AQA GCSE English Literature: specification & assessment

AQA specification 8702 · Version 1.3, 28 September 2022 · for teaching from September 2015, exams May/June 2017 onwards · checked July 2026

AQA GCSE English Literature (8702) is assessed by 2 exam papers. Here's the exam structure, the assessment objectives and what you study — straight from AQA's specification.

Reform watch:England's 2025 Curriculum & Assessment Review doesn't change GCSE or A-level content until reformed specs are first taught (national curriculum September 2028; updated GCSEs from 2029). Your 2026–2028 exams use the current specification. What's changing →

Exam papers

PaperLengthMarksWeighting
Paper 1: Shakespeare and the 19th-century novelShakespeare plays; the 19th-century novel1 hour 45 minutes6440%
Paper 2: Modern texts and poetryModern prose or drama texts; the poetry anthology (Poems Past and Present); unseen poetry2 hours 15 minutes9660%

Assessment objectives

Assessment objectives (AOs) are set by Ofqual for English Literature and describe the skills the exams reward. The weightings are for the whole GCSE.

AOWhat it assessesWeighting
AO1Read, understand and respond to texts. Students should be able to: maintain a critical style and develop an informed personal response; use textual references, including quotations, to support and illustrate interpretations.37.5% overall (Paper 1: 15%, Paper 2: 22.5%)
AO2Analyse the language, form and structure used by a writer to create meanings and effects, using relevant subject terminology where appropriate.42.5% overall (Paper 1: 15%, Paper 2: 27.5%)
AO3Show understanding of the relationships between texts and the contexts in which they were written.15% overall (Paper 1: 7.5%, Paper 2: 7.5%)
AO4Use a range of vocabulary and sentence structures for clarity, purpose and effect, with accurate spelling and punctuation.5% overall (Paper 1: 2.5%, Paper 2: 2.5%)

Practical work

Not applicable — GCSE English Literature has no required practicals. All assessment is via two written exams. All assessments are closed book: any stimulus materials required are provided as part of the assessment.

Options & set texts

You choose from a menu — this isn't a fixed list. This qualification is option/set-text dependent: students and centres CHOOSE texts from menus rather than studying a fixed compulsory list. Paper 1 Section A: choose ONE Shakespeare play from six set texts (e.g. Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet). Paper 1 Section B: choose ONE 19th-century novel from seven set texts (e.g. Robert Louis Stevenson 'The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde', Charles Dickens 'A Christmas Carol'). Paper 2 Section A: choose ONE modern prose/drama text from 12 set texts (e.g. JB Priestley 'An Inspector Calls', William Golding 'Lord of the Flies'). Paper 2 Section B: study ONE cluster from the AQA poetry anthology 'Poems Past and Present' — a choice of three clusters, each of 15 poems: 'Love and Relationships', 'Power and Conflict', 'Worlds and Lives' (the last First teaching 2023, first exam 2025). The set-text menu is rotated over time (some texts show 'Last exam 2024'; some 'First teaching 2023, first exam 2025'), so the exact available choices depend on the exam series — verify against the current spec for the relevant year.

What you study

The main topics in the 8702 specification:

Your grades in English Literature

See the real AQA English Literature grade boundaries (2024 & 2025, with a "what grade is my mark" tool), and how GCSE grades work.

Where this comes from

Frequently asked questions

See all AQA GCSE subjects.