About the course
The English Literature GCSE assesses students’ ability in the analysis of historical and literary heritage texts from a prescribed list through two external examinations. The course covers reading materials that include a variety of prose, poetry and drama
Overview of units
Paper 1: Shakespeare a study of “Macbeth” plus a 19th Century Novel "Frankenstein"
Paper 2: Modern prose/drama "An Inspector Calls"
Poetry "Power and Conflict cluster". Unseen Poetry
Assessment
You will be assessed through two external written examinations – one based on Component 1 of the course (2 hours and 30 minutes) and the other on Component 2 (2 hours and 30 minutes). Grades are reported from 9-1. Learners are not permitted to take copies of course texts into the examination.
Where you can go next
GCSE English Literature provides an excellent foundation for many routes, in both related and unrelated fields. It is a valuable qualification for students going on to wide range of higher education, apprenticeships and employment destinations.
Information from the examination body
Full details of this course can be found at the AQA Website.