AS and A-level English Literature A
A-level English Literature A ......................................................................................................... 4
How many texts have to be studied? ........................................................................................... 4
Will the set texts change over the lifetime of the specification? .................................................... 4
What editions of set texts should we use? Can students annotate them – and is it ok if they
contain additional notes? ............................................................................................................. 4
Are all AOs assessed for every question? ................................................................................... 4
What do you mean by ‘holistic assessment’? .............................................................................. 4
How do I make sure that my set-text choices fulfil the date and genre requirements for AS and Alevel English Literature A? ........................................................................................................... 5
A-level Paper 1: Love through the ages ...................................................................................... 5
Will Love through the ages still mean relationships generally? What aspects of love could I focus
on with my students? ................................................................................................................... 5
Do I need to refer to other texts/wider reading in single text questions? – AO4 suggests I do… .. 5
A-level Paper 1: Love through the ages – Section A .................................................................. 5
Are students allowed to take their Shakespeare texts into the exam as well as the texts for
section C? ................................................................................................................................... 5
For the closed book questions what kinds of references will be considered - exact quotes,
paraphrasing, single words, wider references to character or events? ......................................... 5
Do students need to refer to the extract and the rest of the play in equal proportion or are they
expected to focus more on the extract? ....................................................................................... 6
A-level Paper 1: Love through the ages – Section B .................................................................. 6
Will the unseen poems always be the same length as those in the specimen materials? ............ 6
Will the unseen poems always have a distinct time gap? ............................................................ 6
Is there an earliest date the poetry could come from? ................................................................. 6
A-level Paper 1: Love through the ages – Section C .................................................................. 6
As a new form of question for Love through the ages, it would be helpful to talk through the
underlying idea/purpose/aim of the questions in Section C. ......................................................... 6
In Section C, one text has to be written pre-1900. Can both be written pre-1900?....................... 6
A-level Paper 2 .............................................................................................................................. 7
What’s the difference between core texts and comparative texts? ............................................... 7
The specification suggests that you can you use core texts in Section B. How many core texts
need to be studied? ..................................................................................................................... 7
Why have you chosen this particular layout for Paper 2? ............................................................ 7
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So for Section B you need to cover the two genres not covered by your Section A text, e.g. if you
choose a set poetry text for section A then you teach a prose and a drama for comparison? ...... 7
Should students know before they start which option they will do? .............................................. 7
There are collections of poetry that would suggest they are post-2000 (Morrison and Heaney) are they actually counted as Post-2000? ..................................................................................... 7
Could one Centre enter different groups for different Paper 2 options? (i.e. one group taking 2A:
WW1 and its aftermath while the other takes 2B: Modern times: Literature from 1945 to the
present day) ................................................................................................................................ 8
Could the unseen ‘literary prose’ for A-level Paper 2 include non-fiction? If so what sort of texts
would this include? ...................................................................................................................... 8
Non-exam assessment ................................................................................................................. 8
When do I teach the non-exam assessment component? Does it have to be in year 2 if I’m coteaching?..................................................................................................................................... 8
Will area moderation continue? ................................................................................................... 8
Will there be face to face teacher standardisation? ..................................................................... 8
Who will mark NEAs? .................................................................................................................. 8
How can I get help with non-exam assessment? ......................................................................... 9
Word count: Will students be penalised for exceeding the word count?....................................... 9
Are quotations included in the word count? ................................................................................. 9
Does the word limit include the bibliography? .............................................................................. 9
Is there a set text list for NEA? .................................................................................................... 9
If one text must be pre 1900, does the other have to be post 1900?............................................ 9
Can NEA texts be from the same genre? .................................................................................... 9
Do I need to get approval for the texts and tasks I want to set for my students? .......................... 9
When choosing texts for the NEA, can you choose a set text which was not studied by the
student for examination? ............................................................................................................. 9
What are the guidelines for using poetry and/or short stories as NEA texts? ............................... 9
Can you use a text in translation for the NEA? .......................................................................... 10
Should students be taught for NEA or should they choose their texts independently? ............... 10
Is it OK for a whole class to use the same text for NEA? ........................................................... 10
Can one of the NEA texts be an autobiography? ....................................................................... 10
AS English Literature A .............................................................................................................. 10
Can students study the same Shakespeare text at AS and A-level?.......................................... 10
If all our students are taking the AS exam as a mock, do we have to do an AS text - ie 'The Mill
on the Floss' or 'The Rotters' Club' ? ......................................................................................... 11
AS Paper 1 Section A.................................................................................................................. 11
How much reference do students need to make to the extract and wider text in their response to
the question? ............................................................................................................................. 11
Are students expected to answer the question as individual bullet points or integrate the two in
their answer? ............................................................................................................................. 11
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AS Paper 1 Section B.................................................................................................................. 11
Can students completely disagree with the proposed view as long as they provide support, or
would a more balanced response with a counterargument be recommended? .......................... 11
Are students expected to compare across the anthology or just discuss the named poem? ...... 11
AS Paper 2 Section A.................................................................................................................. 12
When answering the unseen prose question, do students need to link their ideas to other texts?
