Author
Deb OrrockExpertise
English
The best way to improve any essay is to know how you are assessed, and what skills you are being assessed on. This page has been created to give you a sense of what examiners are looking for in a full-mark response. It contains:
Component 5: Coursework requires you to complete two assignments, each one 600–1200 words in length. You will be asked to explore, or analyse, how a writer has achieved particular meanings or ideas, or to write a piece as a character in a text at a specific moment. Your response must also be supported with direct quotations or close reference to the text.
The mark scheme for any question in Literature in English is quite broad and can seem difficult to understand. This is because there is no “correct answer” for any essay: the exam board does not provide points that need to be included in any essay; instead, examiners use the mark scheme to place an answer into a level.
The two assignments in the coursework portfolio are equally weighted, and each question tests all four assessment objectives.
In simple terms, to achieve the highest marks, this means:
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AO1 |
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AO2 |
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AO3 |
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AO4 |
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Although there are four specific assessment objectives assessed in each assignment, it is not the case that a certain number of marks are awarded for any one objective. Instead, the examiners are looking for a well-constructed and coherent essay that seamlessly combines all of the skills covered by the assessment objectives.
The following task is an example of one submitted and approved by CIE for a coursework assignment. As we have covered critical responses in the previous revision notes for prose, poetry and drama, the following example is of an empathic task and response. The text chosen is A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams:
You are Blanche. It is a few weeks after you were taken to the asylum by the doctor and nurse. You are sitting in your room. Write your thoughts.
Below you will find an example of the start of a top-mark empathic response for the above question:
to absolutely everything:
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Deb is a graduate of Lancaster University and The University of Wolverhampton. After some time travelling and a successful career in the travel industry, she re-trained in education, specialising in literacy. She has over 16 years’ experience of working in education, teaching English Literature, English Language, Functional Skills English, ESOL and on Access to HE courses. She has also held curriculum and quality manager roles, and worked with organisations on embedding literacy and numeracy into vocational curriculums. She now manages a post-16 English curriculum as well as writing educational content and resources.