English Literature B AS and A-level Specification
PDF | 845.55 KB
A-level English Literature B7717
Non-exam assessment (NEA) for summer 2025
NEA work samples for this subject are now submitted online using Centre Marks Submission on Centre Services. Read the guidance on submitting NEA.
2.0 Specification at a glance
This qualification is 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.
Subject content
Core content:- 3.1 Literary genres
- 3.2 Texts and genres
- 3.3 Theory and independence
Options:
- 3.1.1 Aspects of tragedy
- 3.1.2 Aspects of comedy
- 3.2.1 Elements of crime writing
- 3.2.2 Elements of political and social protest writing
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
|
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
|
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 anthologyOne essay can be re-creative. The re-creative piece will be accompanied by a commentary. |
Assessed
|