WJECAS/A Level40 resources

WJEC AS/A Level Film Studies Past Papers & Mark Schemes

Free WJEC A Level Film Studies papers & mark schemes. Components covering American, European & global cinema plus filmmaking varieties. 61 resources.

📅Summer series📄40 resources availableFree to download

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Year

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Summer 2023

8 files
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AS/A Level Film Studies – Comp 1 Varieties of Film: Varieties of Film and Filmmaking – Past Paper – Summer 2023

Past Paper
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AS/A Level Film Studies – Comp 2 Global Filmmaking: Global Filmmaking Perspectives – Past Paper – Summer 2023

Past Paper
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AS/A Level Film Studies – Comp 1 American Film: American Film – Past Paper – Summer 2023

Past Paper
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AS/A Level Film Studies – Comp 2 European Film: European Film – Past Paper – Summer 2023

Past Paper

AS/A Level Film Studies – Comp 1 Varieties of Film: Varieties of Film and Filmmaking – Mark Scheme – Summer 2023

Mark Scheme

AS/A Level Film Studies – Comp 2 Global Filmmaking: Global Filmmaking Perspectives – Mark Scheme – Summer 2023

Mark Scheme

AS/A Level Film Studies – Comp 1 American Film: American Film – Mark Scheme – Summer 2023

Mark Scheme

AS/A Level Film Studies – Comp 2 European Film: European Film – Mark Scheme – Summer 2023

Mark Scheme

Summer 2022

8 files
📄

AS/A Level Film Studies – Comp 1 American Film: American Film – Past Paper – Summer 2022

Past Paper
📄

AS/A Level Film Studies – Comp 2 European Film: European Film – Past Paper – Summer 2022

Past Paper
📄

AS/A Level Film Studies – Comp 1 Varieties of Film: Varieties of Film and Filmmaking – Past Paper – Summer 2022

Past Paper
📄

AS/A Level Film Studies – Comp 2 Global Filmmaking: Global Filmmaking Perspectives – Past Paper – Summer 2022

Past Paper

AS/A Level Film Studies – Comp 1 Varieties of Film: Varieties of Film and Filmmaking – Mark Scheme – Summer 2022

Mark Scheme

AS/A Level Film Studies – Comp 2 Global Filmmaking: Global Filmmaking Perspectives – Mark Scheme – Summer 2022

Mark Scheme

AS/A Level Film Studies – Comp 1 American Film: American Film – Mark Scheme – Summer 2022

Mark Scheme

AS/A Level Film Studies – Comp 2 European Film: European Film – Mark Scheme – Summer 2022

Mark Scheme

Autumn 2021

4 files

AS/A Level Film Studies – Comp 1 Varieties of Film: Varieties of Film and Filmmaking – Mark Scheme – Autumn 2021

Mark Scheme

AS/A Level Film Studies – Comp 2 Global Filmmaking: Global Filmmaking Perspectives – Mark Scheme – Autumn 2021

Mark Scheme
📄

AS/A Level Film Studies – Comp 1 Varieties of Film: Varieties of Film and Filmmaking – Past Paper – Autumn 2021

Past Paper
📄

AS/A Level Film Studies – Comp 2 Global Filmmaking: Global Filmmaking Perspectives – Past Paper – Autumn 2021

Past Paper

Autumn 2020

4 files
📄

AS/A Level Film Studies – Comp 2 Global Filmmaking: Global Filmmaking Perspectives – Past Paper – Autumn 2020

Past Paper

AS/A Level Film Studies – Comp 1 Varieties of Film: Varieties of Film and Filmmaking – Mark Scheme – Autumn 2020

Mark Scheme

AS/A Level Film Studies – Comp 2 Global Filmmaking: Global Filmmaking Perspectives – Mark Scheme – Autumn 2020

Mark Scheme

AS/A Level Film Studies – Comp 1 American Film: American Film – Mark Scheme – Autumn 2020

Mark Scheme

Summer 2019

1 file
📄

AS/A Level Film Studies – Comp 2 Global Filmmaking: Global Filmmaking Perspectives – Past Paper – Summer 2019

