Every question assesses all five assessment objectives. Two texts added for first exam summer 2027, with nothing withdrawn. AQA has published an updated specification for first exams 2027. This mapping is built to Version 1.4, 16 October 2021 and covers the texts on both.
every component mapped before a word is written
Paper 1: Literary genres
150 minutes · 75 marks · 40 per cent
Option 1A: Aspects of tragedy (75 marks)
Closed book. One Shakespeare, one further drama, one further text, one pre-1900
Option 1B: Aspects of comedy (75 marks)
Closed book. One Shakespeare, one further drama, one further text, one pre-1900
Paper 2: Texts and genres
180 minutes · 75 marks · 40 per cent
Option 2A: Elements of crime writing (75 marks)
Open book. One post-2000 prose, one poetry, one further, one pre-1900, plus unseen
Option 2B: Elements of political and social protest writing (75 marks)
Open book. One post-2000 prose, one poetry, one further, one pre-1900, plus unseen
Non-exam assessment: Theory and independence
50 marks · 20 per cent
Critical anthology (50 marks)
Two essays, one poetry and one prose, each on a different section. Exam set texts barred