How is GCSE English Literature graded?
GCSE English Literature is graded on a total of 160 marks across two papers, and results are reported on the 1 to 9 scale. This answer explains how the marks are split and why there is no fixed mark for each grade in advance.
How is GCSE English Literature graded?
Under the AQA specification (8702), the qualification is worth 160 marks in total. Paper 1 (Shakespeare and the 19th-century novel) is worth 64 marks, which is 40 percent of the grade. Paper 2 (modern texts and poetry) is worth 96 marks, which is 60 percent of the grade.
Your marks from both papers are added together, and the total is converted to a grade from 1 to 9. Grade boundaries are set after the exams are marked, so the mark needed for each grade is not published in advance.
What this means for revision
Because Paper 2 carries the larger share of the marks, it pays to give it the most revision time. Practise timed answers for both papers so you can judge how long each question takes.
Read the full GCSE English Literature guide for the paper breakdown and dates, or try the GCSE English Literature sample test.
