GCSE

English Language

8700/1-Paper 1 Explorations in creative reading and writing

Mark scheme

8700

June 2020

Version/Stage: 1.0 Final

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MARK SCHEME – GCSE ENGLISH LANGUAGE – 8700/1 – JUNE 2020

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Mark schemes are prepared by the Lead Assessment Writer and considered, together with

the relevant questions, by a panel of subject teachers. This mark scheme includes any

amendments made at the standardisation events which all associates participate in and is

the scheme which was used by them in this examination. The standardisation process

ensures that the mark scheme covers the students’ responses to questions and that every

associate understands and applies it in the same correct way. As preparation for

standardisation each associate analyses a number of students’ scripts. Alternative answers

not already covered by the mark scheme are discussed and legislated for. If, after the

standardisation process, associates encounter unusual answers which have not been raised

they are required to refer these to a Senior Examiner.

It must be stressed that a mark scheme is a working document, in many cases further

developed and expanded on the basis of students’ reactions to a particular paper.

Assumptions about future mark schemes on the basis of one year’s document should be

avoided; whilst the guiding principles of assessment remain constant, details will change,

depending on the content of a particular examination paper.

Further copies of this mark scheme are available from aqa.org.uk

Copyright © 2017 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.

AQA retains the copyright on all its publications. However, registered schools/colleges for AQA are permitted to copy material

from this booklet for their own internal use, with the following important exception: AQA cannot give permission to

schools/colleges to photocopy any material that is acknowledged to a third party even for internal use within the centre.

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MARK SCHEME – GCSE ENGLISH LANGUAGE – 8700/1 – JUNE 2020

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Introduction

The information provided for each question is intended to be a guide to the kind of answers

anticipated and is neither exhaustive nor prescriptive. All appropriate responses should

be given credit.

Level of response marking instructions

Level of response mark schemes for GCSE English Language are broken down into four

levels (where appropriate). In the first column each level is identified with one or two key

words that represent the differences in the skills then described. These key words show the

progression from Level 1 to 4 and are:

Level 4 Perceptive, detailed

Level 3 Clear, relevant

Level 2 Some, attempts

Level 1 Simple, limited.

This is followed in the second column by a description of the different qualities required in

the student’s answer for that level. These are called the skills descriptors. In order to reach a

given level, a student must fulfil one or more of the skills descriptors for that level.

The third column of the mark scheme is the Indicative Standard. This is an important feature

of the mark scheme for GCSE English Language. It provides exemplification of the skills

descriptors at each level and offers a small number of different comments at the required

standard to give an indication of the quality of response that is typical for that level. It shows

the progression from Level 1 to 4.

The Indicative Standard is not intended to be a model answer nor a complete response, and

it does not exemplify required content. Students may reach a given level by making one or

more comments of the quality demonstrated by the Indicative Standard and do not have to

meet all the skill descriptors at that level.

The standardising scripts will further exemplify each of the levels. You must refer to the

standardising material throughout your marking.

Step 1 Annotate the response

When marking a response you should first read through the student’s answer and annotate

each section using the comments from the statement bank to show the qualities that are

being demonstrated, as instructed during standardising. You can then award a level and a

mark.

Step 2 Determine a level

Start at the lowest level of the mark scheme and use it as a ladder to see whether the

answer meets the descriptors for that level. The descriptors for the level indicate the different

qualities that might be seen in the student’s answer for that level. If it meets the lowest level

then go to the next one and decide if it meets this level, and so on, until you have a match

between the level descriptor and the answer. With practice and familiarity you will find that

for better answers you will be able to quickly skip through the lower levels of the mark

scheme.

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