How AQA Awards Marks | That's LIT
← Home
HOW AQA
AWARDS MARKS

How AQA Awards Marks

Every mark in GCSE English Literature comes from one of four Assessment Objectives. Understanding what each one tests is the first step to targeting your writing.

The Four Assessment Objectives

These are the four skills your answers are marked on. Every paragraph you write should hit AO1 and AO2, and most should include AO3. Not every question tests all four: see Marks by Paper below.

AO1: Your argument The what · 37.5% of your GCSE
A clear, sustained response to the question with a well-structured argument. You choose relevant quotations to support and illustrate your interpretation. Every paragraph must open with a point that directly answers the question.
AO2: Your analysis The how · 42.5% of your GCSE
Analysis of the writer's language, form and structure, and the effect these choices have on the reader or audience. This is where the Formula lives. Literary term + analytical verb + effect. Never just name the technique: always explain what it does.
AO3: Your context The why · 15% of your GCSE
Relevant historical, social or literary context that explains why the writer made particular choices. Context should appear in your opening sentence as a lens, not as a separate paragraph or a fact added at the end. Ask yourself: why did this writer, writing at this moment in history, make this choice?
AO4: Your accuracy SPaG · 5% of your GCSE
Spelling, punctuation and grammar, plus a range of vocabulary and sentence structures. It is marked separately, and only in Section A of each paper (Shakespeare and your modern text), where it is worth 4 marks each time. These are the easiest marks to protect: check key names, use the present tense throughout, and punctuate quotations correctly.
The Formula covers AO1 and AO2 together. The literary term identifies what the writer is doing (AO2), and the analytical verb with its effect sets out your critical response to it (AO1). They are inseparable in practice, which is why the Formula is the foundation of every top-level response.

Marks by Paper

There are two exams. Here is what is in each one, how the marks are split between the Assessment Objectives, and how long we recommend you spend on each section.

Your whole GCSE: 160 marks
Paper 1 · 40%64 marks
Paper 2 · 60%96 marks
AO1 Response and quotations AO2 Language, form and structure AO3 Context AO4 SPaG

Know your timings before you walk in

These exams are tough because there is a lot to get through in the time allowed. That is why it is vital you know how long to spend on each question. Overrunning on one question will cost you marks on the questions that follow, so go into each exam already knowing your timings.

Key things to know

  • SPaG (AO4) is only marked in Section A of each paper: Shakespeare and your modern text. It is worth 4 marks each time, so write accurately there.
  • No context (AO3) in unseen poetry. Section C is all about your response and the writer's methods (AO1 and AO2). The short 8-mark comparison question only tests AO2: how the two poets use language, form and structure.
  • All exams are closed book. You will not have a copy of your texts. Extracts and the named poem are printed on the paper, so learn your key quotations.
  • The times are our recommendation. AQA sets 1 hr 45 min for Paper 1 and 2 hr 15 min for Paper 2, but no time for each section. We have split the time by the marks available.
  • The 30-mark essays are marked as a whole, across six levels. The AO split shows what the examiner is looking for, not a separate score for each AO.
© 2026 That's LIT · All skills. No waffle.