A-Level English Literature

Exam Board: AQA

Your A-Level course is made up of two exam papers and an NEA, a coursework project for which you set your own title.

Paper 1: Love through the ages (40%)

• Section A: One passage-based question on a Shakespeare play.
• Section B: Unseen poetry.
• Section C: A comparison of a novel and poetry anthology that you have studied in class.

Paper Two: Modern Times—Literature from 1945 to the present day (40%)

• Section A: One question on one set text you have been taught.
• Section B: One question on an unseen extract and one question linking two further texts you have been taught.

Across the paper you will write about prose, poetry and drama.

NEA (20%)

A comparative critical study (2,500 words) of two texts, at least one of which must have been written before 1900.

Assessment

80% examination / 20% coursework

Requirements

General college entry requirements plus a grade 5 or above in GCSE English Literature.

Where can it lead?

Many students go on to study English at university, either combined with other subjects such as history or philosophy, or other literature-based options such as American studies. Careers in English are varied and this A-Level provides a strong foundation for a multitude of vocations.