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GCSE English Language
- Specification
- Planning resources
- Teaching resources
- Assessment resources
- Introduction
- Specification at a glance
- 3.1 Scope of study
Scheme of assessment
- Non-exam assessment administration
- General administration
Find past papers and mark schemes, and specimen papers for new courses, on our website at aqa.org.uk/pastpapers
This specification is designed to be taken over two years with all assessments taken at the end of the course.
GCSE exams and certification for this specification are available for the first time in May/June 2017 and then every May/June and November for the life of the specification.
This is a linear qualification. In order to achieve the award, students must complete all exams in November or May/June in a single year. All assessments must be taken in the same series. November entries will only be available to students who were at least 16 on the previous 31 August. See Resits and shelf life in the General administration section for November entry restrictions.
- provide extended responses
- demonstrate their ability to draw together different areas of knowledge, skills and/or understanding from across a full course of study for this qualification.
The final reading question on each paper - Question 4 on Paper 1 and Question 4 on Paper 2 allows students to fulfill this requirement.
All materials are available in English only.
Aims and learning outcomes
Courses based on this specification should encourage students to:
read fluently and write effectively. They should be able to demonstrate a confident control of Standard English and they should be able to write grammatically correct sentences, deploy figurative language and analyse texts.
Courses based on this specification should enable students to:
- read a wide range of texts, fluently and with good understanding
- read critically, and use knowledge gained from wide reading to inform and improve their own writing
- write effectively and coherently using Standard English appropriately
- use grammar correctly, punctuate and spell accurately
- acquire and apply a wide vocabulary, alongside a knowledge and understanding of grammatical terminology, and linguistic conventions for reading, writing and spoken language.
- listen to and understand spoken language, and use spoken Standard English effectively.
The Spoken Language endorsement will be reported on as part of the qualification, but it will not form part of the final mark and grade.
Explorations in creative reading and writing
- in section A, reading a literature fiction text in order to consider how established writers use narrative and descriptive techniques to capture the interest of readers
- in section B, writing their own creative text, inspired by the topic that they have responded to in section A to demonstrate their narrative and descriptive skills in response to a written prompt, scenario or visual image.
The paper will assess in this sequence, AO1, AO2 and AO4 for reading, and AO5 and AO6 for writing. Section A will be allocated 40 marks, and Section B will be allocated 40 marks to give an equal weighting to the reading and writing tasks.
The source for the reading questions will be a literature fiction text. It will be drawn from either the 20th or 21st century. Its genre will be prose fiction. It will include extracts from novels and short stories and focus on openings, endings, narrative perspectives and points of view, narrative or descriptive passages, character, atmospheric descriptions and other appropriate narrative and descriptive approaches.
As a stimulus for students’ own writing, there will be a choice of scenario, written prompt or visual image that is related to the topic of the reading text in section A. The scenario sets out a context for writing with a designated audience, purpose and form that will differ to those specified on Paper 2.
Writers’ viewpoints and perspectives
- in section A, reading two linked sources from different time periods and genres in order to consider how each presents a perspective or viewpoint to influence the reader
- in section B, producing a written text to a specified audience, purpose and form in which they give their own perspective on the theme that has been introduced to them in section A.
The sources for the reading questions will be non-fiction and literary non-fiction texts. They will be drawn from the 19th century, and either the 20th or 21st century depending on the time period assessed in Paper 1 in each particular series. The combination selected will always provide students with an opportunity to consider viewpoints and perspectives over time. Choice of genre will include high quality journalism, articles, reports, essays, travel writing, accounts, sketches, letters, diaries, autobiography and biographical passages or other appropriate non-fiction and literary non-fiction forms.
In section B, there will be a single writing task related to the theme of section A. It will specify audience, purpose and form, and will use a range of opinions, statements and writing scenarios to provoke a response.
Non-exam assessment
- giving a presentation in a formal context
- responding appropriately to questions and to feedback, asking questions themselves to elicit clarification
- using spoken Standard English.
