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A-Level guide · checked October 2026

A-Level English Language, explained simply

The science of how English works: how children learn to talk, how language changes over time, and how it varies with who we are and where we live. This page shows how each board sets the exams and coursework, the marks your child needs for an A*, A or B, and how to prepare.

  • 2 or 3 exams
  • Coursework (20%)
  • Language investigation
  • Grades A* to E

Exam board

Not sure which board? Ask your child's school, or check the front of a mockA practice exam, usually set by school a few months before the real thing. paper.

The exams at a glance

AQA A-Level English Language (7702). 2 exams and coursework, 5 hours of exams and 500 marks in total.

PaperNotesTimeMarks
Paper 1Language, the individual and society (100 marks, doubled)2 hours 30 minutes200 (40%)
Paper 2Language diversity and change (100 marks, doubled)2 hours 30 minutes200 (40%)
Non-exam assessmentInvestigation and original writing, 3,500 wordsCoursework100 (20%)

Specification: AQA A-Level English Language (7702)

What's in the exams

The shares are each part's weight in the final grade, as the specification states.

  • Paper 1: language, the individual and society40%
  • Paper 2: language diversity and change40%
  • Coursework: investigation and original writing20%

How the grading works

How the grading works

Everyone sits the same papers. The marks are added up and the total decides the grade, from A* down to E. AQA and Edexcel scale the papers to match their weighting, so the marks shown are the weighted marks the boundaries use. Every board includes coursework worth 20%, such as a language investigation or original writing with a commentary.

The marks you really need for each grade

You do not need 90% for a top grade. Grade boundaries are set after the exams are marked, so a grade stays the same standard even when the papers are harder. These are the real AQA boundaries from June 2026:

GradeMarks neededAs a percentageChart
A*432 out of 50086.4%
A397 out of 50079.4%
B343 out of 50068.6%
C290 out of 50058%
D237 out of 50047.4%
E184 out of 50036.8%

Source: AQA, A-level grade boundaries June 2026. Boundaries change slightly every year.

Your target score in practice papers

Sit a full set of past papers under timed conditions every few weeks. Work out the percentage for each set, ignore your single worst result (everyone has an off day) and average the rest. Aim for:

92%

to secure a grade A*

85%

to secure a grade A

74%

to secure a grade B

We add 5 percentage points to last year's boundary, because boundaries move a little each year and exam nerves cost marks.

Past paper mock builder

Pick an exam series and we'll set out the full AQA mock: which papers to sit, how long to allow and where to download them. Then type in your marks to see the grade they would have earned.

  1. Paper 1, June 2026 · Language, the individual and society (100 marks, doubled) · 2 hours 30 minutes

  2. Paper 2, June 2026 · Language diversity and change (100 marks, doubled) · 2 hours 30 minutes

  3. Non-exam assessment, June 2026 · Investigation and original writing, 3,500 words

Download the papers and mark schemes: AQA official past papers or Save My Exams past papers. Exam boards keep the most recent series for schools only for a while, so if the newest one isn't there, take the one before.

Enter your marks for each paper to see the grade they would have earned.

What English Language is really about

Where the word comes from

"Language" comes through Old French langage from the Latin lingua, "tongue". "Linguistics", the study of language, comes from the same root.

Where it comes from

The scientific study of language took off in the 1900s, with linguists such as Ferdinand de Saussure in Geneva and, later, Noam Chomsky in the United States. In Britain, the Survey of English Dialects in the 1950s recorded how people spoke across the country, and London's own Multicultural London English is now studied by linguists worldwide.

Why it's still taught

English Language develops analysis, research and precise writing, with a scientific approach to how people communicate. It suits careers in teaching, speech and language therapy, journalism, marketing, law and publishing, and degrees in linguistics, English and psychology.

How to do well in A-Level English Language

Learn the linguistic terms

Word classes, sentence types and sound features are the toolkit for every answer. Flashcards help.

Collect real language data

Notice language around you: adverts, texts, speech. Analysing real examples builds confidence.

Know the key theories and studies

Child language and language change questions reward accurate references to researchers and their findings.

Link features to context

Marks come from explaining why language is used in a particular way, for a particular audience and purpose.

Plan the coursework early

Choose an investigation topic you find interesting and collect data in good time.

Practise timed answers

The essay questions are long. Practise planning quickly and writing to time.

The three best places to revise

Our teachers' picks. We have no connection with these sites.

The British Library: Sounds

Free recordings of accents and dialects from across the UK, great for language variation.

Massolit

Short video lectures by academics on linguistics topics. Often free through schools.

BBC Voices

Free archive of the BBC's project on how people speak across the UK.

Questions parents ask

Not sure where your child stands?

Our free 45-minute assessment often uses a real past paperA real exam from a previous year, used for practice., so you'll know their likely grade and exactly what to work on. Lessons online across the UK, or at our seven London hubs.

Sources