AQAGCSE45 resources

AQA GCSE English Literature Past Papers & Mark Schemes

Download free AQA GCSE English Literature (8702) past papers and mark schemes. Shakespeare, 19th-century novel, poetry. 45 resources from 2017 to 2024.

📅June 2017 – June 2024📄45 resources available✅Free to download

Papers Overview Paper Structure Key Info Key Topics Command Words Grade Boundaries Revision Tips Try AI Tutor ✦

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Year

45 of 45 resources — page 1 of 2

June 2023

3 files

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GCSE English Literature – Question paper (Modified A4 18pt): Paper 2 Modern texts and poetry – June 2023

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GCSE English Literature – Question paper (Modified A3 36pt): Paper 2 Modern texts and poetry – June 2023

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GCSE English Literature – Question paper: Paper 1 Shakespeare and the 19th-century novel – June 2023

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June 2022

10 files

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GCSE English Literature – Question paper (Modified A3 36pt): Paper 1M Modern prose and drama – June 2022

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GCSE English Literature – Question paper (Modified A4 18pt): Paper 1P Poetry anthology – June 2022

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GCSE English Literature – Question paper: Paper 2 Shakespeare and unseen poetry – June 2022

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GCSE English Literature – Question paper (Modified A3 36pt): Paper 1N The 19th-century novel – June 2022

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GCSE English Literature – Question paper (Modified A3 36pt): Paper 1P Poetry anthology – June 2022

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GCSE English Literature – Question paper (Modified A4 18pt): Paper 2 Shakespeare and unseen poetry – June 2022

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GCSE English Literature – Mark scheme: Paper 1N The 19th-century novel – June 2022

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GCSE English Literature – Mark scheme: Paper 1P Poetry anthology – June 2022

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GCSE English Literature – Question paper (Modified A3 36pt): Paper 2 Shakespeare and unseen poetry – June 2022

Question Paper

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GCSE English Literature – Question paper: Paper 1M Modern prose and drama – June 2022

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November 2021

9 files

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GCSE English Literature – Question paper (Modified A3 36pt): Paper 1M Modern prose and drama – November 2021

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GCSE English Literature – Question paper (Modified A4 18pt): Paper 1P Poetry anthology – November 2021

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GCSE English Literature – Question paper: Paper 2 Shakespeare and unseen poetry – November 2021

Question Paper

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GCSE English Literature – Question paper (Modified A3 36pt): Paper 1N The 19th-century novel – November 2021

Question Paper

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✅

GCSE English Literature – Mark scheme: Paper 1M Modern prose and drama – November 2021

Mark Scheme

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📄

GCSE English Literature – Question paper (Modified A3 36pt): Paper 1P Poetry anthology – November 2021

Question Paper

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GCSE English Literature – Question paper (Modified A4 18pt): Paper 2 Shakespeare and unseen poetry – November 2021

Question Paper

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✅

GCSE English Literature – Mark scheme: Paper 1N The 19th-century novel – November 2021

Mark Scheme

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✅

GCSE English Literature – Mark scheme: Paper 1P Poetry anthology – November 2021

Mark Scheme

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November 2020

3 files

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GCSE English Literature – Question paper (Modified A4 18pt): Paper 2 Modern texts and poetry – November 2020

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GCSE English Literature – Question paper (Modified A3 36pt): Paper 2 Modern texts and poetry – November 2020

Question Paper

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GCSE English Literature – Question paper: Paper 1 Shakespeare and the 19th-century novel – November 2020

Question Paper

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About AQA GCSE English Literature

AQA GCSE English Literature (specification code 8702) is a non-tiered qualification assessed through two written exams. There is no coursework. Unlike Language, Literature is built around the study of specific set texts — students must prepare their chosen texts in advance. Paper 1 is called 'Shakespeare and the 19th-century novel' and lasts 1 hour 45 minutes. Section A asks students to write about their Shakespeare text. AQA offers a range of set texts including Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, The Merchant of Venice, Much Ado About Nothing, Julius Caesar, and The Tempest. Students answer one question from a choice of two, typically responding to an extract plus the play as a whole. Section B focuses on the 19th-century prose text — options include A Christmas Carol, Great Expectations, and Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. Again, students choose from two questions. Paper 2 is called 'Modern texts and poetry' and lasts 2 hours 15 minutes. Section A covers the modern prose or drama text, such as An Inspector Calls, Lord of the Flies, or Blood Brothers. Section B is the poetry anthology — students study poems from either the 'Love and Relationships' or 'Power and Conflict' cluster and must compare one named poem with another of their choice from the same cluster. Section C is an unseen poem response, where students analyse a poem they have not studied before. All responses are marked using level descriptors that reward close textual analysis, coherent argument, and understanding of context (AO3 — historical, social, and literary context). Memorising quotations is genuinely helpful for this exam since all texts are closed book. Grade boundaries vary by year, particularly because the quality of answers changes as different set texts cycle in and out of use.

