specification overview
AQA GCSE English Literature (8702) is a single-tier qualification covering one Shakespeare play, one 19th-century novel, one modern text, a poetry anthology cluster and unseen poetry. Both papers are sat closed-book at the end of year 11, so quotations must be recalled from memory. Graded 9-1, with no non-exam assessment (NEA).
subject content
1. Shakespeare
Paper 1- One play from a choice of six: Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, The Merchant of Venice, The Tempest, Much Ado About Nothing, Julius Caesar
- Extract-based essay writing about the extract and the whole play
- Analysis of language, form, structure and context
2. 19th-century novel
Paper 1- One novel from a choice of seven: A Christmas Carol, Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Frankenstein, Great Expectations, Jane Eyre, Pride and Prejudice, The Sign of Four
- Extract-based essay covering the extract and the whole text
- Historical and social context of late 18th- to 19th-century Britain
3. Modern text
Paper 2- One text from a choice of 15 prose or drama options
- Drama options: An Inspector Calls, Blood Brothers, The History Boys, DNA, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, A Taste of Honey, Princess & The Hustler, Leave Taking
- Prose options: Lord of the Flies, AQA Anthology Telling Tales, Animal Farm, Never Let Me Go, Anita and Me, Pigeon English, My Name is Leon
- One essay from a choice of two on themes, characters and writer's craft
4. Poetry anthology
Paper 2- One cluster of 15 thematically linked poems: Power and Conflict, Love and Relationships, or Worlds and Lives
- Comparative essay on a named anthology poem and one other poem from the cluster
- Analysis of language, form and structure across the cluster
5. Unseen poetry
Paper 2- Two unseen poems provided in the exam
- Analysis of the first unseen poem
- Short comparison between the two unseen poems
assessment structure
| Paper | What's assessed | Length | Marks | Weight | Question types |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 | Shakespeare and the 19th-century novel. Section A: extract-based question on your Shakespeare play. Section B: extract-based question on your 19th-century novel. Both ask you to write about the extract and the whole text. | 1h 45m | 64 | 40% | Closed-book extract-based essay questions covering extract + whole-text response |
| Paper 2 | Modern texts and poetry. Section A: essay from a choice of two on your modern text. Section B: comparative essay on a named poem from your anthology cluster plus one other. Section C: analysis of one unseen poem plus a short comparison with a second unseen poem. | 2h 15m | 96 | 60% | Closed-book essay questions plus unseen poetry analysis and short comparison |
assessment objectives
| AO | What it means | Paper 1 | Paper 2 | Overall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AO1 | Read, understand and respond to texts with an informed personal response. | 15% | 22.5% | 37.5% |
| AO2 | Analyse language, form and structure used by a writer, with subject terminology. | 15% | 27.5% | 42.5% |
| AO3 | Show understanding of the relationship between a text and the contexts in which it was written. | 7.5% | 7.5% | 15% |
| AO4 | Use a range of vocabulary and sentence structures for clarity, with accurate SPaG (spelling, punctuation and grammar). | 2.5% | 2.5% | 5% |
key tips for success
Memorise key quotations
Both papers are closed-book, so you can't take your texts into the exam. Build a bank of short, powerful quotations per character and theme for each set text.
Practise unseen poetry weekly
The unseen poetry element in Paper 2 rewards reading practice. Attempt a new unseen poem each week using PEE (Point, Evidence, Explanation) or PETAL structures.
Structure essays clearly
Examiners reward clear arguments backed by textual evidence. Use topic sentences, embedded quotations and analytical vocabulary.
Study context, but don't overload
AO3 is only 15% of the qualification. Learn a handful of relevant contextual points per text (e.g. Victorian attitudes to poverty for A Christmas Carol) rather than piles of history.
Compare across the poetry cluster
The anthology question asks you to compare two poems. Learn which poems share themes (power, memory, nature, conflict) so you can pair them under pressure.
Check your SPaG
AO4 is 5% of the qualification, awarded across both papers. Neat handwriting, accurate spelling and correct punctuation genuinely pick up marks.
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