The specimen mark scheme seems to suggest that they would need to do so in order to be
rewarded for AO4. ..................................................................................................................... 12
Anthologies ................................................................................................................................. 12
What are the anthologies mentioned in the specification? ......................................................... 12
Are the anthologies available digitally? ...................................................................................... 12
Will the poetry anthology at AS Level be the same as the poetry anthology for A Level? .......... 12
Co-teaching ................................................................................................................................. 12
What does co-teachable mean? ................................................................................................ 13
Do students have to do the AS if they are intending to do A-level? ............................................ 13
When do students need to make the decision to study either the AS or A-level? ....................... 13
AS and A-level qualifications are now linear – what does that mean? ....................................... 13
Should the new AS be studied over 1 or 2 years? ..................................................................... 13
Could a whole cohort do the AS in their first year and then the A-Level in their second year? ... 13
Is the AS content different to A-level? ........................................................................................ 13
I don't understand why there are 3 texts for a full A level and 4 for AS. Can you explain? ........ 13
How do I co-teach English Literature when AS has got 4 texts and Paper 1 of A-level has got 3
texts? ........................................................................................................................................ 14
Can you use the ‘extra’ taught AS prose text for the NEA taught text for A-level? ..................... 14
When do I teach the non-exam assessment component? Does it have to be in year 2 if I’m coteaching?................................................................................................................................... 14
Guided Learning hours............................................................................................................... 14
What are the guided learning hours and grading for AS and A-level? ........................................ 14
Does Guided Learning Hours (GLH) include homework? .......................................................... 15
Support and Resources.............................................................................................................. 15
What teaching materials are available? ..................................................................................... 15
Are there any AQA endorsed text books for the new specification? ........................................... 15
What networking opportunities are there for teachers? .............................................................. 15
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A-level English Literature A
The subject criteria require the following:
For A-level English Literature, students need to study a minimum of 8 substantial texts including:
•
2 from each of the genres of poetry, prose and drama
•
3 pre-1900 texts including 1 Shakespeare play
•
1 text first written or performed post-2000
•
In addition, students will respond to an unseen text in the examination.
AQA’s specification is designed to meet these requirements. Teachers should therefore follow the
text requirements outlined in the specification.
We do not expect to change texts within the first five years of the specification. However, texts will
be reviewed each year starting in September 2017 and we will give at least 9 months’ notice of any
changes prior to first teaching of a two year course. The criteria for changing texts will be where a
text becomes unavailable or where we can no longer use it in a question paper. Notice of any
change will be communicated via our exam bulletins and aqa.org.uk/English
There are no prescribed editions of texts, except where a text in translation is set for study. For
open book examinations, the edition used should not contain any material that could potentially
give students an unfair advantage. This might include: study notes, critical materials or editions
that offer a modern translation of the text. Texts must also be clean copies (free from annotation).
Yes, the specification is taking an holistic approach to assessment.
The specification reflects the belief that the assessment objectives work best together, producing a
rounded and holistic view of English Literature.
All questions are framed to address all the AOs. (For NEA, tasks should be designed to ensure
that students can address all AOs in their response.) Since we see the AOs as fluid and
interactive, holistic marking makes sense.
This specification treats AOs 1, 2 and 3 as broadly equal given their relative weightings. Whilst the
individual AOs 4 and 5 are assigned a lower weighting, this spec views AO4 and AO5 as
inextricably linked, given that interpretations necessarily arise from making connections. Taken
together therefore, AOs 4 and 5 can be considered as broadly equal to AOs 1, 2 and 3.
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Each answer is marked holistically and an overall assessment of the quality of the response (to
the question set) is made. When deciding upon a mark in a band, the relative weightings of the
AOs will be considered by examiners, since even with holistic marking, a failure by a student to
address the requirements of a particular AO would clearly impact the overall quality of the
response.
The AS and A-level English Literature A set-text lists can be found in the specification
document: http://filestore.aqa.org.uk/resources/english/specifications/AQA-7711-7712-SP-2015V1-0.PDF
You can also use our text selector tool to quickly confirm your set-text choices meet the
requirements: http://www.aqa.org.uk/resources/english/as-and-a-level/english-literaturea/plan/english-literature-a-text-selector
A-level Paper 1: Love through the ages
Please see page 13 of the specification which suggests areas of love that can usefully be explored.
