Pearson Edexcel International Advanced Level in English Language
Mapped from the board's own specification and signed off on 23 August 2026 by Lee Woods. January and June, both series for all four units. Graded A* to E at IAL, A to E at IAS.
- Full scheme of work, lesson by lesson
- Lesson decks in the house template
- Knowledge organiser
- Retrieval grids
- Assessment pack with mark schemes
Structure
| Component | Time | Marks | Weighting | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 1: Language, Context and IdentityWEN01/01 | 1h 45 | 50 | 25% | Externally assessed |
| Unit 2: Language in TransitionWEN02/01 | 1h 45 | 50 | 25% | Externally assessed |
| Unit 3: Crafting Language, writingWEN03/01 | 2h 00 | 50 | 25% | Externally assessed |
| Unit 4: Investigating LanguageWEN04/04 | 2h 00 | 50 | 25% | Externally assessed |
200 raw marks, no scaling: every component is exactly proportional to its weighting.
Routes
Pearson Edexcel International Advanced Subsidiary in English Language, XEN01, Units 1 and 2 only. The IAS may be awarded as a discrete qualification or contribute 50 per cent to the IAL. Every IAS objective figure is exactly double its IAL figure, which is the arithmetic check that the two grids agree
Assessment objectives
| Objective | Unit 1 | Unit 2 | Unit 3 | Unit 4 | Overall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AO1 Methods of language analysisApply appropriate methods of language analysis, using associated terminology and coherent written expression | 5 | 7.5 | 2.5 | 5 | 20 |
| AO2 Concepts and issuesDemonstrate critical understanding of concepts and issues relevant to language use | 5 | 6.25 | 7.5 | 5 | 23.75 |
| AO3 Context and meaningAnalyse and evaluate how contextual factors and language features are associated with the construction of meaning | 5 | 6.25 | 2.5 | 10 | 23.75 |
| AO4 Connections across textsExplore connections across texts, informed by linguistic concepts and methods | 2.5 | 5 | 2.5 | 5 | 15 |
| AO5 Expertise and creativity in useDemonstrate expertise and creativity in the use of English to communicate in different ways | 7.5 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 17.5 |
The board's own tables disagree. The board prints 23.8 and 6.3 with a footnote that some figures have been rounded. The exact figures are 23.75 and 6.25. The map carries the exact figures, which sum to 100 and reconcile in both directions. As printed the IAL row sums to 100.1
Component by component
Unit 1: Language, Context and Identity
Section A: Context and Identity35 marks
A comparative question on two unseen 20th and 21st century texts, supplied in a source booklet
No set texts. Unseen comparative question. A single teachable unit
Section B: The Creation of Voice15 marks
Create a new text for a specified audience, drawing on at least one of the Section A texts
No set texts. A single teachable unit
Unit 2: Language in Transition
Section A: Spoken Language Today25 marks
One question on an unseen transcript of 21st century spoken English
Unseen transcript. A single teachable unit
Section B: Written Language of the 19th to 20th Century25 marks
One discussion question on unseen transcripts, widening the issue raised in Section A
Unseen transcripts. A single teachable unit
Unit 3: Crafting Language, writing
Section A: Creating Text20 marks
Create a text in a prescribed genre from unseen source texts on a single topic
- feature articles
- journalist interviews
- speeches
- travel writing
- biography
- reviews
Six genres suggested for study. The board prescribes the genre in the paper and says source texts are not limited to these six, so they are teachable units rather than a closed option list
Section B: Commentary30 marks
A commentary analysing and evaluating the language choices made in Section A
Compulsory commentary. A single teachable unit
Unit 4: Investigating Language
Section A: Unseen Data Analysis20 marks
One question on the researched subtopic, using unseen data supplied in a source booklet
- Contemporary Global English
- Children's Language Development
- Language and Power
- Language and Technology
Four board named research topic areas. The candidate selects one, and both Unit 4 sections are answered on it
Section B: Extended Response30 marks
An extended evaluative response on the researched subtopic, connected to the candidate's own data
Answered on the same researched subtopic. The topic choice is counted once, on Section A
What this specification changes about the package
- Four externally examined units, each entered separately, with any unit resittable. Products are sold per unit, not per year, and revision material has a resit market the domestic A-level does not
- All four units are assessed in both January and June. Two full windows a year for every unit, so assessment material cannot be built to a single summer
- Unit 4 subtopics are pre-released, in May for the January series and in January for the June series. A dated, recurring product: the subtopic is known months ahead and material can be built to it in the window
- Unit 4 offers four research topic areas and the candidate investigates one. Four distinct Unit 4 packages, each carrying an independent investigation the candidate designs
- There are no set texts anywhere in the qualification. No rights exposure and no text list to maintain. Every source is unseen and supplied
- All four units are available as onscreen assessments. Exam technique material must cover onscreen response
- The IAS may be awarded as a discrete qualification or contribute 50 per cent to the IAL. The IAS is a saleable qualification in its own right, not only a staging post
How we know
- Specification read
- Issue 4, February 2026, read from the cover of the board's own PDF. Retrieved 23 August 2026.
- Sign-off
- Lee Woods, 23 August 2026. Map pearson-yen01-v1.
- Currency
- Current at retrieval. Pearson replaces this file in place, so the issue must be re-read from the cover at sign-off
No declared gaps: every field the board publishes is held.
Order this specification
Every package is built against this map, to the examination series you enter. Tell us the components you want and we build to them.
Commission a package