How to Ace AQA English Literature A-level: Tips and Tricks for Success
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How to Ace AQA English Literature A-level: Tips and Tricks for Success

2nd Jan 2025

Introduction

Double, double, toil and trouble…

The witches from Macbeth? It’s also A-level English Literature compared to GCSE: double the work and maybe double the trouble.

Before we get to the trials and tribulations and some top tips for getting you through it, let’s concentrate on what AQA English Literature A-level is all about.

Be careful, though; some schools and colleges use different exam boards (like Edexcel and OCR) where the A-level English Literature specs differ. This blog post is just about AQA.

What Will You Learn for AQA English Literature A-level?

That depends. There are two specifications for the AQA exam board. A spec and (you guessed it) B spec.

Whichever your school chooses, you can expect to cover poetry, plays and novels. Your texts will range from the ancient to the latest releases.

Spec A offers a chance to study literature in different contexts:

  1. PART 1 - You’ll study the literature of love from the days of knights and maidens right up to the romantic literature of the 2020s. Don’t worry if you’re a romantic cynic. Plenty of the writers you’ll study are too!
  2. PART 2 - Your teachers will choose either World War One literature OR literature from 1945 to the present day. This section studies how current events (like wars and politics) can shape ways of thinking and literature.

Spec B allows you to study genres:

  1. PART 1 - a deep dive into either tragedy or comedy. You’ll likely return to the Ancient Greeks to understand exactly how we got to your favourite sitcom.
  2. Part 2 - Learn about crime fiction (detectives, spies, gangs) OR the literature of protest.

Both specs have a coursework component; you’ll be expected to independently write essay/s on some books that you choose. This is one of the more fun parts of the AQA A-level English Literature as you can follow your own pathway and passions.

How Similar Is It to the GCSE?

Just like at GCSE, you’ll read plays, poems and novels from different periods of history. Three of the assessment objectives are the same too.

You’ll still be expected to:

  1. Write fluently and argumentatively about characters and themes and show that you understand the texts.
  2. Analyse the language and structure of the texts you read.
  3. Understand the historical and social contexts of the texts studied.

However, there are new expectations too. You will need to:

  1. Compare texts more fully.
  2. Consider more interpretations of the texts you study, including using literary theories such as Marxism and feminism.

Whereas GCSE is 100% exam-based, 20% of the AQA A-level English Literature is coursework.

How Hard Is It, Then?

It is hard and often feels like a massive leap after GCSE.

  • You’ll need to read more texts than you did at GCSE, some of them independently.
  • There’s a lot to write. You may be asked to write weekly essays, especially as you get closer to your final exams. That means tens of thousands of words!
  • Although some of the assessment objectives are the same, the marking criteria expects much more of students.
  • You’ll learn to write A-level style essays under timed conditions.
  • But you’ll also learn to craft essays for coursework. This change of style often takes students some getting used to.

However, if you enjoyed English Literature at GCSE and did well at it, there is no reason that you can’t manage this too.

In fact, let’s start looking at some more positives...

Why Should You Study it?

The subject is particularly useful if you plan to continue with further education in subjects such as English (of all kinds), the humanities and if you plan to work in education, the arts, journalism, publishing or the media.

Also, English Literature is a well-respected A-level that proves you can read and write well. Therefore, it’ll be welcomed as one of your A-levels for almost all career pathways.

Check university admission pages for specific subject requirements at A-level, though; some science courses such as medicine and dentistry might require a more science-based set of A-levels.

But for most of you, English Literature will be a great choice IF you enjoyed it at GCSE and IF you achieved a good GCSE grade in it.

AQA A-level English Literature shows employers that:

  • You are highly literate and can communicate well. These are key skills for all jobs.
  • You can think critically, particularly when analysing texts.
  • You can argue your case persuasively and purposefully.
  • You can consider theoretical ideas and complex arguments.
  • You can understand different historical and social contexts.

So how can you achieve that GOOD (or better) grade in this desirable subject?

Top Tips to Ace AQA English Literature A-level

1) Read Widely

For example, if you are studying tragedy, you should use your spare time to read other tragic texts, too. Your teacher or tutor will no doubt have a handy reading list.

2) Research Widely

I.e. read lots about your texts, authors, poets, theories, contexts and genres. Go to your school library where you’ll find a stack of English Literature journals. Grab yourself a coffee, and flick through for anything relating to your studies.

3) Annotate Your Texts Thoroughly

This is no time for being squeamish about writing in books. When you read your texts again for revision, these scribbles will be a window into your past thoughts and everything your teacher told you in lessons.

4) Create a Quotation Bank as You Study Your Texts

You’ll need to know quotations for closed-book examinations, so make sure you have a list of key quotations ready. Even for open book exams, you can save precious time which you would lose rifling through your book if you know key quotations.

5) Complete Weekly Exams Whether Your Teacher Sets Them or Not

This will make all the difference in remembering those quotations and practising arguing your point. Using your quotation bank each week will mean that there’s less to learn in the weeks running up to exams.

Top AQA Resources

  1. The AQA website for past papers. You can find Spec A resources here and Spec B resources here.
  2. The A/AS English Literature A/B for AQA Student Book by Russell Carey. Available at good bookshops.
  3. Mr Bruff, who you may have come across at GCSE, has some videos for A-level too.

So, Is It Double, Double, Toil and Trouble?

Maybe… But where’s the fun if it’s easy? With our top tips and resources, you know just where to go for help and how to focus your toil so that you’re sure to have exam success.