English Literature

Assessment

Paper 1: Love through the ages – written exam: 3 hours (closed book) 40% of A level Section A: Shakespeare: one passage-based question with linked essay Section B: Unseen poetry: compulsory essay question on two unseen poems Section C: Comparing texts: one essay question linking The Great Gatsby with a selection of poetry from the studied anthology (open book in Sec C only) Paper 2: Modern times: literature from 1945 to the present day – written exam: 2 hrs 30 mins (open book) 40% of A level Section A: One essay question on ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ Section B: Contextual linking – one compulsory question on an unseen extract, one essay question linking ‘Feminine Gospels’ and ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’. Non-exam assessment: Independent critical study: texts across time (20% of A-level) One extended essay (2500 words) and a bibliography, assessed by teachers, moderated by AQA.