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Eduqas A-Level English Literature (A720): complete guide to the components and the exams

A complete guide to Eduqas A-Level English Literature (the WJEC Eduqas linear A-level for England, A720). Covers the four components, Component 1 Poetry, Component 2 Drama, Component 3 Unseen Texts and the Component 4 Prose Study non-exam assessment, the five assessment objectives AO1 to AO5 and their weightings, how the papers are structured, and how to study each part for top grades.

Browse guides →Syllabus dot points (31)

Eduqas A-Level English Literature (specification A720) is the WJEC Eduqas linear A-level for England: a two-year course assessed by three written papers at the end of Year 13 plus a non-exam assessment. It is built around four components spanning poetry, drama, the unseen and prose, all assessed against the same five assessment objectives. This page is the index: below is a map of the four components, the five objectives, the exam structure, and how to study each part.

The four components of English Literature

The specification is built around four components, each assessed on the five assessment objectives.

Component 1: Poetry
A written paper worth 120 marks (30 percent), 2 hours. Section A is a two-part question on one prescribed pre-1900 poetry text (part i a close analysis of a poem or extract, part ii a wider response on the text as a whole). Section B is a comparative question on a studied pair of post-1900 poets, exploring how meanings are shaped, contexts, connections and interpretations.
Component 2: Drama
A written paper worth 120 marks (30 percent), 2 hours. Section A examines one Shakespeare play in two parts: a question on a printed extract, then a whole-play response. Section B is a comparative essay on a pair of plays, one pre-1900 and one post-1900, with connections across the two texts (AO4) heavily weighted.
Component 3: Unseen Texts
A written paper worth 80 marks (20 percent), 2 hours. Section A is the close reading of an unseen prose extract from one of two periods (1880 to 1910 or 1918 to 1939). Section B is the analysis of an unseen poem or poetry extract from any period. Both reward close analysis of method (AO2) above all.
Component 4: Prose Study
The non-exam assessment, worth 80 marks (20 percent). A comparative essay of 2,500 to 3,500 words on two prose texts by different authors, one pre-2000 and one post-2000, nominated by the school and approved by Eduqas. Marked by the school and moderated by Eduqas.

The five assessment objectives

Every component is assessed against the same five objectives, so mastering them as transferable skills matters more than memorising notes on particular texts.

  • AO1 - articulate an informed, personal and creative response, using literary concepts and terminology and accurate, coherent written expression.
  • AO2 - analyse the ways in which meanings are shaped in literary texts.
  • AO3 - demonstrate understanding of the significance and influence of the contexts in which texts are written and received.
  • AO4 - explore connections across literary texts.
  • AO5 - explore literary texts informed by different interpretations.

Across the whole qualification the headline weightings are AO1 25 percent, AO2 30 percent, AO3 20 percent, AO4 10 percent and AO5 15 percent, so AO2 carries the most marks overall. The balance shifts by task: the pre-1900 poetry analysis, the Shakespeare extract and both unseen tasks lean on AO2; the comparisons load AO4; and the NEA gives real weight to AO3, AO4 and AO5.

Exam structure

English Literature is assessed by three written papers and one non-exam assessment, all completed by the end of Year 13.

  • Component 1, Poetry - 120 marks, 2 hours, 30 percent. Section A: a two-part question on a prescribed pre-1900 poetry text (closed book). Section B: a comparison of a pair of post-1900 poets (open book, a clean copy permitted). Tests AO1, AO2, AO3, AO4 and AO5.
  • Component 2, Drama - 120 marks, 2 hours, 30 percent. Section A: Shakespeare, an extract-based question (part i) and a whole-play response (part ii), with a clean copy of the text permitted. Section B: a comparative essay on a pre-1900 and a post-1900 play (closed book), AO4 heavily weighted. Tests AO1, AO2, AO3, AO4 and AO5.
  • Component 3, Unseen Texts - 80 marks, 2 hours, 20 percent. Section A: close reading of an unseen prose extract (AO2 dominant). Section B: analysis of an unseen poem (AO2 dominant). Tests AO1, AO2 and AO3.
  • Component 4, Prose Study - 80 marks, 20 percent, non-exam assessment. A 2,500 to 3,500 word comparison of two prose texts (one pre-2000, one post-2000). Tests all five objectives, with AO3, AO4 and AO5 prominent. Marked by the school and moderated by Eduqas.

How to study English Literature

This subject rewards transferable skill over memorised content.

  1. Master close reading. Move from naming a technique to explaining its effect on meaning (AO2), the most heavily weighted objective and the core of the pre-1900 poetry analysis, the Shakespeare extract and both unseen tasks.
  2. Read plays as drama and poems as crafted artefacts. Analyse the machinery a writer engineers (voice, form, structure, staging), not the story or the characters as real people.
  3. Use context precisely. Weave context in only where it changes the reading of a specific moment (AO3), giving it real weight in the comparisons and the NEA.
  4. Drill integrated comparison. Structure comparison by idea, weaving texts together within paragraphs (AO4), the heavily weighted objective in the drama comparison.
  5. Engage with interpretations. Deploy critical readings to test and sharpen your argument, not to name-drop (AO5).
  6. Write from memory where the section is closed book. The pre-1900 poetry analysis and the drama comparison need precise short quotations recalled under time.
  7. Plan the NEA early. Choose two comparable prose texts (one pre-2000, one post-2000) and a focused thematic question, and build an independent, well-evidenced response.

