Document Synthesis in English in Preparatory School: Methods to Succeed

Nature of the Test

• Common test in business school entrance exams.
• Requires skills in prioritization and hierarchy.

General Modalities

• Duration of 4 hours.
• Several documents in a foreign language, at least three.
• Documents on a common theme, relevant to a global citizen.
• No need for specialized knowledge, reading of non-specialized press is sufficient.
• Objective: objectively present the ideas of the documents, without personal commentary.

Evaluation Criteria

1. Title and introductory question.
2. Presentation of key elements.
3. Coherence of argumentation.
4. Quality of expression (linguistic and stylistic).

Example Prompt

• Write a 500-word synthesis in English.
• 10% leeway accepted.
• Title included in the word count.

Synthesis Methodology

• Precision and rigor are essential.
• Total objectivity, only the ideas of the documents are considered.

Steps for the Synthesis

1. Preliminary Reading of Documents

• Carefully read all documents.
• Determine the nature of the documents: primary (to summarize) and secondary (to transcribe/decipher).
• Consider the paratext: source, dates, origin.
• Determine the general theme and issue.

2. Document Analysis

• Use a comparative table or separate draft sheets.
• Identify and rephrase the main ideas.
• Consider secondary documents.
• Prioritize the content of the documents.

3. Document Comparison

• Do not summarize each document successively.
• Present the key elements and show the relationships between ideas in the documents.
• Confrontation is essential to constructing the plan.

4. Synthesis Plan

• Plan corresponding to the issue.
• Logical hierarchy of ideas.
• Types of plans: by opposition or by sequence.

5. Writing the Synthesis

• Clearly introduce the issue.
• Development in two or three parts.
• Objective conclusion-assessment, no personal judgment.

Additional Advice

• Read a lot to analyze and understand quickly.
• Follow the 5 methodological steps without improvisation.
• Other resources on the site for language work in HEC preparatory classes.