Students must undertake a prepared spoken presentation on a specific topic. The topic is at the discretion. As a guide, the duration should be no more than ten minutes. The key requirements are:
- presentations must be formal but may take a wide variety of forms, including talks, debates, speeches and dialogues
- students must identify the subject for their presentations in advance and agree it with their teacher
- presentations must be planned and organised. Students should be advised that that lack of preparation is likely to prevent access to the criteria for the higher grades
- students may use pre-prepared notes, powerpoint etc. to assist them during their presentations but this is not a requirement
- as part of, or following, the presentation students must listen to and respond appropriately to questions and feedback
- where the audience is the teacher only, the presentation and dialogue must be designed in such a way that it could have a potentially wider audience than just one person (eg it replicates a television interview).
Assessment objectives
Assessment objectives (AOs) are set by Ofqual and are the same across all GCSE English Language specifications and all exam boards.
The exams and Spoken Language endorsement will measure how students have achieved the following assessment objectives.
- identify and interpret explicit and implicit information and ideas
- select and synthesise evidence from different texts
- AO2: Explain, comment on and analyse how writers use language and structure to achieve effects and influence readers, using relevant subject terminology to support their views
- AO3: Compare writers’ ideas and perspectives, as well as how these are conveyed, across two or more texts
- AO4: Evaluate texts critically and support this with appropriate textual references
- AO5: Communicate clearly, effectively and imaginatively, selecting and adapting tone, style and register for different forms, purposes and audiences. Organise information and ideas, using structural and grammatical features to support coherence and cohesion of texts
- AO6: Candidates must use a range of vocabulary and sentence structures for clarity, purpose and effect, with accurate spelling and punctuation. (This requirement must constitute 20% of the marks for each specification as a whole.)
- AO7: Demonstrate presentation skills in a formal setting
- AO8: Listen and respond appropriately to spoken language, including to questions and feedback on presentations
- AO9: Use spoken Standard English effectively in speeches and presentations.
Weighting of assessment objectives for GCSE English Language
Assessment weightings.
The marks awarded on the papers will be scaled to meet the weighting of the components. Students’ final marks will be calculated by adding together the scaled marks for each component. Grade boundaries will be set using this total scaled mark. The scaling and total scaled marks are shown in the table below.
AQA GCSE English Language Past Papers
This section includes recent GCSE English Language past papers (9-1) (8700) from AQA. You can download each of the AQA GCSE English Language past papers and marking schemes by clicking the links below.
November 2022 AQA GCSE (9-1) English Language (8700) Past Exam Papers
November 2022: Paper 1: Explorations in Creative Reading and Writing (8700/1) Download Insert - Download Past Paper - Download Mark Scheme
November 2022: Paper 2: Writer's Viewpoints and Perspectives (8700/2) Download Insert - Download Past Paper - Download Mark Scheme
June 2022 AQA GCSE (9-1) English Language (8700) Past Exam Papers
June 2022: Paper 1: Explorations in Creative Reading and Writing (8700/1) Download Insert - Download Past Paper - Download Mark Scheme
June 2022: Paper 2: Writer's Viewpoints and Perspectives (8700/2) Download Insert - Download Past Paper - Download Mark Scheme
November 2021 AQA GCSE (9-1) English Language (8700) Past Exam Papers (Labelled as June 2021)
November 2021: Paper 1: Explorations in Creative Reading and Writing (8700/1) Download Insert - Download Past Paper - Download Mark Scheme
November 2021: Paper 2: Writer's Viewpoints and Perspectives (8700/2) Download Insert - Download Past Paper - Download Mark Scheme
November 2020 AQA GCSE (9-1) English Language (8700) Past Exam Papers (Labelled as June 2020)
November 2020: Paper 1: Explorations in Creative Reading and Writing (8700/1) Download Insert - Download Past Paper - Download Mark Scheme
