As you know, your year group are the very first to do the new English GCSE exams. On this page you will find answers to most of the questions you might have about the exam – if there is anything I haven’t covered, or that you are unsure about, use the comment function to ask me about it. This would also be a useful page to share with your parents if they want to know more about what you will be studying in English over the next two years.
How will I be assessed?
In English, the changes to the course mean there will no longer be controlled assessments at the end of individual modules. Instead, all the work done over the two years will be examined at the end of Year 11.
There will continue to be two separate GCSEs: English Language and English Literature. You will sit two exams in each.
How will English Language be different?
The format of the English Language exams will be similar to the current form, although spelling, punctuation and grammar will account for a greater proportion of the marks than they currently do.
How will English Literature be different?
English Literature will be different in a couple of important ways. You will no longer be able to take textbooks into exams, so key quotations will now need to be memorised. You will study four key areas of literature: a play by Shakespeare, a 19th century novel, a modern text (prose or drama) and a collection of poetry. For your class, these texts will be The History Boys by Alan Bennett, The Sign of Four by Sir Artthur Conan Doyle, The Merchant of Venice and a collection of poetry on theme of conflict.
How will the grades be different?
Instead of the A*-G format currently in use, there will now be a scale from 9 (highest) to 1 (lowest). No grade boundaries are available yet, but it is thought that 9 will equate to slightly higher than the current A* grade, with 5/4 being equivalent to the current C grade, although this is still not set in stone.
mrs odriscoll 10W/E 