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The English language GCSE focuses more on developing students reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills. By comparison, the English literature GCSE is more focused on developing knowledge and understanding of prose, poetry and drama texts.

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GCSE English examinations have undergone various changes over the years. This relates to the content of the courses, the way the exams are set up, and how the students are graded. Typically, GCSE English is split into two main topics: language and literature.

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The Department for Education announced plans to reform GCSE English language and literature in 2013. These changes came into effect in 2015 as the new teachings began, and the first exams were held in 2017. 

The English language GCSE focuses more on developing students reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills. By comparison, the English literature GCSE is more focused on developing knowledge and understanding of prose, poetry, and drama texts. 

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GCSE English - both kinds - is held in extremely high-regard throughout the UK. A lot of universities will ask for this GCSE as part of the degree qualifications. 

 

English Literature

For English Lit, the topics look like this: 

• Shakespeare plays

• 19th-Century texts

• Modern texts

• Poetry

• Modern drama texts

The exact texts and plays that pupil will look at and analyse are going to vary ever so slightly from board to board. 

 

English Language

With the English language GCSE, some of content and topics will be: 

• Creative reading

• Creative writing

• Fictional texts

• Descriptive/narrative writing

• Extended writing

• Non-fiction texts

• Literary non-fiction texts

• Use of standard English

• Presenting

• Responding to questions & feedback

 

What are the exams like?

The content for the English GCSE is taught across the two different focus points. In total, there are four different exams that need to be sat in the exam hall - two for English Language and two for English Literature. 

 

English Literature Exam Structure

The typical English Literature exam structure has changed over the years. The previous GCSE allowed for three exams that totalled around 3-hours. Now, the exams are split across two exams with a total of 4-hours between them. 

 

Now, here’s where things get slightly complicated as the different exam boards prepare these exams differently: 

 

• AQA: The AQA exams consist of one paper on Shakespeare and the 19th-Century Novel, and one on Modern Texts & Poetry. The first exam lasts 1 hour 45 minutes and has a total of 64 marks, making up 40% of the GCSE. The second exam is 2 hours and 15 minutes long, with 96 marks and a 60% weight towards the GCSE. 

 

• OCR: The OCR exam includes one paper on Modern & Literary Heritage Texts and one on Poetry & Shakespeare. Both papers have a total of 80 marks available and are split evenly at 50% of the overall grade. They’re also equally split at 2 hours each. 

 

• Pearson Edexcel: The Edexcel exam has one paper on Shakespeare and Post-1914 Literature and one on 19th-Century Novel and Poetry since 1789. Both papers are worth 50% of the overall GCSE, though they are of different lengths. Paper one is 1 hour and 45 minutes long, while paper two is 2 hours and 15 minutes. 

 

English Language

All three exam boards have two papers for the English Language GCSE, and they also all have a Spoken Language Endorsement. Interestingly, the spoken language part of the qualifications doesn’t count towards anything at all. It makes up 0% and is seen as a separate grade to the English Language GCSE. Pupils will get either a pass, merit, or distinction for their performance. 

 

The individual exam boards set up the Language exams as follows: 

 

• AQA: One paper on Exploration in Creative Reading & Writing that’s worth a total of 80 marks and 50% of the GCSE. The second paper is on Writer’s Viewpoints and Perspectives, which is also worth 80 marks and 50% of the GCSE. Both papers will last 1 hour and 45 minutes. 

 

• OCR: One paper on Non-fiction texts and one paper on Literary texts. Both are 50% of the GCSE and will last for 2 hours with a total of 80 marks available on both. 

 

• Pearson Edexcel: One paper on Fiction & Imaginative Writing worth 40% of the GCSE and a maximum of 64 marks available. One paper on Non-Fiction & Transactional Writing worth 60% of the GCSE and a maximum of 96 marks available. The first paper lasts 1 hour and 45 minutes, the second lasts 2 hours and 5 minutes. 

 

All these exams will include reading and writing elements across the papers. They will typically each have two texts to analyse, with one section focusing on reading and the other on writing. 

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