A-level English Literature A

A-level English Podcasts

Over 30 podcasts covering topics for A-level English Language, Literature and Combined units have been produced by academics from Leeds University. The team are inviting comments and this flyer from the English Faculty provides more details about how to view the podcasts and provide feedback.

June 2012 1741/2741 English Literature A (AS and A2)

General advice

Students should:

• read all instructions on the front cover and at the start of each section of the question paper
• read each question carefully before responding, especially where there are optional question(s)
• remember that questions can appear on all pages of a question paper, including the final page.

Combined question paper answer books

Students should look at the number of marks and the line space allocated to each question and write answers of an appropriate length.

If a student needs more space to answer a question, they must:
either use the white space immediately beneath the lined answer space and before the start of the next question
or ask for an AQA four-page Supplementary answer book.

They should not:

• use the answer space for a different question
• write in the margin
• respond elsewhere in the answer book.

Separate answer books and the two-digit numbering system

Students worked well with the two-digit numbering system and separate answer books in 2011 exams; thank you for ensuring that the guidance was applied successfully. We have updated our guides for students, teachers and exams officers / invigilators to reflect the general advice given above.

A reminder: question paper style and marking answers on screen
Exams with separate question papers and answer books (unconstrained answer books) will use:

• our simplified, two-digit question numbering system
• answer books with spaces for students to write the two-digit question numbers.

For additional guidance see:

• Teacher Guide (revised)
• Exams officer and invigilator Guide (revised)
• Student Guide (revised)
• Question papers and mark schemes:
  • Summer 2011 materials are available to schools / colleges in the Secure Key Materials area of e-AQA
  • Specimen materials are available from the subject pages of aqa.org.uk
• Examples of students' work:
  • Good practice
  • Areas for improvement
• AQA Research team papers: Marking answers on screen
  • Reliability of on-screen marking of essays
  • A concurrent approach to estimating the reliability of electronic marking of long form answers
  • Using the Think Aloud Method to investigate electronic marking of long form answers
  • The impact of e-marking on Enquiries After Results 2006/2007
  • The impact of e-marking on Enquiries After Results 2005/2006
  New AQA Numbering System
  • Nested Numbering

  Archive

  • Exams Officer questionnaire feedback
  • Exams Officer questionnaire

Changes to AS Set Poetry Texts

As part of our ongoing commitment to keep our Specifications fresh and respond to teacher feedback we’re announcing upcoming changes to both our English Literature A Level Specifications. These changes will take effect for January 2013 examinations, for teaching from September 2012.

LTA1A
Selected Poems, Thomas Hardy will be replaced by Selected Poems, Alfred, Lord Tennyson Ed. Baron (Everyman)

LTA1B
Up the Line to Death, ed. Gardner will be replaced by The War Poems of Wilfred Owen ed. Stallworthy (Chatto and Windus)

LTA1C
The Worlds Wife, Carol Ann Duffy will be replaced by Feminine Gospels by Carol Ann Duffy (Picador)

Tell us YOUR story creative writing competition

Win a creative writing workshop with Diane Samuels and £500 worth of books, for your school. Get your students' creative juices flowing and engage them with modern literature.

Online CPD – Stretch & Challenge at A2

Try our Online CPD web conferences this spring term!

In the Making the Grade Stretch & Challenge A2 events our Principal Examiners cover the characteristics of high performance at A2 and share teaching strategies that will really make a difference in your classroom.  You can join from the comfort of your own home, individually or in a group with teaching colleagues after lessons.

Web conferences are engaging and participative. You can join individually or with teaching colleagues at school, or from the comfort and convenience of your own home. They offer great value at £80 per web conference.

Visit our CPD pages for more information and booking

NATE A-level English Survey
The National Association for the Teaching of English (NATE) has organised a survey to understand A-level teachers' experience of the new courses. The final report will be used to advise the profession and curricular/assessment authorities of the views and experience of A-level teachers of English.

Find out more.

2011 Standardisation Materials – LITA2/LITA4

All Centres with coursework entries for the January series should have received Standardisation materials. These booklets will be used at the Autumn meetings, run by your Consortium Adviser.

Additional copies can now be downloaded and printed from the Secure Key Materials section of e-AQA. Please contact to your Centre’s Examinations Officer for access details.

For more information about the materials published on Secure Key Materials, or for contact details of your Consortium Adviser, please don't hesitate to contact the Subject team.

Secure Key Materials

More materials added 10 May 2011

Secure Key Materials is a new e-AQA service which replaces Recent Exam Materials from 1 September. It provides teachers and Exams Officers with exclusive access to a bank of exam-related material that is:

• secure
• easy to navigate
• quick to use
• intuitive, based on the design of our website.

Please read our new leaflet and look at the following demo to find out more about this new service.

To obtain an e-AQA account and access to Secure Key Materials, please register at e-AQA. For more information about the materials published on Secure Key Materials, please don't hesitate to contact the Subject team.

Read an update about LITA3, Reading for meaning –Love through the Ages

Drama Coursework Task
(Examinations Update Issue 2)

Courses and events