AQA English literature (Alevel)- how can I get better grades?

5

I am currently in year 12 so i have only just started my Alevels but I know that I have mocks before or after Christmas. Is there anything I could do to ensure that I get top grades?
At GCSE, I got a grade 8 which I am extremely proud of but I know that for Alevels, I’d like to achieve an A*. Obviously I am super early in the course but does anyone have any tips on how to get great grades like that? It could be revision tips or essay tips or anything inbetween!

Reply 1

waffelton

12

Original post

by abbielargent

I am currently in year 12 so i have only just started my Alevels but I know that I have mocks before or after Christmas. Is there anything I could do to ensure that I get top grades?
At GCSE, I got a grade 8 which I am extremely proud of but I know that for Alevels, I’d like to achieve an A*. Obviously I am super early in the course but does anyone have any tips on how to get great grades like that? It could be revision tips or essay tips or anything inbetween!

Hello! I did Eduqas but I did get an A* in English lit. I’d recommend keeping up with the texts you do, watching/reading adaptions, podcasts, making summaries, reading journal articles (JSTOR is great!!), and watching lectures (Massolit is good if your school has a subscription, but there are plenty on YouTube).

The best way to get a high score in English lit is by refining your essay techniques. For me, I really benefited from reading exemplar essays and learning how to structure and formally communicate my points. Other ideas would be practicing short paragraphs, doing past paper essays, or even writing an essay on something you’ve read for fun.

Hope this helps!

Reply 2

abbielargent

OP

5

Original post

by waffelton

Hello! I did Eduqas but I did get an A* in English lit. I’d recommend keeping up with the texts you do, watching/reading adaptions, podcasts, making summaries, reading journal articles (JSTOR is great!!), and watching lectures (Massolit is good if your school has a subscription, but there are plenty on YouTube).
The best way to get a high score in English lit is by refining your essay techniques. For me, I really benefited from reading exemplar essays and learning how to structure and formally communicate my points. Other ideas would be practicing short paragraphs, doing past paper essays, or even writing an essay on something you’ve read for fun.
Hope this helps!

Thankyou so muchhhh

Reply 3

username7651025

11

Original post

by waffelton

Hello! I did Eduqas but I did get an A* in English lit. I’d recommend keeping up with the texts you do, watching/reading adaptions, podcasts, making summaries, reading journal articles (JSTOR is great!!), and watching lectures (Massolit is good if your school has a subscription, but there are plenty on YouTube).
The best way to get a high score in English lit is by refining your essay techniques. For me, I really benefited from reading exemplar essays and learning how to structure and formally communicate my points. Other ideas would be practicing short paragraphs, doing past paper essays, or even writing an essay on something you’ve read for fun.
Hope this helps!

Hello, I am in a similar position to abbielargent and I was just wondering where you got the examplar essays? Is there a site which publishes them? Also, have you got any tips on improving essay writing to get it to Alevel standard? Thanks :smile:

Reply 4

waffelton

12

Original post

by eimme

Hello, I am in a similar position to abbielargent and I was just wondering where you got the examplar essays? Is there a site which publishes them? Also, have you got any tips on improving essay writing to get it to Alevel standard? Thanks :smile:

Hello! The exemplars are notoriously difficult to access but I remember being able to download zip files that had mark schemes and exemplar answers but have since forgotten how to find them. I have linked the 2015 exemplar file here: https://www.wjec.co.uk/media/ff5jdwcn/eduqas-a-level-english-literature-components-1-2-and-3-exemplar-material.pdf

You can also ask you teacher to share some with you as they will have access to the portal.

As for writing at an A-level standard, the most common pitfall I’ve noticed is people failing to structure their essay in a way that allows a wide-ranging yet analytical argument. I would recommend coming up with 3-5 sub-headings, introducing them, giving examples, analysing the examples, and then linking them to a further point or contrasting point.

Hope this helps!

AQA English literature (Alevel)- how can I get better grades?

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