A-Level English Literature is assessed through two written examinations and a non-examined assessment (NEA) involving a longer essay and creative writing. The NEA is worth 20% of the final grade and is submitted before the exam period. Set texts are studied in class; students may bring poetry anthologies into the open-book paper.
How is A-Level English Literature assessed?
Under the AQA specification — widely used across English sixth forms — the course has the following three components.
| Component | Format | Duration | Weighting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1: Love through the ages | Written exam (open book: poetry anthology only) | 3 hours | 40% |
| Paper 2: Texts in shared contexts | Written exam (closed book) | 2.5 hours | 40% |
| NEA: Independent critical study | Coursework submitted before exams | — | 20% |
What does Paper 1 cover?
Paper 1 is called "Love through the ages" and focuses on how love as a theme is treated across different literary periods. Students read and compare texts including a Shakespeare play (e.g., Othello, A Midsummer Night's Dream, or The Taming of the Shrew) and a Victorian or Romantic prose novel (e.g., Wuthering Heights, Tess of the d'Urbervilles, or Jane Eyre). In addition, the AQA poetry anthology contains two sections — pre-1900 poems and post-1900 poems — and students read poems from the anthology throughout the course.
In Paper 1, students write an essay comparing the Shakespeare text and a named poem from the anthology, then a further essay on the prose text and other poems. The paper tests close reading, contextualisation, and the ability to compare how writers construct meaning across different forms and eras.
Paper 1 is open book only for the poetry anthology — the Shakespeare and prose novel are not allowed in. Students often find annotating their anthology carefully during the course a real asset.
What does Paper 2 cover?
Paper 2 is called "Texts in shared contexts" and examines a group of texts that share a historical, cultural, or thematic context. The most common option is World War I literature, which includes a poetry anthology, a prose text, and a drama text all connected to the war and its immediate aftermath.
All texts for Paper 2 are studied in relation to their shared context. Questions ask students to analyse how context shapes meaning — not simply to describe what happened historically, but to explore how literary choices reflect, challenge, or respond to the world the texts were written in. Paper 2 is entirely closed book.
What is the NEA?
The non-examined assessment (NEA) in AQA English Literature has two parts:
- Independent critical study — a longer essay (typically 2,500–3,000 words) on texts of the student's own choice, often comparing two or more works
- Creative critical response — a shorter piece of creative writing (around 1,000 words) accompanied by a critical commentary explaining the creative choices made
The NEA allows students to pursue a genuinely independent reading interest. Popular choices include comparing a literary text with a film adaptation, exploring a theme across works from different cultures, or examining a lesser-studied author. The teacher supervises and advises during the process; the final submission must be the student's own unaided work, and AQA moderates a sample from each school.
How is A-Level English Literature graded?
A-Level English Literature is graded A*, A, B, C, D, E with U for ungraded. There are no separate practical skills or endorsements to consider.
| Component | Marks | Weighting |
|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 (Love through the ages) | 75 marks | 40% |
| Paper 2 (Texts in shared contexts) | 75 marks | 40% |
| NEA (independent study + creative) | 50 marks | 20% |
| Total | 200 marks | 100% |
The A* requires at least 80% overall and at least 90% on the two written papers combined. The NEA does not contribute to the A* threshold.
Frequently asked questions
Are the set texts the same across all schools?
No. AQA offers a menu of approved texts and schools select their own combination within the constraints of each component. Two students in different schools may have read entirely different prose novels, studied different Shakespeare plays, or chosen different World War I poetry anthologies for Paper 2. Students using revision resources should check carefully that they match their school's specific text choices.
Do students need to memorise quotations?
For closed-book papers (Paper 2 and the Shakespeare section of Paper 1), students need a bank of precise quotations they can deploy in extended answers. For the open-book poetry section of Paper 1, they have access to the anthology and do not need to memorise poems, but they do need to know the anthology well enough to identify relevant poems quickly under exam conditions. Examiners note that the best essays embed short, precise quotations naturally rather than listing them.
Is A-Level English Literature harder than English Language?
The two qualifications test different skills. English Literature requires literary analysis, contextual knowledge of set texts, and the ability to write extended academic essays. English Language analyses how language functions across a range of real-world texts and includes some linguistics content. Many students choose to take both, as they complement each other well and universities value the combination. Neither is inherently harder, but students who prefer creative and analytical reading tend to find Literature more satisfying.
What GCSE grades are needed for A-Level English Literature?
Most sixth forms require at least a grade 6 in GCSE English Literature and a grade 6 in GCSE English Language. Because A-Level English Literature demands extended essay writing, clear argumentation, and close textual analysis under timed conditions, secure written English is essential from the start.
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