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AQA A-Level Drama and Theatre (7262): complete guide to the components, set texts and exams

A complete guide to AQA A-Level Drama and Theatre (specification 7262). Covers the three components, the written exam, the two practical components, set play study, live theatre evaluation, the influential theatre practitioners, and how to study each part for top grades.

Browse guides →Syllabus dot points (25)

AQA A-Level Drama and Theatre (specification 7262) is a two-year linear course assessed through three components: one written exam and two practical projects. This page is the index: below is a map of the three components, the written exam structure, the set practitioners, and how to study each part.

The three AQA Drama and Theatre components

The qualification is built from three components that together balance written knowledge with practical theatre-making.

Component 1: Drama and theatre
A written exam worth 40%. You study two set plays and answer questions on them as a performer, director and designer, and you write an analysis and evaluation of a live production you have seen.
Component 2: Creating original drama (devising)
A practical component worth 30%. You devise an original piece of theatre influenced by the work and methodology of one prescribed practitioner, and you keep a working notebook that documents your process.
Component 3: Making theatre
A practical component worth 30%. You perform three extracts from three different plays, one of which must reflect the methodology of a practitioner, supported by a reflective report.

What this study library covers

This library focuses on the knowledge that underpins all three components, organised into four modules of dot-point pages.

Drama and theatre knowledge
The roles and skills of theatre makers, genre and theatrical style, staging configurations and conventions, and the design elements of set, lighting, sound and costume. This is the shared vocabulary you use everywhere.
Study of set plays
How to analyse a set play, interpret a text for performance, justify directorial and design choices, and use social and historical context. This drives Sections A and B of the written exam.
Live theatre evaluation
How to analyse live performance, evaluate the choices made by actors and designers, and structure a strong Section C response under exam conditions.
Theatre practitioners
The methodologies of Stanislavski (naturalism), Brecht (epic theatre), Artaud (Theatre of Cruelty) and Frantic Assembly (physical theatre), which shape both the written exam and the practical components.

Exam and assessment structure

AQA A-Level Drama and Theatre is assessed by one written paper and two practical components.

  • Component 1: Drama and theatre - written exam, 3 hours, 80 marks, 40%. Section A short set-play question, Section B extended set-play essay (performer, director, designer), Section C live theatre analysis and evaluation.
  • Component 2: Creating original drama - devised practical, 30%, marked partly by the centre and moderated by AQA, supported by a working notebook.
  • Component 3: Making theatre - performance of three extracts, 30%, marked by an AQA examiner, supported by a reflective report.

The written component is closed-book, so set plays and live theatre detail must be revised from memory.

How to study AQA Drama and Theatre

Drama rewards precise vocabulary, deep textual knowledge, and the ability to think as a theatre maker.

  1. Work from the assessment objectives. AO1 (create and develop), AO2 (apply theatrical knowledge), AO3 (demonstrate understanding) and AO4 (analyse and evaluate live theatre) shape every mark scheme.
  2. Know your set plays three ways. Rehearse reading each text as a performer, a director and a designer, because Section B demands all three.
  3. Keep live theatre notes. Section C is closed-book, so record productions in detail and revise them like a set text.
  4. Learn the practitioners precisely. Use the correct terminology (alienation effect, given circumstances, Theatre of Cruelty) and link theory to practical technique.
  5. Build and use a vocabulary of staging and design. Configurations, lighting, sound and costume terms must be automatic and used to support analysis.

The four modules, dot point by dot point

Each module has specification-level answer pages with worked exam questions and cross-links. Browse the full set at /a-level-aqa/drama/syllabus.

For the official specification

AQA publishes the full specification (7262), past papers, mark schemes and the set-text list at aqa.org.uk. Always revise from the current specification and AQA's own past papers, because question style and the set-text list are board-specific.

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Drama practice quizzes

Multiple-choice drills with worked answer explanations. Your scores stay on this device.

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Common questions about Drama

How is AQA A-Level Drama and Theatre (7262) structured?
AQA A-Level Drama and Theatre is a two-year linear course assessed through three components. Component 1, Drama and theatre, is a written exam worth 40% that tests knowledge of two set plays and a written response to a live production you have seen. Component 2, Creating original drama, is a practical worth 30% in which you devise a piece influenced by the methodology of a chosen practitioner. Component 3, Making theatre, is a practical worth 30% in which you perform three extracts from three different plays and document your work. Both practical components are supported by written portfolios or notes.
What is in the Component 1 written exam?
Component 1 is a written exam lasting 3 hours and worth 80 marks, which is 40% of the A-level. Section A is a short response on a set play, Section B is a longer essay on a second set play exploring how it could be realised for a contemporary audience from the perspective of a performer, director and designer, and Section C asks you to analyse and evaluate a live theatre production you have seen, focusing on the work of actors and designers. You study two set plays from the AQA set-text list, one of which must be pre-1900.
Who are the set practitioners and why do they matter?
AQA expects you to understand how influential theatre practitioners shape the way theatre is made. The most commonly studied are Konstantin Stanislavski (naturalism and the system of psychological realism), Bertolt Brecht (epic theatre, the alienation effect and political theatre), Antonin Artaud (the Theatre of Cruelty and total, sensory theatre) and companies such as Frantic Assembly (contemporary physical theatre and devising). In Component 2 you devise a piece in the style or methodology of one practitioner, so you need both theory and practical technique.
How is the live theatre evaluation assessed?
Section C of the written exam asks you to analyse and evaluate a live theatre production you have seen during the course. You respond to a question about how the performers and designers created meaning for the audience, using accurate theatrical vocabulary and specific remembered detail. Notes are not allowed in the exam, so you must keep detailed live theatre records and revise them. Markers reward precise description of what happened on stage, analysis of the intended effect, and a clear evaluation of how successful it was.
How should I structure my AQA Drama revision?
Work from the assessment objectives and the specification. For the written exam, learn your two set plays in depth (plot, character, context, genre and staging possibilities) and rehearse interpreting them as performer, director and designer. Keep and revise detailed live theatre notes for Section C. For the practical components, log your devising and rehearsal process clearly because the written portfolio carries marks. Build a precise vocabulary of staging, design and practitioner terminology and use it consistently.
How does AQA Drama compare to other exam boards?
All A-Level Drama specifications (AQA, Edexcel, OCR, Eduqas) share the same core: practical performance or devising, the study of texts and practitioners, and a written response to live theatre. AQA's distinctive features are its specific set-text list with a pre-1900 requirement, the three-perspective essay in Section B (performer, director, designer), and its weighting of 40% written to 60% practical. Always revise from the current AQA specification and AQA past papers, because question wording and the set-text list are board-specific.