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Last Updated Sep 27, 2025
What is the examiner looking for? Simplified Revision Notes for GCSE OCR English Language
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What is the examiner looking for?
You'll be assessed slightly differently for section A and section B, have a look at the table below to see what skills you need to demonstrate in each half of the paper.
Section A
| Skill | Assessment Objective | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Reading | AO1 | Identify and interpret explicit and implicit information and ideas. Select and synthesise evidence from different texts. |
| AO2 | Explain, comment on and analyse how writers use language and structure to achieve effects and influence readers, using relevant subject terminology to support views. | |
| AO3 | Compare writers' ideas and perspectives, as well as how these are conveyed, across two or more texts. (Not assessed in this exam.) | |
| AO4 | Evaluate texts critically and support this with appropriate textual references. |
Section B
| Skill | Assessment Objective | Assessment Objective |
|---|---|---|
| Writing | AO5 | Communicate clearly, effectively and imaginatively, selecting and adapting tone, style, and register for different forms, purposes, and audiences. |
| Organise information and ideas, using structural and grammatical features to support coherence and cohesion of texts. | ||
| AO6 | Use a range of vocabulary and sentence structures for clarity, purpose and effect, with accurate spelling and punctuation. |
How long should you spend answering each question?
Use the table below as a rough guide and aim to spend about a minute per mark.
Paper 1
Time: 2 hours
Structure: Reading and Writing
Texts: One unseen prose extract, typically literary
Questions: 4 reading questions and 1 writing task
Purpose: To assess your reading comprehension, analysis of language and structure, and creative writing skills.
| Task | Marks | Assessment Objective | Suggested Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading the text | N/A | N/A | 10 minutes |
| Question 1 (AO1) | 4 marks | Identify and interpret explicit and implicit information and ideas | 5 minutes |
| Question 2 (AO1) | 6 marks | Identify and interpret information, selecting and synthesising evidence | 10 minutes |
| Question 3 (AO2) | 12 marks | Explain, comment on, and analyse how writers use language and structure | 15 minutes |
| Question 4 (AO4) | 18 marks | Evaluate texts critically with appropriate textual references | 25 minutes |
| Question 5 (AO5 & AO6) | 40 marks | Communicate clearly, effectively, and imaginatively, adapting tone, style, and register; use vocabulary and sentence structures accurately | 55 minutes |
| Checking work | N/A | N/A | 5 minutes |
Paper 2
Time: 2 hours
Structure: Reading and Writing
Texts: Two unseen non-fiction texts (from the 19th, 20th, or 21st centuries)
Questions: 6 reading questions and 1 writing task
Purpose: To assess your reading comprehension, comparison skills, and transactional writing skills.
| Task | Marks | Assessment Objective | Suggested Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading the texts | N/A | N/A | 10 minutes |
| Question 1 (AO1) | 4 marks | Identify and interpret explicit information and ideas | 5 minutes |
| Question 2 (AO1) | 4 marks | Select and synthesise evidence from different texts | 5 minutes |
| Question 3 (AO2) | 12 marks | Explain, comment on, and analyse how writers use language and structure | 15 minutes |
| Question 4 (AO3) | 6 marks | Compare writers' ideas and perspectives across two texts | 10 minutes |
| Question 5 (AO3) | 18 marks | Compare writers' methods across two texts | 20 minutes |
| Question 6 (AO5 & AO6) | 40 marks | Communicate clearly and effectively, selecting tone, style, and register; use vocabulary and sentence structures accurately | 50 minutes |
| Checking work | N/A | N/A | 5 minutes |
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