Students would not be expected to reference other texts in their response to this question. The
specification states that no text exists in isolation and so reading an individual text is always
informed by making connections with the ‘wider network of texts and contexts to which it connects’.
This connection can be implicit and will be demonstrated by the quality of the students’ discussion
of the central issue of love through the ages being addressed.
A-level Paper 1: Love through the ages – Section A
No – Shakespeare in Section A is closed book.
All of the above will be credited - with closed-book exams we don't expect that students will be able
to quote exactly word for word.
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Examiners will credit different approaches which answer the question set; some students may write
successfully in depth about the passage and devote less space to references to the rest of the
play; some students may take only one or two aspects of the passage and develop these with
more substantial references across the rest of the play; some students may give equal treatment to
both passage and the rest of the play. If the question set has been well answered, all approaches
will be credited.
A-level Paper 1: Love through the ages – Section B
The poems will be chosen in the first instance for their appropriateness for this section of the
examination. They will, however, be of a manageable length but could be longer or shorter than the
examples within the specimen assessment materials.
The poems will be chosen for their suitability for comparison so there will not necessarily be a
distinct time gap.
There is no date range from which the poems will be drawn.
A-level Paper 1: Love through the ages – Section C
Here students are required to compare 2 texts of their choice from the set text list. Each question
is based on a theme. Comparison is important to Specification A which takes an historicist
approach to literature - the specification works from the belief that no text exists in isolation but is
connected to other texts by the context in which it is produced. As with all other questions, Section
C questions are designed so that the student addresses all the AOs.
Yes you can compare two pre-1900 texts here providing one is a prose text and one is a poetry
text.
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A-level Paper 2
The key difference is in the way the texts are used in the paper. The paper is divided into two
sections: Section A questions are single text questions, with a choice of two questions on each
core text. Section B questions require a comparative response, drawing on two texts. These 2 texts
may come from the Section B comparative set text list, or from the core set text list. Any text from
the core set text list used in the Section A response, however, cannot be used in Section B. When
choosing texts, it is important to ensure that the genre and date requirements for the paper are met
(ie one prose text, one poetry text, one drama text, one of which must be post-2000).
You need to choose at least one core set text, however you may choose more than one text from
the section A list, remembering to ensure that the genre and date requirements for the paper are
met (ie one prose text, one poetry text, one drama text, one of which must be post-2000). Any text
from the core set text list used in the section A response, however, cannot be used in Section B.
We've designed the paper in this way so that students have some choice in how they use their
three texts on this paper. That choice exists for students who have studied more than one text from
the core set text list. Students who have studied more than one core text will then have a choice of
questions to answer in Section A. The Section B (contextual linking) questions are repeated for
each option to save the student from having to flip back and forth in the paper and so to avoid the
possibility of a student committing a rubric infringement. The Section A questions are different for
each option.
Yes that's correct. All three genres need to be covered across the paper: this is made clear to
students in the question wording in Section B.
This is up to the teacher - and perhaps depends on what they think would be best for their
students. More confident and/or more able students might have studied more than the 3 texts
required for this paper and so would choose which option they want to go with in the exam; for less
able and/or less confident students, teachers might prefer they decide on which option before the
exam.
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The post-2000 texts are identified as such in the specification. Heaney and Morrison are not
counted as post-2000 texts.
Yes – each option has a separate entry code and so individual students can be entered for either
option.
It could: Literary non-fiction for us is prose that employs the same kind of literary techniques
associated with fiction, drama or poetry. Factual information will be reported but it will be shaped
and crafted like fiction. If we use literary non-fiction as an unseen extract, then the extract will
express relevant thoughts and feelings in an interesting and crafted way.
Non-exam assessment
A-level students may start work on their non-exam assessment at any point during their two year
course. Co-teaching doesn’t mean that it can’t be started until year 2. One approach would be for
A-level students to start work on their non-exam assessment in year 1 whilst AS students who are
not continuing to A-level are preparing their 4th AS text.
No, the conditions of recognition that all awarding bodies have to comply with no longer permit
area moderation.
No, teachers will be standardised online. Teacher online standardisation (T-OLS) offers a number
of benefits to schools and teachers. However, we recognise that face to face training and
networking opportunities are important to teachers, and that’s why we have developed the hub
school network to offer support to schools at a local level, including opportunities to meet at local
hubs to share best practice.
NEA will be teacher marked and AQA moderated.