Exam Paper Structure

Paper 1No calculator

Shakespeare and the 19th-Century Novel

⏱ 1 hour 45 minutes🎯 64 marks📊 40% of grade

Shakespeare set play (choice of 5)19th-century novel (choice of 6)Closed book — no texts allowed in exam

Paper 2No calculator

Modern Texts, Poetry and Unseen Poetry

⏱ 2 hours 15 minutes🎯 96 marks📊 60% of grade

Modern drama or prose (choice of 9)AQA poetry anthology (Power and Conflict or Love and Relationships)Unseen poetry — open book allowed for anthology

Key Information

Exam Board	AQA
Specification Code	8702
Qualification	GCSE
Grading Scale	9–1
Assessment Type	2 written exams (no coursework, closed book)
Number Of Papers	2
Exam Duration	Paper 1: 1 hr 45 min. Paper 2: 2 hr 15 min
Total Marks	160 (64 + 96)
Calculator Status	Not applicable
Available Sessions	June 2017 – June 2024
Total Resources	45

Key Topics in English Literature

Topics you need to know

Shakespeare set play analysis19th-century fiction (context and language)Modern drama or prosePower and Conflict anthology poetryLove and Relationships anthology poetryUnseen poetry reading skillsContext and writer's methods

Exam Command Words

Command word	What the examiner expects
Explore	Examine ideas, themes and methods across the text with developed analysis
How does [writer] present	Analyse the specific methods a writer uses and their effect on the reader
Compare	Examine similarities and differences in how two poems explore the same theme
Analyse	Examine language and structure in detail, explaining the effects created
Referring to the extract and the play as a whole	Use both the given extract and your wider knowledge of the full text
What methods	Identify and analyse the techniques a writer uses to create meaning or effect

Typical Grade Boundaries

Grade	Approximate mark needed
Grade 9	74–84%
Grade 8	63–73%
Grade 7	53–62%
Grade 6	44–52%
Grade 5	35–43%
Grade 4	26–34%
Grade 3	17–25%
Grade 2	9–16%
Grade 1	1–8%

⚠️ Typical boundaries across two papers (160 total marks). Actual boundaries vary by series — check AQA's website.

How to Use AQA GCSE English Literature Past Papers Effectively

The biggest challenge with AQA GCSE English Literature is that the exam is closed book — you must write from memory. This means your revision needs to do two things: prepare you to discuss texts analytically and ensure you have enough quotations memorised to support your points. Aim to have around 8–10 strong quotations per text that you can weave into different types of questions. When using past papers, pay close attention to the specific wording of each question. 'How does Shakespeare present...' is asking you to analyse language and structure with some reference to context. 'Explore the significance of...' asks you to consider what a theme, character, or moment means in the wider context of the whole text. These different phrasings require slightly different approaches. For the poetry questions, practise comparative essays. The AO4 mark scheme rewards students who make meaningful, developed comparisons — not just 'in poem A... and in poem B...' The highest-level responses weave comparison throughout, connecting how two poets approach the same theme through similar or contrasting methods. For the unseen poem (Paper 2, Section C), you cannot revise the specific poem, but you can practise the skill of reading an unfamiliar poem cold. Use past unseen poems from previous years to practise: read the poem twice, annotate it, then write a timed response. The mark scheme here rewards perceptive interpretation, not the 'correct' reading — examiners expect a range of valid interpretations.

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AQA GCSE English Literature Past Papers & Mark Schemes

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June 2023

June 2022

November 2021

November 2020

About AQA GCSE English Literature

Exam Paper Structure

Key Information

Key Topics in English Literature

Exam Command Words

Typical Grade Boundaries

How to Use AQA GCSE English Literature Past Papers Effectively

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