A Level - English Literature

What you'll study

AQA English Literature Specification B focusses on a study of two literary genres: tragedy and crime. In addition to the examinations, there is also a non-examined assessment worth 20% where pupils are required to write two essays: one on a novel and one on a poetry collection. These two texts are then linked to areas of critical theory.

Students study for two years, with two exam papers at the end of Year 13.

• Paper One - Tragedy
• Paper Two - Crime

Paper One is taught in Year 12 and Paper Two is taught in Year 13.

NEA – This replaces, what was originally, coursework. You will apply a critical theory from the AQA Anthology to different texts – a novel of your choice and a collection of poetry studied by your class.  It is worth 20% of the final A-Level.

What you'll love

English Literature will immerse you in stories linked to the genres of tragedy and crime. You will experience the human condition in all its glory: the mistakes we make, the price we pay; the love we win an lose and the consequences of our actions.  This will give you a unique understanding of people and the world we live in. The expertise in analysis, critical thinking and creativity are essential for a range of careers and highly sought after by universities.

Why take it?

• A better understanding of humanity and the world
• It will develop skills that will be essential for many jobs such as debating and matching theory to practice.
• Key jobs that are reliant on English include: Journalism, barristers, lawyers, teachers, marketing and advertising, sales
• Theatre trips, festival visits and competition are all part of the study experience.

Click the link below for exam specification and past papers.

Exam specification and past papers