November 2020: Paper 2: Writer's Viewpoints and Perspectives (8700/2) Download Insert - Download Past Paper - Download Mark Scheme
June 2019 AQA GCSE (9-1) English Language (8700) Past Exam Papers
June 2019: Paper 1: Explorations in Creative Reading and Writing (8700/1) Download Insert - Download Past Paper - Download Mark Scheme
June 2019: Paper 2: Writer's Viewpoints and Perspectives (8700/2) Download Insert - Download Past Paper - Download Mark Scheme
November 2018 AQA GCSE (9-1) English Language (8700) Past Exam Papers
November 2018: Paper 1: Explorations in Creative Reading and Writing (8700/1) Download Insert - Download Past Paper - Download Mark Scheme
November 2018: Paper 2: Writer's Viewpoints and Perspectives (8700/2) Download Insert - Download Past Paper - D ownload Mark Scheme
June 2018 AQA GCSE (9-1) English Language (8700) Past Exam Papers
June 2018: Paper 1: Explorations in Creative Reading and Writing (8700/1) Download Insert - Download Past Paper - Download Mark Scheme
June 2018: Paper 2: Writer's Viewpoints and Perspectives (8700/2) Download Insert - Download Past Paper - Download Mark Scheme
November 2017 AQA GCSE English Language (8700) Past Exam Papers
November 2017: Paper 1: Explorations in Creative Reading and Writing (8700/1) Download Insert - Download Past Paper - Download Mark Scheme
November 2017: Paper 2: Writer's Viewpoints and Perspectives (8700/2) Download Insert - Download Past Paper - Download Mark Scheme
June 2017 AQA GCSE English Language (8700) Past Exam Papers
June 2017: Paper 1: Explorations in Creative Reading and Writing (8700/1) Download Insert - Download Past Paper - Download Mark Scheme
June 2017: Paper 2: Writer's Viewpoints and Perspectives (8700/2) Download Insert - Download Past Paper - Download Mark Scheme
For more GCSE English Language past papers from other exam boards click here .
IMAGES
VIDEO
COMMENTS
This is an important feature of the mark scheme for GCSE English Language. It provides exemplification of the skills descriptors at each level and offers a small number of different comments at the required standard to give an indication of the quality of response that is typical for that level. It shows the progression from Level 1 to 4.
This is an important feature of the mark scheme for GCSE English Language. It provides exemplification of the skills descriptors at each level and offers a small number of different comments at the required standard to give an indication of the quality of response that is typical for that level. It shows the progression from Level 1 to 4.
Step 1 Determine a level. Start at the lowest level of the mark scheme and use it as a ladder to see whether the answer meets the descriptor for that level. The descriptor for the level indicates the different qualities that might be seen in the student's answer for that level. If it meets the lowest level then go to the next one and decide ...
This is an important feature of the mark scheme for GCSE English Language. It provides exemplification of the skills descriptors at each level and offers a small number of different comments at the required standard to give an indication of the quality of response that is typical for that level. It shows the progression from Level 1 to 4.
Assessment resources. Mark schemes. Showing 10 results. Mark scheme: Paper 2 Writers' viewpoints and perspectives - November 2022. Published 31 Oct 2023 | PDF | 294 KB. Mark scheme: Paper 1 Explorations in creative reading and writing - November 2022. Published 31 Oct 2023 | PDF | 295 KB. Mark scheme: Paper 2 Writers' viewpoints and ...
Mark schemes (10) Notes and guidance (12) Question papers ... AQA | Non-exam assessment guide: Spoken language endorsement Promoted ... Question paper (Modified A3 36pt): Paper 1 Explorations in creative reading and writing - November 2022 Published 31 Oct 2023 ...
November 2017. Version: 1.0 Final Mark schemes are prepared by the Lead Assessment Writer and considered, together with the relevant questions, by a panel of subject teachers. This mark scheme includes any amendments made at the standardisation events which all associates participate in and is the scheme which was used by them in this ...
Information. The marks for questions are shown in brackets. The maximum mark for this paper is 80. There are 40 marks for Section A and 40 marks for Section B. You are reminded of the need for good English and clear presentation in your answers. You will be assessed on the quality of your reading in Section A.
