How to Answer Questions 1 and 3 (WJEC Eduqas GCSE English Language)

Paper 2, or Component 2, is the “non-fiction” paper. You will be given two reading extracts: one written in the 21st century which will be printed in a separate resource booklet, and one written in the 19th century which will be printed on your question paper. The two texts will be linked by a common theme. You will have six reading questions to answer in 1 hour, as follows:

The following guide details how to answer Questions 1 and 3, as these are the short-answer questions on this paper. It includes:

• Questions 1 and 3 overview

• How to answer Questions 1 and 3

• Exam tips

Questions 1 and 3 overview

Questions 1 and 3 are worth 3 marks each, and are quick “select and retrieve” questions. This means you will be tested on your ability to quickly scan a text for specific information.

• Question 1 will be about the 21st-century text

• Question 3 will be about the 19th-century text

It is important to note that the two texts for Component 2 will not be divided up per question. The answers to the questions could be from anywhere in either text. However, it is usual for the answers to appear in chronological order. 

The questions will be divided into two or three sub-questions. Each sub-question will require a short answer (sometimes only one or two words). What is important is that you ensure you only write the answer requested in the question. You should spend no more than 3–5 minutes per question.

How to Answer Questions 1 and 3

Question 1

Question 1 will always be about the 21st-century text. The following example is taken from the Summer 2022 exam. The theme of this exam paper was Punch and Judy shows, a type of puppet show once popular in English seaside towns. The 21st-century text was a newspaper article about a Punch and Judy showman called Mark Poulton.

Even though each sub-question is only worth 1 mark, it is important to read each question carefully to identify specifically what you are being asked to find in the reading passage.

Therefore, in order to achieve full marks:

1. Read each sub-question carefully and identify what you have to find in the text

2. Scan the text and highlight the answers:

   • This may require some careful reading to ensure you have not misinterpreted the question

3. Write each answer as a single word or short phrase:

   • You do not need to write whole sentences, or analyse or quote directly from the text

Question 3

Question 3 will always be about the 19th-century text. The following example is also taken from the Summer 2022 exam, and the text was an account from London Labour and the London Poor, focusing specifically on Punch and Judy showmen in the 19th century.

Once again, it is important that you read each question carefully, and ensure you find the correct answers in the text. For Question 3, there will often be more than one possible answer to the sub-questions, but there may also be other details in the text which could be misinterpreted as the answer. Therefore, more careful reading is required.

In order to achieve full marks:

1. Read each sub-question carefully and identify what you have to find in the text

2. Scan the text and highlight the answers:

   • This will require some careful reading

3. Write each answer as a single word or short phrase:

   • If you are asked to give a “detail” from the text which shows something, you are being asked to identify something specific in the text which “tells” you something

   • You can therefore use a direct quote from the text as your answer (as long as the quote you choose is the detail the question is looking for)

Exam tips

• Make sure you use the right text for the question!

• Question 1 will test you on your ability to identify explicit information

• Question 3 will test you on your ability to identify both explicit and implicit information and ideas:

  • The answers to the Question 3 sub-questions therefore might not be so immediately obvious

• Remember, the correct answers could be anywhere in the texts (including at the end)

• If you do not read the sub-questions carefully, you are likely to select wrong details that fail to answer the question