A Parent’s Guide to the AQA mark scheme
AQA GCSE English Literature
The examiners will assess how well students can:
Understand and interpret texts: Students need to show they understand key themes, characters, and settings, and can support their points with evidence from the text.
Analyse language, structure, and form: Examiners look for how students explain the impact of the writer's choices (e.g., figurative language, sentence structure).
Contextual knowledge: Students should demonstrate how the social, historical, or cultural context influences the text and its meanings.
Comparison (where required): Students may need to compare themes, ideas, or styles across different texts.
Quality of writing: Marks are also awarded for clear, well-structured essays with accurate spelling, punctuation, and grammar.
Reading List (possible texts students may study - check with your child’s English teacher):
Shakespeare: Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, The Tempest, Much Ado About Nothing, Julius Caesar.
19th-Century Novels: A Christmas Carol (Charles Dickens), Frankenstein (Mary Shelley), Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (Robert Louis Stevenson).
Modern Texts: An Inspector Calls (J.B. Priestley), Blood Brothers (Willy Russell), Animal Farm (George Orwell), Lord of the Flies (William Golding).
Poetry: Students study 15 poems from the AQA Anthology (Power and Conflict or Love and Relationships), plus unseen poetry.
AQA GCSE English Language
The examiners assess the following skills:
Reading comprehension:
Understanding explicit and implicit meanings in fiction and nonfiction texts.
Analysing how writers use language and structure to create effects.
Evaluating texts critically.
Writing:
Writing clearly, imaginatively, and for specific purposes (e.g., to describe, argue, or persuade).
Organizing ideas effectively, with correct spelling, punctuation, and grammar.
Exam Papers
Paper 1 (Explorations in Creative Reading and Writing):
Section A (Reading): Students might analyse an extract from a novel, focusing on how language builds tension or describes a character.
Section B (Writing): They could be asked to write a story or descriptive piece based on a prompt, like, “Write about a time you felt lost.”
Paper 2 (Writers’ Viewpoints and Perspectives):
Section A (Reading): Students compare two nonfiction texts (e.g., a newspaper article and a diary entry) to explore differing viewpoints.
Section B (Writing): Tasks could include writing a persuasive letter or an opinion article, such as, “Should social media be restricted for teenagers?”
Summary
Literature: Focus is on analysing texts in-depth and understanding their context.
Language: Emphasis is on comprehension, analysis, and producing high-quality writing. Encourage your child to practice essay writing, annotate texts, and complete past papers to become familiar with the exam format.