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AQA A-Level Media Studies (7572): complete guide to the framework, the forms and the exams

A complete guide to AQA A-Level Media Studies (specification 7572). Covers the four-area theoretical framework (media language, representation, industries and audiences), the nine media forms and Close Study Products, the named theorists, how the two written papers and the non-exam assessment are structured and marked, and how to study each area for top grades.

Browse guides →Syllabus dot points (27)

AQA A-Level Media Studies (specification 7572) is a two-year linear course assessed by two written papers and a non-exam assessment. The whole subject is built on a four-area theoretical framework applied to nine media forms and to specific Close Study Products. This page is the index: below is a map of the framework, the forms, the theorists, the exam structure, and how to study each area.

The four-area theoretical framework

Everything in AQA Media Studies sits within four interrelated areas, which you apply together to set products.

Media language
How products communicate meaning through codes, conventions and techniques: semiotics (denotation and connotation), narrative (Todorov, Propp, Levi-Strauss), genre (Neale), intertextuality, and technical codes such as camerawork, editing, sound and mise-en-scene.
Media representation
How the media construct versions of people, places and events through selection and mediation: stereotyping and identity, the set theorists Hall and Gauntlett, feminist and postcolonial theory (van Zoonen, bell hooks, Gilroy), and audience positioning.
Media industries
The economic and political contexts of media: ownership and integration, the profit motive, the set theorists Curran and Seaton and Hesmondhalgh, public service broadcasting, production, distribution and circulation, and regulation.
Media audiences
How audiences are classified, targeted and how they consume media: demographics and psychographics, uses and gratifications, Hall's reception theory, cultivation and effects, and fandom and participatory culture.

The nine media forms and Close Study Products

The framework is applied to nine media forms: advertising and marketing, music video, newspapers, magazines, film, radio, video games, and online, social and participatory media. Within these, AQA sets specific Close Study Products for in-depth study. The set list is updated periodically, so always use the current specification.

Exam structure

AQA A-Level Media Studies is assessed by two written papers and a non-exam assessment.

  • Paper 1 (Media One) - media language and representation, and media industries and audiences applied to set forms, often including unseen analysis. 2 hours, 84 marks, 35%.
  • Paper 2 (Media Two) - in-depth Close Study Products across television, magazines and online media, applying the whole framework. 2 hours, 84 marks, 35%.
  • Non-exam assessment - a media production created for an AQA brief, applying the framework practically. 30%.

How to study AQA Media Studies

Media Studies rewards precise use of theory, in-depth knowledge of set products, and the ability to evaluate.

  1. Learn the framework and theorists by name. Questions can require a specific named theorist, so know who said what.
  2. Study Close Study Products in depth. Apply all four frameworks and the social, cultural and historical context to each set product.
  3. Connect the frameworks. The highest marks come from linking industry context to media language, representation and audience.
  4. Drill unseen analysis. Practise reading codes quickly and explaining the meaning constructed and how audiences are positioned.
  5. Evaluate, do not describe. Weigh theories and arguments rather than just spotting features, and rehearse under timed conditions.

The framework, dot point by dot point

Each area has specification-level answer pages with practice questions and cross-links. Browse the full set at /a-level-aqa/media/syllabus.

For the official specification

AQA publishes the full specification (7572), past papers, mark schemes and the current Close Study Products at aqa.org.uk. Always revise from the current specification and AQA's own past papers, because the set products and question style are board-specific.

Media guides

In-depth written guides with paired practice quizzes.

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Media practice quizzes

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

The A-LEVEL-AQA system, explained

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Common questions about Media

How is AQA A-Level Media Studies (7572) structured?
AQA A-Level Media Studies is a two-year linear course assessed by two written exams at the end of Year 13 plus a non-exam assessment (a media production). The subject content is built on a four-area theoretical framework covering media language, media representation, media industries and media audiences. You apply this framework to nine media forms and to specific Close Study Products set by AQA, and you must use a list of named theorists. The non-exam assessment is worth 30% of the A-level.
What is the theoretical framework in AQA Media Studies?
The theoretical framework has four interrelated areas. Media language is how products communicate meaning through codes, conventions and techniques. Representation is how the media construct versions of people, places and events. Media industries covers ownership, funding, distribution and regulation. Media audiences covers how audiences are classified, targeted and how they consume and interpret media. The framework is applied together to Close Study Products, and connecting the areas earns the highest marks.
Which theorists do I need to know for AQA Media Studies?
AQA sets named theorists across the framework. For media language, Barthes (semiotics and myth) and Todorov (narrative), plus Neale, Propp and Levi-Strauss. For representation, Hall (stereotyping and the politics of representation), Gauntlett (identity), van Zoonen (gender and the male gaze), bell hooks (intersectionality) and Gilroy (postcolonial theory). For industries, Curran and Seaton (power and ownership) and Hesmondhalgh (cultural industries and risk). For audiences, Hall (reception theory), Bandura (effects), Gerbner (cultivation), Jenkins (fandom) and Shirky (the end of passivity).
How are the AQA Media Studies exams structured?
There are two written papers, each two hours and worth 35% of the A-level (84 marks each). Paper 1 (Media One) covers media language and representation, and the media industries and audiences in relation to set forms, often with an unseen analysis section. Paper 2 (Media Two) focuses on in-depth Close Study Products across television, magazines and online media, applying the whole framework. The non-exam assessment, a media production for a brief, is worth the remaining 30%.
How should I revise AQA A-Level Media Studies?
Learn the four-area framework precisely and the named theorists by name, because questions can require a specific theorist. Study each Close Study Product in depth and practise connecting the frameworks and the social, cultural and historical context. Drill unseen analysis by reading codes quickly and explaining the meaning constructed. Always evaluate rather than describe, and rehearse applying theory to set products under timed conditions. Use the current AQA specification, since the CSP list changes.
How does AQA Media Studies compare to other exam boards?
A-Level Media Studies specifications (AQA, Eduqas, OCR) share much of the same theoretical framework and many of the same theorists, because the content is regulated. AQA's distinctive features are its specific set of Close Study Products, its named theorist list, the structure of its two papers, and its non-exam assessment briefs. Always revise from the current AQA specification and AQA past papers, because the set products and question style are board-specific.