GCSE guide · checked October 2026
GCSE English Literature, explained simply
Two closed-book exams on a Shakespeare play, a 19th-century novel, a modern text and poetry. This page shows what each paper asks, the marks your child really needs for each grade, and how to revise texts they can't take into the exam. Pick your exam board and the page changes to match.
- 2 exams
- Closed book
- No coursework
- Grades 9 to 1
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 GCSE English Literature (8702). 2 papers, 4 hours of exams and 160 marks in total.
Specification: AQA GCSE English Literature (8702)
What's in the exams
Every board tests the same four kinds of text (a Shakespeare play, a 19th-century novel, a modern text and poetry) but splits them across the papers differently. The shares are each paper's weight in the final grade, as the specification states.
- Paper 1: Shakespeare and the 19th-century novel40%
- Paper 2: modern prose or drama, poetry anthology and unseen poetry60%
How the grading works
How the grading works
Everyone sits the same papers: there is no Foundation or Higher. The exams are closed book, so students must know their texts and quotations from memory, though extracts are printed for some questions. Marks from both papers are added up and the total decides the grade, from 9 down to 1. Some marks are for spelling, punctuation and grammar.
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:
Source: AQA, GCSE 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:
94%
to secure a grade 9
76%
to secure a grade 7
56%
to secure a grade 5
47%
to secure a grade 4
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.
-
Paper 1, June 2026 · Shakespeare and the 19th-century novel · 1 hour 45 minutes
-
Paper 2, June 2026 · Modern texts and poetry · 2 hours 15 minutes
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 Literature is really about
Where the word comes from
"Literature" comes from the Latin litteratura, "writing" or "learning", from littera, "letter". It first meant knowledge gained from books before it came to mean the books themselves.
Where it comes from
The plays students study were first performed in London: Shakespeare's company built the Globe on Bankside in 1599. Charles Dickens, whose novels such as A Christmas Carol and Great Expectations are popular set texts, walked the same streets centuries later, writing about Victorian London's poverty and its people.
Why it's still taught
English Literature teaches students to read closely, argue a case with evidence and understand other lives and times. Many sixth forms want a good grade for A-Level English, History and other essay subjects, and the skills transfer to law, journalism and any job that involves persuasive writing.
How to do well in GCSE English Literature
Learn short, flexible quotations
Short quotations of a few words are easier to remember and can be used for many different questions.
Know the plot and characters cold
Students can't look things up, so a clear timeline and character list for every text is essential.
Link the text to its context
Marks are given for showing how the writer's time and place shaped the text, such as Victorian attitudes in A Christmas Carol.
Plan essays around a clear argument
The best answers have a point of view that runs through the whole essay, not a list of techniques.
Practise unseen poetry
Unseen poems appear on every board. Reading and annotating a new poem each week builds confidence.
Write to time
Practise full answers in the time allowed, since running out of time on the last question is a common way to lose marks.
The three best places to revise
Our teachers' picks. We have no connection with these sites.
Mr Bruff on YouTube
Free video guides to the most popular set texts and how to answer each board's questions.
BBC Bitesize
Free study guides on popular set texts, poems and exam technique.
Seneca
Free quizzes on plot, characters, themes and context for many set texts.
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
- AQA, GCSE grade boundaries June 2026
- Pearson, Grade boundaries Edexcel GCSE (9-1) June 2026
- OCR, GCSE (9-1) grade boundaries June 2026
- AQA, GCSE English Literature 8702: specification at a glance
- Pearson, GCSE (9-1) English Literature 1ET0 specification
- OCR, GCSE English Literature J352: specification at a glance