Changes to 2021 exams for AS and A-level Drama and Theatre

Published: Thursday 24 Sep 2020

We’ve been working hard to make the relevant changes to our qualifications following Ofqual’s decisions on summer 2021 exams, so here are the changes you need to know about for AS (7261) and A-level (7262) Drama and Theatre.

These changes only apply to the 2021 exam series.

AS Drama and Theatre (7261)

• Component 1 - there are no planned changes to the written exam.
• Component 2 - we’ll allow students to complete a monologue.
• Component 2 - we’ve reduced the number of extracts required from two to one. However, we’ll accept all submissions and moderate all work (whether one or two extracts have been explored).
• Component 2 - we’ve reduced the timing requirements to one and a half minutes (monologue) and three minutes (duologue/group).
• Component 2 - we’ll need to apply a penalty to any performances that do not meet these minimum requirements in the same way as in previous series.
• Component 2 - we’ll allow students to submit alternative evidence where it hasn’t been possible to produce a recording of a final performance.

We'll be publishing full guidance on alternative evidence on e-AQA shortly.

We’ll make amendments to the mark scheme to allow for the monologue in Component 2, shorter performances that may not be able to apply the methods of a practitioner fully and to allow alternative evidence to be submitted. We'll be publishing this on e-AQA shortly.

You'll be able to use ‘Covid-19’ on the ‘NEA, fieldwork and live performance centre declaration form’ as the reason students have not been able to attend a live theatre performance.

A-level Drama and Theatre (7262)

• Component 1 - there are no planned changes to the written exam.
• Component 2 - we’ll allow students to complete a monologue. We'll be publishing updated guidance on devising monologues on e-AQA shortly.
• Component 3 - this will be examined by post. We’ll provide details of how to submit work soon.
• Component 3 - we’ve reduced the required number of extracts from three to one. However, we’ll accept all submissions and mark all work (whether one, two or three extracts have been explored).
• Components 2 and 3 - we’ve reduced the timing requirements to one and a half minutes (monologue) and three minutes (duologue/group).
• Components 2 and 3 - we’ll need to apply a penalty to any performances that do not meet these minimum requirements in the same way as in previous series.
• Components 2 and 3 - we’ll allow students to submit alternative evidence where it hasn’t been possible to produce a recording of a live performance. We'll be publishing full guidance on alternative evidence on e-AQA shortly.

We’ll make amendments to the mark schemes for Components 2 and 3 to allow for the monologue in Component 2, shorter performances that may not be able to apply the methods of a practitioner fully and to allow alternative evidence to be submitted. We'll be publishing these on e-AQA shortly.

You'll be able to use ‘Covid-19’ on the ‘NEA, fieldwork and live performance centre declaration form’ as the reason students have not been able to attend a live theatre performance.

We know that you’ll want to know more about the changes for next summer. We’ll publish further information in the coming months with updates about the summer 2021 exams.

See all updates