Paper 1 Overview (AQA GCSE English Language) : Revision Note
GCSE English Language Paper 1 Overview
How often do you hear “you can’t revise for English language”? In fact, nothing could be further from the truth. Achieving top marks in this exam is all about revision, but revision in terms of knowing exactly what to expect on each paper.
Paper 1 Overview |
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Timings |
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How long should I spend on each question in Paper 1?
Below are suggested timings for the questions in Paper 1. The reading question timings include reading time:
Question | Marks | Suggested timing | What skill is this testing? | Links to question-specific revision notes |
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1 | 4 | 10 minutes | AO1: comprehension | |
2 | 8 | 15 minutes | AO2 (language): language analysis | |
3 | 8 | 15 minutes | AO2 (structure): structure analysis | |
4 | 20 | 20 minutes | AO4: evaluation | |
5 | 40 | 45 minutes (including 10 minutes to plan and 5 minutes to proofread) | AO5: your ability to create an effective narrative or description and AO6: your use and control of spelling, punctuation and grammar |
Examiner Tips and Tricks
In Section A, AQA advises that you should spend 15 minutes reading through the source document and the Section A questions before you start to write.
However, a more effective use of your time is to:
Skim the source material to get an overall sense of what it is about
Read each question carefully
Only read the section of the text that each question asks you to
Reading the text section-by-section in this way saves you wasting unnecessary time reading passages of the text that you don’t need for each question.
Should I complete the reading section before the writing section?
It doesn’t matter whether you complete Section A or Section B first, although the topic of the source document in Section A will, in some way, link to your writing prompts in Section B.
The paper has also been designed purposefully to guide students through a text. This means it can help to answer all of the reading questions in order, because each one should build on the last.
What am I tested on in Paper 1?
There are five assessment objectives for this paper. These are the skills which you will be assessed on:
Section A | ||
AO1 | Finding and understanding information (4 marks) |
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AO2 | Analysing language and structure (8 marks) |
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AO4 | Evaluating texts (20 marks) |
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Section B | ||
AO5 | Content and organisation (24 marks) |
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AO6 | Technical accuracy (16 marks) |
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Expert tips from examiners
Section A:
Stick to the given lines in the question — don’t use information from outside the specified section
For Question 1, avoid copying text that doesn’t make sense on its own, or doesn’t match the question focus
In Question 2, focus on individual words and phrases — explain why the writer chose them rather than just describing content
Keep quotes short, relevant, and precise
For Question 3, focus on structure, not language features
Never just list language techniques or word types — always explain their effect and why the writer used them
Section B:
Plan ahead to keep your writing controlled and cohesive
Stay focused — use no more than two main characters and one setting
Choose subtle vocabulary to build mood and atmosphere — avoid forced or overcomplicated words
Limit dialogue — it rarely adds much, and avoid it completely for descriptive writing
If using the image prompt, see it as a starting point — feel free to add your own creative ideas
Learn more
For more great tips and tricks, check out the following articles created by our subject experts:
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