Past Paper

American, European, and Global Cinema: Analytical Breadth in WJEC Film Studies

WJEC AS/A Level Film Studies develops the ability to analyse cinema as an art form, an industry, and a cultural force. The qualification spans American mainstream and independent cinema, European art house traditions, and global filmmaking perspectives, providing a genuinely international scope. Component 1 at AS level comprises two sections: American Film and Varieties of Film and Filmmaking. The American Film section examines Hollywood’s narrative conventions, genre, star system, and industrial context. Varieties of Film broadens the lens to documentary, experimental, and short film forms, encouraging candidates to question assumptions about what cinema can be. Component 2 at A2 extends the comparative dimension with European Film (studying at least one non-English-language film in depth, analysing visual storytelling, cultural context, and auteur theory) and Global Filmmaking Perspectives (examining cinema from Africa, Asia, Latin America, or Oceania). A production component completes the qualification, requiring candidates to create a short film or screenplay. The 61 resources include examination papers and mark schemes for all assessed components, supporting both analytical preparation and benchmark setting for the production element.

Exam Paper Structure

Component 1 Section ANo calculator

American Film

Part of 2 hr 30 min🎯 Varies marks📊 35% of grade
Hollywood narrative conventionsGenre and star systemIndustrial and institutional contextMainstream vs independent cinema
Component 1 Section BNo calculator

Varieties of Film and Filmmaking

Part of 2 hr 30 min🎯 Varies marks📊 15% of grade
Documentary formsExperimental and short filmAlternative narrative structures
Component 2 Section ANo calculator

European Film

Part of 2 hr 30 min🎯 Varies marks📊 35% of grade
Non-English-language film analysisAuteur theoryCultural and political contextVisual storytelling traditions
Component 2 Section BNo calculator

Global Filmmaking Perspectives

Part of 2 hr 30 min🎯 Varies marks📊 15% of grade
Cinema from Africa, Asia, Latin America, or OceaniaPost-colonial filmmakingCross-cultural representation

Key Information

Exam BoardWJEC
Specification CodeEduqas (WJEC) Film Studies
QualificationAS/A Level
Grading ScaleA*–E (A Level), A–E (AS)
Assessment TypeWritten exams + production coursework
TiersNo tiers
Number Of Papers2 written components + 1 production
Exam DurationComponent 1: 2 hrs 30 min; Component 2: 2 hrs 30 min
Total MarksVaries by pathway
Calculator StatusNot required
Available SessionsSummer series
Total Resources61

Key Topics in Film Studies

Topics you need to know

Cinematography, mise-en-scène, editing, and sound designHollywood narrative conventions and genre theoryIndependent and experimental cinemaEuropean art house traditions and auteur theoryGlobal cinema perspectives and post-colonial filmmakingDocumentary modes and non-fiction filmFilm industry, distribution, and audienceCritical frameworks: spectatorship, ideology, and representation

Exam Command Words

Command wordWhat the examiner expects
AnalyseExamine how film language creates meaning in a specific sequence
EvaluateAssess the significance of a cinematic technique or industrial factor
CompareIdentify similarities and differences between films or filmmaking traditions
ExploreInvestigate a theme, technique, or context in detail
DiscussConsider multiple critical perspectives on a film or filmmaking practice

Typical Grade Boundaries

GradeApproximate mark needed
A*76–86%
A66–75%
B55–65%
C44–54%
D33–43%
E22–32%

⚠️ Typical A Level boundaries. Exact mark totals vary by pathway. Boundaries differ by session.

Close Textual Analysis and Contextual Awareness for WJEC Film Studies

Film Studies answers must demonstrate close textual analysis — the ability to read cinematic language with the same precision that English Literature demands for written texts. When analysing a film sequence, address cinematography (shot types, angles, movement), mise-en-scène (setting, costume, lighting, staging), editing (cuts, transitions, rhythm), and sound (diegetic, non-diegetic, dialogue) as interconnected systems of meaning. For the European Film component, contextual knowledge significantly strengthens analysis. Understand the national cinema traditions that shaped your studied films: Italian neorealism, French New Wave, German Expressionism, or Scandinavian social realism. Link formal choices (handheld camera, location shooting, elliptical editing) to the cultural and political conditions in which the film was produced. The American Film section often tests understanding of industrial context. Prepare to discuss how the studio system, independent distribution, digital technology, and audience demographics shape the films that get made and how they are marketed. When comparing mainstream Hollywood and independent American cinema, focus on concrete differences in budget, casting, narrative structure, and target audience rather than vague generalisations.

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