English Literature

Assessment

Component 1: Drama (Othello, A Streetcar named Desire) Externally assessed 30% of total qualification Overview of content Students study: One Shakespeare play and one other drama from either tragedy or comedy – both texts may be selected from one or both of these categories. Critical essays related to their selected Shakespeare play. Students’ preparation is supported by Shakespeare: A Critical Anthology – Tragedy or Shakespeare: A Critical Anthology – Comedy. Overview of assessment Written examination, lasting 2 hours and 15 minutes. Open book – clean copies of the drama texts can be taken into the examination. The Critical Anthology must not be taken into the examination. Total of 60 marks available – 35 marks for Section A and 25 marks for Section B. Two sections: students answer one question from a choice of two on their studied text for both Section A and Section B. Section A – Shakespeare: one essay question, incorporating ideas from wider critical reading (AO1, AO2, AO3, AO5 assessed). Section B – Other Drama: one essay question (AO1, AO2, AO3 assessed) Component 2: Texts in shared contexts ('Dracula' - Bram Stoker and 'The Picture of Dorian Gray' - Oscar Wilde) Externally assessed 20% of total qualification Overview of content Students study: Two prose texts from a chosen theme. At least one of the prose texts must be pre-1900 Overview of assessment Written examination, lasting 1 hour and 15 minutes. Open book – clean copies of the prose texts can be taken into the examination. Total of 40 marks available. Students answer one comparative essay question from a choice of two on their studied theme (AO1, AO2, AO3, AO4 assessed). Non-examination assessment Internally assessed, externally moderated 20% of total qualification Overview of content Students have a free choice of two texts to study. Chosen texts: Must be different from those studied in Components 1, 2 and 3 Must be complete texts and may be linked by theme, movement, author or period May be selected from poetry, drama, prose or literary non-fiction. Overview of assessment Students produce one assignment: One extended comparative essay referring to two texts (AO1, AO2, AO3, AO4, AO5 assessed) Advisory total word count is 2500–3000 words Total of 60 marks available Component 3: Poetry ('Poems of the Decade' and The Romantics) Externally assessed 30% of total qualification Overview of content Students study: poetic form, meaning and language a selection of post-2000 specified poetry and a specified range of poetry from either; a literary period (either pre- or post-1900) or a named poet from within a literary period. Overview of assessment Written examination, lasting 2 hours and 15 minutes. Open book – clean copies of the poetry texts can be taken into the examination. Total of 60 marks available – 30 marks for Section A and 30 marks for Section B. Two sections: students answer one question from a choice of two, comparing an unseen poem with a named poem from their studied contemporary text and one question from a choice of two on their studied movement/poet. Section A – Post-2000 Specified Poetry: one comparative essay question on an unseen modern poem written post-2000 and one named poem from the studied contemporary text (AO1, AO2, AO4 assessed). Section B – Specified Poetry Pre- or Post-1900: one essay question (AO1, AO2, AO3 assessed).