What Paper 1 assesses
Four compulsory questions on three reading texts, answered on the question paper. Question 1 is comprehension on Text A (20 marks). Question 2 is a summary of no more than 120 words plus a short-answer question on Text B (20 marks).
Question 3 is short-answer questions plus a language task of about 200–250 words on Text C (20 marks). Question 4 is an extended response to reading of about 250–300 words (20 marks).
- Time: 2 hours
- Marks: 80
- Weight: 50% of Cambridge International 0990 (2027–2029 syllabus)
- How it is assessed: External
- Who takes it: All candidates
Paper 1 is worth 50% of the 0990 grade and carries 80 marks. Each mark moves the qualification by about 0.63%. The qualification is graded 9–1.
What the examiners reward in Paper 1
Reading
- R5. select and use information for specific purposes
This is one of the objectives. The 0990 overview lists the full set.
Question types we practise for Paper 1
- Summary writing: Selecting the right points and rewriting them concisely in your own words. Skills guide · annotated model response · practice
- Writer's effects: Explaining how a writer's language choices shape meaning and feeling. Skills guide · annotated model response · practice
- Explicit and implicit meaning: Finding what a text states directly and what it implies. Skills guide · annotated model response · practice
The trial lesson can work on Cambridge International 0990 Paper 1 directly, with timings, mark scheme and your child's own answers.
A timing plan for Paper 1
The syllabus gives 80 marks and 2 hours for Paper 1. That is about 1.5 minutes per mark. A 10-mark answer therefore earns about 15 minutes.
At the halfway point of 60 minutes, check that you have covered about 40 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
Selecting points for a summary: Choosing examples instead of points. The student keeps the illustration and drops the idea. Read the full guide.
Reading for implicit meaning: Under-reading. The student stays literal and describes what happens without saying what it implies. 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 First Language English tuition for how a session runs.
Paper 1 is one component of Cambridge International 0990, graded on the 9–1 scale. Check the current arrangement for your exam year with your school or the board.