What Paper 1 assesses
A compulsory closed-text paper: two questions of 25 marks each, one on poetry (Section A) and one on prose (Section B), with a choice of two questions on each text. Relevant passages or poems are printed on the paper. Every candidate on all three routes takes it, and it is worth half the qualification.
- Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Marks: 50
- Weight: 50% of Cambridge International 0475 (2027 syllabus)
- How it is assessed: External
- Who takes it: All candidates
Paper 1 is worth 50% of the 0475 grade and carries 50 marks. Each mark moves the qualification by about 1.00%. The qualification is graded A*–G.
What the examiners reward in Paper 1
Reading
- AO1: Show detailed knowledge of the content of literary texts in the three main forms (drama, poetry and prose), supported by reference to the text
This is one of the objectives. The 0475 overview lists the full set.
Examiners reward three things, and we teach each deliberately. First, secure understanding. Your child should show they know what a poem is doing and what it means, without drifting into paraphrase.
Second, analysis of method. This means how the poet's choices (line breaks, rhythm, imagery, sound and shape on the page) create particular effects and feelings. Third, an informed personal response: a clear, argued view supported by well-chosen detail, not a list of devices.
Good work reads like a discussion that keeps returning to the words themselves. We coach your child to embed short quotations, comment on effect, and hold one line of argument across the answer.
For more detail, see 0475 poetry in the syllabus.
The trial lesson can work on Cambridge International 0475 Paper 1 directly, with timings, mark scheme and your child's own answers.
Question types we practise for Paper 1
- Comparing poems: Comparing two poems on theme and technique. Skills guide · annotated model response · practice
- Embedding quotations: Weaving short quotations neatly into analysis. Skills guide · annotated model response · practice
- Poetry essay: Arguing about a poem with embedded evidence. Skills guide · annotated model response · practice
A timing plan for Paper 1
The syllabus gives 50 marks and 1 hour 30 minutes for Paper 1. That is about 1.8 minutes per mark. A 10-mark answer therefore earns about 18 minutes.
At the halfway point of 45 minutes, check that you have covered about 25 marks' worth of the paper. This is a practice guide built from the stated totals. The paper's own instructions come first.
Where marks are lost on Paper 1
Analysing imagery: The biggest loss is labelling without explaining. Writing "this is a metaphor" and moving on is not analysis. Read the full guide.
Comparing two poems: The most common failure is the two-essay structure. The student says everything about the first poem, then everything about the second. Read the full guide.
Preparing for Paper 1 with us
A teacher works through Paper 1 question types with your child under timed conditions, against the criteria in the mark scheme. See Literature in English tuition for how a session runs.
Paper 1 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.