Level of response mark schemes for GCSE English Language are broken down into four levels (where appropriate). In the first column each level is identified with one or two key words that represent the differences in the skills then described. These key words show the progression from Level 1 to 4 and are: Level 4 Level 3 Level 2 Level 1.
This is an important feature of the mark scheme for GCSE English Language. It provides exemplification of the skills descriptors at each level and offers a small number of different comments at the required standard to give an indication of the quality of response that is typical for that level. It shows the progression from Level 1 to 4.
Assessment resources. Page. 1. 2. Paper 1. Showing 35 results. Question paper: Paper 1 Explorations in creative reading and writing - Sample set 1. Published 18 Nov 2014 | PDF | 219 KB. Mark scheme: Paper 1 Explorations in creative reading and writing - Sample set 1.
Level of response mark schemes for GCSE English Language are broken down into four levels (where appropriate). In the first column each level is identified with one or two key words that represent the differences in the skills then described. These key words show the progression from Level 1 to 4 and are: Level 4 Level 3 Level 2 Level 1.
Good assessment made easy with Exampro. Find past paper questions so you can make customised assessments for revision, homework and topic tests for GCSE, AS and A-level. Find past papers and mark schemes for AQA exams, and specimen papers for new courses.
Assumptions about future mark schemes on the basis of one year's document should be avoided; whilst the guiding principles of assessment remain constant, details will change, depending on the content of a particular examination paper. Further copies of this mark scheme are available from aqa.org.uk
This is an important feature of the mark scheme for GCSE English Language. It provides exemplification of the skills descriptors at each level and offers a small number of different comments at the required standard to give an indication of the quality of response that is typical for that level. It shows the progression from Level 1 to 4.
Scheme of assessment. Find past papers and mark schemes, and specimen papers for new courses, on our website at aqa.org.uk/pastpapers. This specification is designed to be taken over two years with all assessments taken at the end of the course. GCSE exams and certification for this specification are available for the first time in May/June ...
June 2019 AQA GCSE (9-1) English Language (8700) Past Exam Papers. June 2019: Paper 1: Explorations in Creative Reading and Writing (8700/1) Download Insert - Download Past Paper - Download Mark Scheme. June 2019: Paper 2: Writer's Viewpoints and Perspectives (8700/2) Download Insert - Download Past Paper - Download Mark Scheme.
Explorations in creative reading and writing Mark scheme 8700 June 2018 Version/Stage: 1.0 Final . MARK SCHEME - GCSE ENGLISH LANGUAGE - 8700/1 - JUNE 2018 2 Mark schemes are prepared by the Lead Assessment Writer and considered, together with ... AQA GCSE English Language ...
AO6 (16 marks) Use a range of vocabulary and sentence structures for clarity, purpose and effect, with accurate spelling and punctuation. Overview. Question 5 is a writing question. Question 5 is worth 40 marks. You should aim to write 5-7 paragraphs. You should spend approximately 45 minutes on this question.
For example, in a creative writing response, the best answers show evidence of careful word choice and linguistic techniques. Creative writing helps the reader to visualise the person, place, or situation being described with word choice and linguistic techniques, as well as being taken on a journey. The best way to do this is to:
GCSE English Language Predicted Papers 2024. 10. £ 9.99. GCSE English Language Predicted Papers are essential when preparing for your exams. These papers have been specially designed by top English experts and examiners, to match the style and structure of real exams, and are only available on MME!
2 MARK SCHEME - GCSE ENGLISH LANGUAGE - PAPER 1 Mark schemes are prepared by the Lead Assessment Writer. It must be stressed that a mark scheme is a working document, in many cases further developed and expanded on the basis of students' reactions to a particular paper. Assumptions about future mark schemes on the basis of one year's ...
Paper 1 Explorations in Creative Reading & Writing . Mark Scheme . 2 MARK SCHEME - KS3 (Y9) English Language Paper 1 ... AQA retains the copyright on all its publications. However, registered schools/colleges for AQA are permitted to copy material from ... 5 MARK SCHEME - KS3 (Y9) English Language Paper 1. Section A: Reading . Read again ...