GCSE English Literature Paper 2

Which of the following will you not be asked about in the GCSE English Literature Paper 2 exam?

• Unseen 19th Century Prose

• A Christmas Carol

• Unseen Poetry

• Conflict Poetry Anthology

Answer explanation

Unseen 19th Century Prose is in Paper 1 of the English Language exam - not literature. The only unseen section of the literature exam is the unseen poetry.

You must discuss context when writing about A Christmas Carol in Part B.

• True

• False

You must write about an aspect of context for both poems in the Conflict Poetry Anthology question.

• True

• False

Which of the following is not one of the themes which could come up in Question B of the Christmas Carol question?

• The Spirit of Christmas

• The Supernatural

• Isolation

• Redemption

Unless you get extra time, the exam will last...

• 1 Hour 45 minutes

• 2 Hours

• 2 Hours 15 Minutes

• 2 Hours 30 Minutes

Around how long should you spend on each of the 4 sections of the exam (Christmas Carol Part A & B, Conflict Poetry, Unseen Poetry)

• 20 minutes

• 30 minutes

• 40 minutes

• 40 minutes

In which section of Literature Paper 2 are there extra marks for spelling, punctuation and grammar?

• A Christmas Carol Part B

• Conflict Poetry

• Unseen Poetry

• There are no marks for this in Paper 2

Answer explanation

The only section of the Literature exam where there are separate marks for spelling, punctuation and grammar is the An Inspector Calls/ 20th century text in Paper 1.

In the Conflict Poetry Anthology question, you will write about

• One poem on the page

• Two poems on the page

• One poem on the page and another from memory

• Two poems from memory

In the Unseen Poetry section of the Literature Paper 2 exam you will write about:

• One poem on the page

• One poem from memory

• Two poems from memory

• Two poems on the page

In all 4 sections, what aspect of the text must you remember to focus on first?

• Ideas and themes

• Identifying techniques

• The historical context

• The author's intentions