The components, dot point by dot point

Each component has specification-level answer pages with practice questions and cross-links, plus deep-dive overview guides. Browse the full set at /a-level-eduqas/english-literature/syllabus.

For the official specification

Eduqas publishes the full specification (A720), the prescribed set-text list, past papers, mark schemes and the NEA guidance at eduqas.co.uk. Always revise from the current specification and Eduqas's own past papers, because set texts, question styles and mark schemes are board-specific.

English Literature guides

In-depth written guides with paired practice quizzes.

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English Literature practice quizzes

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

The A-LEVEL-EDUQAS system, explained

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Common questions about English Literature

How is Eduqas A-Level English Literature (A720) structured?
Eduqas English Literature is a two-year linear course for England, assessed by three written exams at the end of Year 13 plus a non-exam assessment. Component 1, Poetry (120 marks, 30 percent), examines one pre-1900 set text (Section A, a two-part question) and a pair of post-1900 poets (Section B, a comparison). Component 2, Drama (120 marks, 30 percent), examines a Shakespeare play (Section A, an extract-based two-part question) and a pair of plays, one pre-1900 and one post-1900 (Section B, a comparison). Component 3, Unseen Texts (80 marks, 20 percent), is the analysis of an unseen prose passage and an unseen poem. Component 4, Prose Study (80 marks, 20 percent), is the coursework, a comparison of two prose texts. The five objectives AO1 to AO5 are tested across all four components.
What are the Eduqas A-Level English Literature exam papers?
There are three written papers and one non-exam assessment. Component 1 (Poetry, 2 hours) has Section A, a two-part question on a prescribed pre-1900 poetry text (part i a close analysis, part ii a wider response), and Section B, a comparative question on a pair of post-1900 poets. Component 2 (Drama, 2 hours) has Section A, a Shakespeare question in two parts (an extract-based close analysis and a whole-play response), and Section B, a comparative essay on a pre-1900 and a post-1900 play. Component 3 (Unseen Texts, 2 hours) has Section A, the close reading of an unseen prose extract, and Section B, the analysis of an unseen poem. Component 4 (Prose Study) is the coursework, a comparison of two prose texts of 2,500 to 3,500 words, marked by the school and moderated by Eduqas.
What are the five assessment objectives and how are they weighted?
AO1 is an informed, personal and creative response using concepts and terminology with accurate expression. AO2 is the analysis of how meanings are shaped in texts. AO3 is the significance and influence of the contexts in which texts are written and received. AO4 is the exploration of connections across texts. AO5 is the exploration of texts informed by different interpretations. Across the whole A-level the headline weightings are AO1 25 percent, AO2 30 percent, AO3 20 percent, AO4 10 percent and AO5 15 percent, so AO2 carries the most marks overall, but each component weights the objectives differently (the drama comparison, for example, loads AO4 heavily).
What is Component 3, the Unseen Texts paper?
Component 3 is the unseen paper, worth 80 marks and 20 percent, sat in 2 hours and closed book by nature (the texts are unfamiliar). Section A is the close reading of an unseen prose extract drawn from one of two designated periods, 1880 to 1910 or 1918 to 1939, analysing how the writer shapes meaning. Section B is the analysis of an unseen poem or poetry extract, which may come from any period. Both sections reward AO2 (analysis of method) most heavily, supported by AO1 and a light touch of period awareness; you are reading texts you have never studied, so the paper tests transferable close-reading skill rather than memorised content.
What is the non-exam assessment in Eduqas English Literature?
Component 4, Prose Study, is the coursework, worth 80 marks and 20 percent. It is a comparative study of two prose texts by different authors, one published before 2000 and one after 2000, in a single extended essay of 2,500 to 3,500 words. The texts are nominated by the school and approved by Eduqas, and they must not be texts assessed elsewhere in the qualification. The task is set within a theme or topic of the centre's choosing, rewards all five objectives with AO3, AO4 and AO5 prominent, is marked by the school and moderated by Eduqas.
How should I revise Eduqas A-Level English Literature?
Build transferable skills, not just notes on set texts. Master close reading and the move from feature to effect (AO2), since AO2 is the single most weighted objective and dominates the pre-1900 poetry analysis, the Shakespeare extract and both unseen tasks. Learn to weave context in only where it changes the reading (AO3). Drill idea-led comparison (AO4), which is loaded heavily in the drama comparison and the post-1900 poetry. Rehearse deploying interpretations to sharpen your argument (AO5), and practise writing accurately from memory for the closed-book sections by building banks of precise, short quotations.
How does Eduqas English Literature compare to other exam boards?
All A-Level English Literature specifications (Eduqas, AQA, OCR, Edexcel) assess the same five regulated objectives AO1 to AO5 and cover the same broad skills: poetry, drama, prose, the unseen and a coursework comparison. Eduqas and WJEC share most content, but Eduqas is the linear A-level for England while WJEC is the qualification for Wales. Eduqas's distinctive features are the four named components, the two-part questions on pre-1900 poetry and Shakespeare, the standalone Unseen Texts paper covering both prose and poetry, and the pre-2000 with post-2000 prose pairing in the NEA. Always revise from the current Eduqas specification, its set-text list and Eduqas past papers, because the question styles, mark schemes and prescribed texts are board-specific.