How are the 40 marks split?

24 for AO5 (content and organisation) and 16 for AO6 (technical accuracy)

What does Section B ask you to produce?

One real or imagined imaginative piece chosen from two prompts

Use it as inspiration, a springboard into a focused piece

Because it leaves room to craft vivid detail, structure and characterisation

Convey a quality through specific detail the reader experiences

Craft: a focused situation, deliberate structure, controlled voice, character shown through action

An ending that returns to an image from the opening with changed meaning

The 'then I woke up and it was all a dream' ending

AO6 rewards range used accurately, so a misspelling loses the mark

About 5 minutes planning, 35 to 40 writing, and 5 proofreading

Examiners read at speed, so a slow start delays interest and signals weaker control

12questions. Pick an answer and you'll see why right away.

How many marks is the Paper 1 imaginative writing task worth?
How are the 40 marks split?
What does Section B ask you to produce?
How should you treat an image offered with a prompt?
Why do many strong candidates choose a small, focused moment?
What does 'show, do not tell' mean in descriptive writing?
In narrative writing at GCSE, what carries the marks?
What is a circular (cyclical) ending?
Which ending do examiners consistently penalise?
Why does an ambitious word spelled incorrectly score below a simpler correct word?
Roughly how should you budget time on the writing task?
Why is a slow, expository opening a poor choice?