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Each specification will be supported by non-exam assessment advisers. They will be able to offer
advice and guidance on all non-exam assessment matters, including guidance on task setting.
No the word count is provided as guidance only. There are no penalties for exceeding the word
count, or indeed falling short of the stated word count. Teachers are advised, however, to guide
their students towards the recommended word count.
No, quotations are not included.
No. Students are required to produce a bibliography in addition to a comparative essay of 2500
words.
There are no set texts for the NEA. You may choose any two texts, as long as one is written
pre-1900. There are however suggested texts, themes and questions in the specification page 18.
The second text does not have to be post 1900.
NEA texts can be from the same genre but one has to be pre-1900.
No, you do not need to get your non-exam assessment tasks approved. You may, however, seek
advice and guidance on task setting from your non-exam assessment adviser.
No. The specification states that set texts listed for the A-level exam components cannot be used
in NEA, even if they have not been used in the exams. This is to ensure that 8 texts are studied
across the course. However, the prose texts which appear on the AS only text list, The Rotters’
Club and The Mill on the Floss, can be used by A-level students in NEA.
Poetry:
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A text could be either one longer narrative poem or a single authored collection of shorter
poems. A discrete Chaucer Tale would be suitable as a text for study, as would a poem such as
‘The Rape of the Lock’.
Prose:
Single authored collections of short stories are permissible.
If students are using a collection of short poems:
They must have studied the whole text and select at least two poems to write about in detail as
examples of the wider collection.
If students are using a collection of short stories:
They must have studied the whole text and select at least two stories to write about in detail as
examples of the wider collection.
In the spirit of independent study, we wouldn’t expect to see the same poems/short stories
selected by all students within a centre.
Yes, it is permissible to study a text in translation for NEA.
The spirit of the NEA is independent study. Ideally students would choose texts and tasks in
negotiation with their teacher. We recognise, however, that schools and colleges will need to
develop approaches appropriate to their particular context, and this might involve teaching one text
and allowing students to select and study the second text independently.
In the spirit of the component, we don’t want to see the whole cohort using the same text and the
same task. If the tasks are different, students could use the same text.
It is permissible for one of the NEA texts to be autobiography. If you have a student or students
who intend to use an autobiography, we recommend that you seek advice on the suitability of their
choice.
AS English Literature A
Yes. We have designed the specifications so that all the A-level texts are available for study at AS
as well. This means that three of the texts studied for the AS examination (including Shakespeare)
will also be assessed in the A-level component 1 examination.
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Students taking the AS exam will need to meet the requirements of the AS exam in terms of texts.
They must cover one Shakespeare text, one poetry text and two prose texts. You do not have to
prepare an AS only text (Mill on the Floss or The Rotters’ Club) for the AS exam. If you do
however choose an AS only text as one of your two prose texts, however, students will also be
able to use that text in their A-level NEA.
AS Paper 1 Section A
The command words ' how' and' examine' both instruct close attention to the reprinted extract
under discussion. At the same time the question also refers to ' elsewhere in the play'. So the bias
is clearly in favour of the extract but some consideration of the wider play is also crucially
important.
Students may choose to put a larger focus on the extract in their response to the question, this
would be one valid approach. Students need to make sure they address all the points presented in
the question.
There is no preferred approach. Students could approach each bullet point as a separate task or
choose to integrate both in their response.
AS Paper 1 Section B
The key command word here is 'Examine' meaning 'look closely'. This may involve looking at the
argument, the counter-argument or both. In other words, candidates can completely agree,
completely disagree, or balance the argument.
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Students do not have to make direct reference to other poems but they may do so if they wish their responses will be informed by the other reading they have done in the topic area even if they
do not directly make reference to it.
AS Paper 2 Section A
Students do not need to make explicit links to other texts to cover AO4. Although this AO is about
"connections across literary texts arising out of historicist study", students do not need to name
other texts or refer to them in any detail. The 'connection' is between the text in question and the
student's experience of reading and their literary awareness. No text is read in isolation in the
sense that students have read other connected texts and absorbed knowledge in the process. AO4
is therefore implicit in discussions of typicality of genre, plot, characterisation, theme and methods
of presentation. Candidates may refer to other texts explicitly if they wish but these questions do
not require it and focus clearly on single texts and tasks.
Anthologies
AS/A-level English Literature A Anthology of Love Poetry through the Ages: Pre-1900
AS/A-level English Literature A Anthology of Love Poetry through the Ages: Post-1900
These anthologies of poetry are set for study for A-level Paper 1 and AS Paper 1. They are
separated by time periods in order to help teachers to confidently meet the subject criteria period
requirements. The poems prescribed for study will be provided in these anthologies, giving you
free and easy access to the poetry so that you don’t need to source all the poems set for study.
