Specification at a glance

These qualifications are linear. Linear means that students will sit all the AS exams at the end of their AS course and all the A-level exams at the end of their A-level course.

AS

Subject content

Core content:

Options:

Assessments

Paper 1: Literary genres: drama

What's assessed

Choice of two options

Option 1A: Aspects of tragedy

Option 1B: Aspects of comedy

Study of one Shakespeare play and one further drama text

Assessed

  • written exam: 1 hour 30 minutes
  • closed book
  • 50 marks
  • 50% of AS level

Questions

Section A: one passage-based question on a Shakespeare text (25 marks)

Section B: one essay question on a drama set text (25 marks)

Paper 2: Literary genres: prose and poetry
What's assessed

Choice of two options

Option 2A: Aspects of tragedy

Option 2B: Aspects of comedy

Study of one prose text and one poetry text

Assessed

  • written exam: 1 hour 30 minutes
  • open book
  • 50 marks
  • 50% of AS level

Questions

Section A: one essay question on poetry set text (25 marks)

Section B: one essay question on prose set text (25 marks)

A-level

Subject content

Core content:

Options:

Assessments

Paper 1: Literary genres
What's assessed

Choice of two options

Option 1A: Aspects of tragedy

Option 1B: Aspects of comedy

Study of three texts: one Shakespeare text; a second drama text and one further text, of which one must be written pre-1900

Assessed

  • written exam: 2 hours 30 minutes
  • closed book
  • 75 marks
  • 40% of A-level

Questions

Section A: one passage-based question on set Shakespeare text (25 marks)

Section B: one essay question on set Shakespeare text (25 marks)

Section C: one essay question linking two texts (25 marks)

Paper 2: Texts and genres
What's assessed

Choice of two options

Option 2A: Elements of crime writing

Option 2B: Elements of political and social protest writing

Study of three texts: one post-2000 prose text; one poetry and one further text, one of which must be written pre-1900

Examination will include an unseen passage.

Assessed

  • written exam: 3 hours
  • open book
  • 75 marks
  • 40% of A-level

Questions

Section A: one compulsory question on an unseen passage (25 marks)

Section B: one essay question on set text (25 marks)

Section C: one essay question which connects two texts (25 marks)

Non-exam assessment: Theory and independence
What's assessed

Study of two texts: one poetry and one prose text, informed by study of the Critical Anthology

Two essays of 1250–1500 words, each responding to a different text and linking to a different aspect of the Critical anthology

One essay can be re-creative. The re-creative piece will be accompanied by a commentary.

Assessed

  • 50 marks
  • 20% of A-level
  • assessed by teachers
  • moderated by AQA