examples bank is: long lists of facts with no explanation, overly niche examples you can’t adapt, and examples that sound like “I read it somewhere” without credibility or relevance.
2) Build Your Bank Around Big Themes (Not Random Topics)
Most GP questions rotate around a small set of recurring themes. Start with these “core” categories and build from there:
– Technology and AI
– Media and Social Issues
– Education
– Environment & Sustainability
– Governance & Politics
– Arts & Culture
– Globalisation
– Economy and Inequality
3) Use the “PEEL+E” Example Format (So You Don’t Just Name-Drop)
Instead of storing full essays, store each example in a compact format:
Point: what idea does it support?
Evidence: what happened / what data / what case?
Explanation: how does it prove your point?
Link: answer the question directly
+Evaluation: limits, counterpoint, context
Example (mini template)
Theme: Social media
Use for: impact on democracy / misinformation / mental health
Evidence: (1–2 lines)
So what: (1–2 lines)
Evaluation: when it’s less true / alternative view
This makes your examples usable even when the question changes.
4) Store “Lessons,” Not Facts
GP markers don’t reward trivia. They reward relevance and reasoning.
When you record an example, always write the “lesson”:
What does this example show about human behaviour, policy trade-offs, or society?
What is the tension? (freedom vs harm, growth vs sustainability, innovation vs ethics)
If you can recall the lesson, you can recreate the explanation even if you forget exact numbers.
5) Choose “High-ROI” Examples (Maximum Reuse)
Pick examples that can fit many question wordings.
High-ROI examples usually have:
clear cause-and-effect
relevance across multiple themes
space for evaluation (not one-sided)
a general lesson you can extract
Example types that are highly reusable:
Policies (laws, regulations, education reforms)
Major trends (aging populations, digitalisation, climate impacts)
Widely-known case studies (big tech issues, public health responses, economic crises)
Local examples (Singapore policies, campaigns, national challenges) — useful when appropriate
6) Lastly, Practise Using Examples (So You Can Apply Them Anywhere)
Having examples isn’t enough—you must practise applying them. Try these drills:
Drill A: “Same example, different questions”
Pick one example and answer:
How does it support “should” questions?
How does it support “to what extent” questions?
What is the counterargument?
Drill B: “One paragraph challenge”
Write one PEEL paragraph in 8–10 minutes using:
1 point
1 example
1 evaluation line
Final Tip:
Your Goal Is Flexible Recall
You don’t need to memorise essays, you need to remember:
a few strong ideas
a few flexible example clusters
how to explain + evaluate
That’s what makes your writing fast, confident, and adaptable, no matter what question comes out!
#Lockin with us.
