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English Language
Tuesday 3rd February
Tuesday 3rd February
English Language Paper 1: Explorations in Creative Reading and Writing
What's assessed
Section A: Reading (40 marks). Students are presented with an extract from a literature fiction text they will not have encountered before. The questions assess both students’ comprehension of the text and their understanding of how it has been deliberately crafted for effect.
Section B: Writing (40 marks). Students write their own creative text (story opening or description). The question assesses students’ narrative / descriptive skills as well as their technical control of writing.
How it's assessed
Written exam: 1 hour 45 minutes
80 marks
50% of GCSE
Questions
Q1: Comprehension 4 marks
Q2: Language analysis 8 marks
Q3: Structure analysis 12 marks
Q4: 16 marks Evaluate what the writer has done (in relation to a statement); analyse the methods the writer has used to do this.
Q5: Creative writing 40 marks (story writing / description); technical control
Revision Materials
Revision Materials
Please note that the format of the exam paper has changed slightly for this year group (for first examination in summer 2026). Care should be taken if using printed or online revision tools as most will be in the old format.
Reading
Reading
The comprehension of fiction is a fundamental part of this exam. Students who regularly read (and read fiction in particular) will therefore find the exam considerably easier. Establishing regular reading can have very significant impact.
Mr Bruff is a well-known English teacher and online content creator who’s built a massive following for his English GCSE revision resources. He became popular through his YouTube channel, where he breaks down key English Literature and Language topics in an engaging, easy-to-understand way. Click on the buttons below to be taken to the videos to support revision for the 5 questions.
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