A-level English Lit A (7712) specification change

Published: Tuesday 23 Feb 2021

We need to make two changes to the Paper 2A – World War I and its aftermath component that will be implemented for first teaching from September 2021 and examined in summer 2023: we’re introducing a new post-2000 drama text and My Boy Jack will no longer be classified as a post-2000 text.

For Section B of the A-level English Literature A (7712) specification, students must study three texts: one prose, one poetry and one drama. One of the three texts must be a post-2000 text.

New compulsory post-2000 drama text (Option 3)

From September 2021, we’re introducing a new post-2000 drama text: The Wipers Times by Ian Hislop and Nick Newman (Samuel French LTD published 2016) (first published and premiered September 2016) (ISBN: 978-0573113512).

If you wish to continue to follow the Option 3 route through the paper, you’ll need to teach our new post-2000 drama text. The text is supported with a BBC film and a free education pack produced by The Watermill Theatre, funded by Arts Council England, will provide useful background for your teaching.

We recognise that some schools and students will be following the My Boy Jack text. To help minimise any potential disruption we’ve decided to keep My Boy Jack as one of the available text options. If you wish to continue to teach this text, you’ll need to follow the Option 1 route through this exam paper. This means that, for the 2023 exams and onwards, My Boy Jack will need to be paired with one of the post-2000 prose text options: A Long, Long Way, The First Casualty or Life Class.

Updated specification

The new text will take effect from the summer 2023 exams, and will allow sufficient time for schools to make decisions around text choices for teaching from September 2021.

The specification (v.1.5 January 2021) has been updated on our website to reflect these changes. When referring to a specification, please make sure you have the latest version.

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