Paper 2 Section A: Overview (AQA GCSE English Language)

This guide is an overall summary of Paper 2 Section A, and includes:

• Overview
• Timings
• Coverage and range
• Using connectives to structure your answer

Paper 2 is called “Writers’ Viewpoints and Perspectives” and is the “non-fiction” paper. The whole Paper 2 exam is 1 hour 45 minutes long, and is worth a total of 80 marks (50% of your GCSE).

Section A is the reading section and is worth a total of 40 marks. You have four reading questions to answer and you should spend one hour on this section of the exam.

You will be given two source texts – Source A and Source B – in a separate booklet. The sources will be linked by a theme, and will be taken from the 19th century and either the 20th or 21st century. They will be of different genres in order for you to consider how each text presents a perspective or viewpoint to influence the reader. The choice of genre includes high-quality journalism, articles, reports, essays, travel writing, accounts, letters, diaries and extracts from biographies or autobiographies.

There are three Assessment Objectives for Paper 2 Section A. These are:

The table below breaks down each question by marks, suggested timings and which Assessment Objective is being tested:

You should complete the questions in order, as questions 1-3 provide practice and inspiration for the challenges of question 4. They essentially act as stepping stones.

Here are some general tips about Section A:

The timings suggested at the start of this page for each Section A question include reading time. This is because it is helpful to read the question first, and then read the text with the question in mind. However, this is not the only approach you can take. You may prefer to spend 15 minutes reading the source text or texts, and then the questions, before you start your answers. In which case, you would need to follow these timings (you should aim to spend no more than one hour on Section A):

Reading time: 15 minutes

Whichever strategy works best for you, it is important to keep track of timing in the exam so that you leave enough time to complete the whole of each paper.

It is important in your Section A answers that you cover the whole of the section or text in your answer, and include a range of evidence (from the start, middle and end of the section or text). This is especially important in Paper 2, in which you are working with both texts for questions 2 and 4 (and it is essential that you include evidence from both texts in these answers). Limiting your comments to only the first part of what you read in either the section or the texts will limit your marks. Examiners want to see that you have covered the whole of the section or texts, and you have included a well selected, relevant range of quotes or points in answer to the question.

A well-structured, cohesive response will be structured using appropriate connectives to either add to your arguments or indicate a contrast. Some of the most common are as follows (and each will need a comma after the connective word or phrase):

To add to your arguments:

• In addition
• Furthermore
• Also
• Additionally
• Moreover
• As well as
• Lastly
• Finally

To compare and contrast:

• Whereas
• On the other hand
• Contrastingly
• In contrast
• While
• Similarly
• However

Please continue to the question-specific revision notes for further guidance and advice!