How I Would Prepare for this Assignment
Keep in mind, there are no right and wrong answers with this test. I do not have a sheet saying that you must give specific answers. What I’m looking for is your ability to analyze, unpack and give an appraisal of how a piece of advertising works.

Before the Test:
-First off, do the readings, particularly the week three and four readings. If you’ve done them properly, this assignment will make a lot more sense. If you haven’t done them, I’d estimate your chance of failing goes up 50%.
-If you’re nervous about it, look at the test questions and apply them to some ads. Talk it over with other people, talk about advertising and think about what the ads are doing.
-Familiarize yourself with the key concepts. Again, this involves doing the readings and looking at the definitions I’ve put up online.
-Remember that what I’m looking for is your ability to think critically and analyze a piece of advertising. As long as I can see that you can look at an ad and see that it's doing more than simply presenting you with a product, you’ll probably pass.

Once You Get The Test Paper and See the Example:
(1) Look for the Signs. Look at everything in the ad and take note of everything you can see. If it was me, I’d bring in some note paper and write it down. This isn’t tricky – just look at the ad and write everything you see.
(2) Think about the ‘discourses’ involved. If you find the term confusing, look at this way: What themes do you see?
(3) Think about how those themes tie the signs together to create a ‘myth’ or story.
(4) Think about what that story says about the world – what is it trying to make you think, whose interests is it working for? What is it implying is good or bad? With that in mind, you should be able to pick the ideologies behind it.

Here's some examples: