What Component 5 assesses
A portfolio of two assignments of 600–1200 words each, each on a different complete text. One assignment may be an empathic response to a prose or drama text.
The centre marks it and Cambridge moderates it. Route 3 candidates take it with Paper 1 and Paper 3.
- Marks: 25
- Weight: 25% of Cambridge International 0475 (2027 syllabus)
- How it is assessed: Internal (internally assessed, externally moderated)
- Who takes it: Route 3 only
Component 5 is worth 25% of the 0475 grade and carries 25 marks. Each mark moves the qualification by about 1.00%. The qualification is graded A*–G.
What the examiners reward in Component 5
Reading
- AO2: Understand the meanings of literary texts and their contexts, and explore texts beyond surface meanings to show deeper awareness of ideas and attitudes
This is one of the objectives. The 0475 overview lists the full set.
How the routes work in 0475
Every candidate sits Paper 1 (Poetry and Prose, 50%). The other 50% comes from one of three routes chosen by the school. Route 1 is Paper 2 Drama.
Route 2 is Paper 3 Drama (Open Text) plus Paper 4 Unseen. Route 3 is Paper 3 Drama (Open Text) plus Component 5 Coursework.
The trial lesson can work on Cambridge International 0475 Component 5 directly, with timings, mark scheme and your child's own answers.
Question types we practise for Component 5
- Embedding quotations: Weaving short quotations neatly into analysis. Skills guide · annotated model response · practice
- Theme analysis: Following a theme across a whole text. Skills guide · annotated model response · practice
- Character analysis: Tracing how a character is built and changes. Skills guide · annotated model response · practice
Where marks are lost on Component 5
Writing a literature essay introduction: A plot-summary opening. The first paragraph retells a story the examiner knows. Read the full guide.
Using PEE and PETAL with embedded quotations: The bolt-on quotation. "This is shown when the writer says '...'" sits outside the sentence and sounds mechanical. Read the full guide.
Preparing for Component 5 with us
Component 5 is marked in school. A teacher builds the skills its tasks reward and gives feedback on drafts. The final work stays the student's own, as the board requires.
See Literature in English tuition for how a session runs. Component 5 is one component of Cambridge International 0475, graded on the A*–G scale. Check the current arrangement for your exam year with your school or the board.