AQA A-level English Literature
7712
Specification 7712. "Paper" and "Mark scheme" open the exam board's official PDF directly — we don't host any files.
AQA A-level English Literature A (7712)
AQA A-level English Literature A (7712) has two written exams and a non-exam assessment. Paper 1, Love through the ages (3 hours, 75 marks, 40%), covers a Shakespeare play, a poetry text and a prose text plus two unseen poems, and is open book in Section C only. Paper 2, Texts in shared contexts (2 hours 30 minutes, 75 marks, 40%), is open book, includes an unseen prose extract, and is taken as Option 2A (WW1 and its aftermath) or 2B (Modern times: literature from 1945 to the present day). The NEA (50 marks, 20%) is a 2,500-word comparative critical essay on two texts, at least one pre-1900.
| Paper | What it covers | Time | Marks | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7712/1 Paper 1: Love through the ages | Study of three texts: one poetry and one prose text (one of which must be pre-1900) and one Shakespeare play; the exam includes two unseen poems. Section A: Shakespeare, one passage-based question with linked essay (25 marks). Section B: unseen poetry, a compulsory essay on two unseen poems (25 marks). Section C: one essay linking two texts (25 marks). Open book in Section C only. | 3h | 75 | 40% |
| 7712/2A Paper 2A: Texts in shared contexts – WW1 and its aftermath | Option A of Paper 2 (candidates sit 2A or 2B). Open-book exam on three texts (one prose, one poetry, one drama, at least one written post-2000) from the chosen option. Section A: one essay question on a set text (25 marks). Section B, contextual linking: one compulsory question on an unseen prose extract (25 marks) and one essay question linking two texts (25 marks). | 2h 30m | 75 | 40% |
| 7712/2B Paper 2B: Texts in shared contexts – Modern times: literature from 1945 to the present day | Option B of Paper 2 (candidates sit 2A or 2B). Open-book exam on three texts (one prose, one poetry, one drama, at least one written post-2000) from the chosen option. Section A: one essay question on a set text (25 marks). Section B, contextual linking: one compulsory question on an unseen prose extract (25 marks) and one essay question linking two texts (25 marks). | 2h 30m | 75 | 40% |
AQA A-level English Literature B (7717)
AQA A-level English Literature B (7717) is built around genre study and has two written exams and a non-exam assessment. Paper 1, Literary genres (2 hours 30 minutes, closed book, 75 marks, 40%), is taken as Option 1A, Aspects of tragedy, or 1B, Aspects of comedy, and centres on a Shakespeare play. Paper 2, Texts and genres (3 hours, open book, 75 marks, 40%), is taken as Option 2A, Elements of crime writing, or 2B, Elements of political and social protest writing, and includes an unseen passage. The NEA, Theory and independence (50 marks, 20%), is two essays of 1,250–1,500 words informed by the AQA Critical Anthology.
| Paper | What it covers | Time | Marks | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7717/1A Paper 1A: Literary genres – Aspects of tragedy | Option 1A of Paper 1 (candidates sit 1A or 1B). Closed-book exam on three texts from the chosen genre option: one Shakespeare play, a second drama text and one further text, one of which must be written pre-1900. Section A: one passage-based question on the set Shakespeare text (25 marks). Section B: one essay question on the set Shakespeare text (25 marks). Section C: one essay question linking two texts (25 marks). | 2h 30m | 75 | 40% |
| 7717/1B Paper 1B: Literary genres – Aspects of comedy | Option 1B of Paper 1 (candidates sit 1A or 1B). Closed-book exam on three texts from the chosen genre option: one Shakespeare play, a second drama text and one further text, one of which must be written pre-1900. Section A: one passage-based question on the set Shakespeare text (25 marks). Section B: one essay question on the set Shakespeare text (25 marks). Section C: one essay question linking two texts (25 marks). | 2h 30m | 75 | 40% |