The anthologies will also be available digitally, providing a valuable interactive resource that you
can use in your teaching.
Yes. Digital versions of the Anthology: love poetry through the ages pre-1900 and post-1900 can
be accessed through the AQA English e-Library:
http://www.aqa.org.uk/resources/english/teach/english-e-library
Yes - the two anthologies are exactly the same at AS and A-level.
Co-teaching
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This means that the AS has been designed to be co-taught with the first year of A-level. This
means that you will be able to cover, in the first year of the two year A-level course, the content
that students will require in order to take the AS exam at the end of that first year. In practice this
means that AS students can be taught in the same classes as students in their first year of study
for the A-level.
No, the AS is now a separate standalone qualification. Performance in the AS will not contribute to
the overall A-level grade. Students may elect to take the A-level only, the AS only, or the AS and
the A-level.
This will depend on the approach taken in individual schools and colleges. We have designed the
specifications to be co-teachable, to allow schools and teachers the flexibility of being able to defer
entry to AS or A-level until part way through the course. We know that schools will have different
approaches to the teaching of AS and A-level. Some schools may elect to offer A-levels only,
some AS and A-level, and some schools and colleges will choose not to co-teach. AQA does not
require entries to be made until term 2 (by Feb 21st) in the year of the examination, thus giving
teachers and students opportunity to determine the most appropriate approach, depending on their
circumstances.
It means that students will sit all their exams and submit their non-exam assessment work (A-level
only) at the end of their course.
The new AS may be assessed after one year and we would generally expect schools would teach
AS over one year.
Yes, but as they are standalone qualifications the AS does not contribute towards the A-level.
The content of AS will be a sub-set (approximately 50%) of the content of the A-level. AS
assessments will be different to the A-level assessments.
We’ve made sure that the English Literature specifications are co-teachable by having set texts
common to both AS and A-level. Thus all the texts set for study at A-level are available at AS as
well.
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All AS specifications in English Literature require the study of 4 texts. All A-level specifications in
English Literature require the study of 8 texts. AQA has chosen to allocate the 8 texts at A-level as
follows: 3 texts in A-level component 1, 3 texts in component 2 and 2 texts in the NEA.
We have designed the AS to be co-teachable with A-level component 1. If students are studying an
A-level course they must study three texts for Paper 1, and if students are following the AS course
they must study four texts. Although this might initially appear problematic, it must be remembered
that in their whole course A-level students are required to engage in wider reading and
independent study, so the additional AS text can be used in the development of wider reading skills
for A-level students. The additional text at AS studied will also give students more choice in their Alevel exams and broader understanding of the theme of Love through the ages.
To increase flexibility for co-teaching, there are two extra prose set texts available at AS only. This
means that you could choose an AS only prose text as one of the two prose texts required for AS,
and students going onto A-level can also use that text as one of their two A-level NEA texts.
An alternative approach might be for A-level students to start work on their independently-chosen
NEA texts whilst AS students study their 4th text. Different approaches are possible and an
example programme of study for co-teaching is available on our website. You might find it helpful
to watch our co-teaching webinar
Students may not use for their NEA any set text listed in the A-level specification. But you may use
either of the prose texts which appear on the AS only text list: The Rotters’ Club or The Mill on the
Floss
A-level students may start work on their non-exam assessment at any point during their two year
course. Co-teaching doesn’t mean that it can’t be started until year 2. One approach would be for
A-level students to start work on their non-exam assessment in year 1 whilst AS students are
preparing their 4th AS text.
Guided Learning hours
A-level: 360 GLH, Grading A*-E
AS: 180 GLH, Grading A-E
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Homework is not included in GLH, the regulations state that unsupervised study or preparation, or
the time taken for assessments cannot be taken as part of GLH. Please see further detail from
Ofqual at http://ofqual.gov.uk/blog/whats-the-deal-with-guided-learning-hours/
Support and Resources
We have a wide range of resources accessible on our website, including sample schemes of work,
student exemplar responses, commentaries on the specimen assessment materials, and a
glossary of key terms.
Yes, Cambridge University Press have produced AQA endorsed textbooks.
Further information can be found here: http://www.aqa.org.uk/resources/english/as-and-alevel/teach/textbooks
The AQA English hub school network offers free, regional, termly opportunities for GCSE and Alevel teachers to:



discuss assessment objectives, schemes of work and resources with peers
build confidence through shared ideas, inspiration and support
review suggested resources.
Although facilitated by specialist English advocates, agendas are tailored to regional needs.
http://www.aqa.org.uk/resources/english/plan/hub-school-network
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