GCSE

ENGLISH LITERATURE

8702/1

Paper 1 Shakespeare and the 19th-century novel

Mark scheme

June 2020

Version: 0.2 Pre-Standardisation

*206g8702/1/MS*

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MARK SCHEME – GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE – 8702/1 – 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 the Lead 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 information

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.

Copyright © 2020 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.

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MARK SCHEME – GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE – 8702/1 – JUNE 2020

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Statement of importance

GCSE English Literature is the study of how writers communicate their ideas about the world, and how

readers might respond to these ideas. It aims to develop a critical understanding of the ways in which

literary texts are a reflection of, and exploration of, the human condition, the study of which develops

empathic understanding of human nature. High-quality English literature is writing which displays

recognisable literary qualities and, although shaped by particular contexts, transcends them and speaks

about the universality of the human condition. GCSE English Literature aims to enable students to

appreciate these qualities, developing and presenting informed, critical responses to the ideas in literary

texts and the ways writers present these ideas. It aims to enable students to make links between a

variety of written texts and between the text and the context within which it was shaped.

Principles of mark scheme construction

Each mark scheme is driven by the task and by the statement of importance about GCSE English

Literature. It aims to do two things:

• to describe typical features of response in order to decide on a mark

• to identify typical features of proficiency in order to aid discrimination between levels of performance.

Each long form answer mark scheme is constructed using six levels. This is to reflect the ability level of

the whole cohort. There are four or five marks within each level to allow for levels of proficiency and to

allow for discrimination between levels of cognitive ability across the whole cohort.

Each mark scheme places assessment objectives AO1 and AO2 as the key skills. This is driven by the

statement of importance of the subject, in that the study of great literary texts is the study of the

interrelationship between the reader and the writer of the text and that the communication and reception

of these ideas is an inherent feature of English literature. It is also driven by the acknowledgement that

GCSE English Literature assesses cognitive levels of ability; the level of response to ideas will have

parity with the level of response to the methods of communicating those ideas.

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