Paper 4 Overview (Cambridge (CIE) IGCSE English Literature)
Revision Note
Written by: Deb Orrock
Reviewed by: Nick Redgrove
Paper 4: Unseen is the third exam paper you will sit for CIE IGCSE Literature in English (0475 and 0992) if you are taking the Unseen route. You will have one question to answer from a choice of two. Question 1 will be about a poem or an extract from a poem printed on the exam paper, and Question 2 will be about an extract from a piece of prose printed on the exam paper.
The exam paper can be summarised as follows:
Paper | Questions | Time | Marks | % of GCSE grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Paper 4: Unseen | 1 (from a choice of 2) | 1 hour 15 minutes | 25 | 25% |
The questions are equally weighted (meaning that they are worth the same) and each question tests all four assessment objectives. These are the key skills you are expected to demonstrate in your response to the question you choose. To be successful, you must explain and analyse how writers have conveyed their meanings through a wide range of different language and structure devices, and you must do this in conjunction with relevant evidence selected from the texts. Examiners expect you to include slightly different things in your responses to poetry and prose, so you should read both Question 1 and Question 2 carefully before deciding on which one to answer.
Assessment objective | Definition | What this means |
|---|---|---|
AO1 | Show detailed knowledge of the content of literary texts in the three main forms (drama, poetry and prose) supported by reference to the text | You need to demonstrate your knowledge of the text through reference to details in the text and via the use of accurate, relevant quotations from the text Your use of quotations and indirect references to the text should support your views or arguments The quotations you choose should help you develop explanations of meanings, significance and context in your response |
AO2 | Understand the meanings of literary texts and their contents and explore texts beyond surface meanings to show deeper awareness of ideas and attitudes | You need to show that you understand the main ideas, settings, events and characters in the text You need to demonstrate that you understand implied or hidden meanings in the text You should also demonstrate that you understand the significance of a part of a text in relation to the text as a whole |
AO3 | Recognise and appreciate ways in which writers use language, structure and form to create and shape meanings and effects | You need to be able to analyse, in detail, the choices the writer has made and how they use language, structure and form to convey impressions and ideas, or to present settings, characters or events You therefore need to be familiar with the techniques a writer might use to achieve specific effects for readers or audiences |
AO4 | Communicate a sensitive and informed personal response to literary texts | This refers to how you shape your writing to communicate your engagement with the text Your personal, evaluative response has to be supported with references to the text A personal response begins by demonstrating understanding of the question and the text in the introduction You should be sensitive to imagery and sound, and you should be informed by the words of the texts This Assessment Objective can also be explicitly addressed and reinforced in a well-developed conclusion |
As this is the “unseen” paper, you will not have studied the poem or the extract of prose in advance. In Question 1 (poetry), the poem may be printed in full, or it may be taken from a longer poem. In Question 2 (prose), you will be given an extract from a short story or longer work of literature, with some context about what is happening in the passage. Each question option will also give you three bullet points. You should use these bullet points to help you annotate the poem or passage and to structure your response.
Command words and keywords
There are several command words and keywords used in this exam paper that you should be familiar with:
Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
Explore | This means you should write in detail about the focus of the question |
How (does the writer…) | This means that you should examine the techniques the writer has used in order to achieve particular effects or meanings |
Vividly (convey…) | This asks you to explore how the writer gets across their ideas or meanings in a way that produces powerful feelings or strong, clear images in the mind |
How far/To what extent… | This means that there may be an element of the text that allows you to make a counter-argument |
Portray | This asks you to explore how the writer describes or brings a character or a theme to life in the text |
Memorable | This asks you to examine how the writer presents a character, event or theme in a way that stands out and is worth remembering |
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