Reading non-fiction (Paper 2 Section A): complete overview - Edexcel GCSE English Language
A complete overview of Edexcel GCSE English Language Paper 2 Section A: the two unseen 20th and 21st century non-fiction texts, the question order across both texts, the retrieval, language, synthesis, comparison and evaluation skills, the mark tariffs, and how to read non-fiction closely.
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Section A of Edexcel GCSE English Language Paper 2, Non-fiction and Transactional Writing, is the reading section, based on two unseen 20th and 21st century non-fiction texts and worth 56 marks. The rest of the paper is Section B, the 40-mark transactional writing task. This overview maps the two texts, the question order, the skills and mark tariffs, and how to read non-fiction closely under exam time.
The shape of Section A
Section A gives you two unseen, thematically linked non-fiction texts, one of them literary non-fiction. The questions run Questions 1 to 3 on Text 1, Questions 4 to 6 on Text 2, and Question 7 (synthesis then comparison) on both. Section A is worth 56 of the paper's 96 marks. See reading 20th and 21st century non-fiction.
The reading questions
The questions test a range of skills across the two texts.
- Questions 1, 4 and 5, retrieval (AO1). Locate explicit and implicit information from named lines. See identifying and interpreting non-fiction.
- Questions 2, 3 and 5, language and structure (AO2). Analyse method and effect; Question 3 (15 marks) covers the whole of Text 1 and both strands. See analysing language for effect.
- Question 6, evaluation (AO4, 15 marks). Evaluate how successfully the writer of Text 2 achieves an effect, using SITE. See evaluating non-fiction critically.
- Question 7a, synthesis (AO1, 6 marks). Draw together similarities across both texts. See synthesising information across texts.
- Question 7b, comparison (AO3, 14 marks). Compare the writers' perspectives and methods. See comparing ideas and perspectives.
The texts
The two texts are unseen non-fiction from the 20th and 21st centuries, thematically linked, with one always literary non-fiction (autobiography, travel writing, an obituary). Recognising each text's form helps you predict its purpose, tone and methods, which sharpens every question.
How the marks split
Section A is 56 marks: the short retrieval questions (2, 1 and 1), the language questions (including the 15-mark Question 3), the 15-mark Question 6 evaluation, and Question 7 (6 marks for 7a, 14 for 7b). Time should follow the tariff, with the short questions brief and the high-tariff ones given room.
How to study Section A
- Read widely in non-fiction. Notice form, purpose and tone in articles, speeches and memoirs.
- Read both texts closely first. Every question depends on an accurate reading of both.
- Match the skill to the question. Retrieve, analyse, synthesise, evaluate or compare as the question demands.
- Keep the short questions short. Bank the retrieval marks fast and protect time for Questions 3, 6 and 7.
- Practise to time. The paper is long; rehearse the whole of Section A under timed conditions.
For the official specification
Pearson publishes the specification (1EN0), past papers and mark schemes at qualifications.pearson.com. Always revise from the current specification and Edexcel's own past papers, because question wording and mark schemes are board-specific.