| 7717/2A Paper 2A: Texts and genres – Elements of crime writing | Option 2A of Paper 2 (candidates sit 2A or 2B). Open-book exam on three texts from the chosen option: one post-2000 prose text, one poetry text and one further text, one of which must be written pre-1900. Section A: one compulsory question on an unseen passage (25 marks). Section B: one essay question on a set text (25 marks). Section C: one essay question connecting two texts (25 marks). | 3h | 75 | 40% |
| 7717/2B Paper 2B: Texts and genres – Elements of political and social protest writing | Option 2B of Paper 2 (candidates sit 2A or 2B). Open-book exam on three texts from the chosen option: one post-2000 prose text, one poetry text and one further text, one of which must be written pre-1900. Section A: one compulsory question on an unseen passage (25 marks). Section B: one essay question on a set text (25 marks). Section C: one essay question connecting two texts (25 marks). | 3h | 75 | 40% |
June 20257 papers
7712/1Paper 1 (Love through the ages)
7717/1APaper 1A (Literary genres: Aspects of tragedy)
7717/1BPaper 1B (Literary genres: Aspects of comedy)
7717/2APaper 2A (Texts and genres: Elements of crime writing)
7712/2APaper 2A (Texts in shared contexts: WW1 and its aftermath)
7717/2BPaper 2B (Texts and genres: Elements of political and social protest writing)
7712/2BPaper 2B (Texts in shared contexts: Modern times: Literature from 1945 to the present day)
June 20247 papers
7712/1Paper 1 (Love through the ages)
7717/1APaper 1A (Literary genres: Aspects of tragedy)
7717/1BPaper 1B (Literary genres: Aspects of comedy)
7717/2APaper 2A (Texts and genres: Elements of crime writing)
7712/2APaper 2A (Texts in shared contexts: WW1 and its aftermath)
7717/2BPaper 2B (Texts and genres: Elements of political and social protest writing)
7712/2BPaper 2B (Texts in shared contexts: Modern times: Literature from 1945 to the present day)
June 20237 papers
7712/1Paper 1 (Love through the ages)
7717/1APaper 1A (Literary genres: Aspects of tragedy)
7717/1BPaper 1B (Literary genres: Aspects of comedy)
7717/2APaper 2A (Texts and genres: Elements of crime writing)
7712/2APaper 2A (Texts in shared contexts: WW1 and its aftermath)
7717/2BPaper 2B (Texts and genres: Elements of political and social protest writing)
7712/2BPaper 2B (Texts in shared contexts: Modern times: Literature from 1945 to the present day)
June 20227 papers
7712/1Paper 1 (Love through the ages)
7717/1APaper 1A (Literary genres: Aspects of tragedy)
7717/1BPaper 1B (Literary genres: Aspects of comedy)
7717/2APaper 2A (Texts and genres: Elements of crime writing)
7712/2APaper 2A (Texts in shared contexts: WW1 and its aftermath)
7717/2BPaper 2B (Texts and genres: Elements of political and social protest writing)
7712/2BPaper 2B (Texts in shared contexts: Modern times: Literature from 1945 to the present day)
November 20217 papers
7712/1Paper 1 (Love through the ages)
7717/1APaper 1A (Literary genres: Aspects of tragedy)
7717/1BPaper 1B (Literary genres: Aspects of comedy)
7717/2APaper 2A (Texts and genres: Elements of crime writing)
7712/2APaper 2A (Texts in shared contexts: WW1 and its aftermath)
7717/2BPaper 2B (Texts and genres: Elements of political and social protest writing)
7712/2BPaper 2B (Texts in shared contexts: Modern times: Literature from 1945 to the present day)
November 20207 papers
7712/1Paper 1 (Love through the ages)
7717/1APaper 1A (Literary genres: Aspects of tragedy)
7717/1BPaper 1B (Literary genres: Aspects of comedy)
7717/2APaper 2A (Texts and genres: Elements of crime writing)
7712/2APaper 2A (Texts in shared contexts: WW1 and its aftermath)
7717/2BPaper 2B (Texts and genres: Elements of political and social protest writing)
7712/2BPaper 2B (Texts in shared contexts: Modern times: Literature from 1945 to the present day)
Specimen papers7 papers
7712/1Paper 1 (Love through the ages)
7717/1APaper 1A (Literary genres: Aspects of tragedy)
7717/1BPaper 1B (Literary genres: Aspects of comedy)
7717/2APaper 2A (Texts and genres: Elements of crime writing)
7712/2APaper 2A (Texts in shared contexts: WW1 and its aftermath)
7717/2BPaper 2B (Texts and genres: Elements of political and social protest writing)
7712/2BPaper 2B (Texts in shared contexts: Modern times: Literature from 1945 to the present day)
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