OxfordAQA 9270 Paper 1: Literary non‑fiction and composition

What 9270/1 assesses

Section A, Literary non-fiction (40 marks): all questions on a single text for close study, divided into sections, with at least one question on the whole text. Section B, Composition (40 marks): one task from a choice of three (descriptive, imaginative, argumentative and/or discursive). A compulsory paper for every candidate on both routes.

• Time: 2 hours
• Marks: 80
• Weight: 60% of OxfordAQA 9270 (Specification, Version 5.1 (teaching from September 2016; exams May/June 2018 onwards))
• How it is assessed: External (written exam)
• Who takes it: All candidates

9270/1 is worth 60% of the 9270 grade and carries 80 marks. Each mark moves the qualification by about 0.75%. The qualification is graded 9–1.

What the examiners reward in 9270/1

Reading

• R2: Collate and synthesise detail from one or more sources, making cross-references and comparisons as appropriate

This is one of the objectives. The 9270 overview lists the full set.

Writing

• W2: Use a range of sentence structures for clarity, purpose and effect

This is one of the objectives. The 9270 overview lists the full set.

Two objectives carry the marks. The first rewards communication and organisation. Students choose and adapt tone, style and register to suit the form, purpose and audience.

They also shape a piece with a clear structure and cohesive links, so a reader is guided from opening to close. The second rewards technical range and accuracy. This means varied, precise vocabulary, a mix of sentence types used for effect, and secure spelling and punctuation.

Good writing is deliberate. Every paragraph earns its place, ambitious words are used correctly, and sentences vary in length to control pace. Our teachers coach both the craft and the proofreading, so that strong ideas are not undermined by careless slips.

For more detail, see 9270 writing in the syllabus.

Question types we practise for 9270/1

• Argumentative essay: Arguing a case clearly with reasons and evidence. 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

A timing plan for 9270/1

The syllabus gives 80 marks and 2 hours for 9270/1. 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 9270/1

Analysing sentence structure for effect: The most common fault is naming without effect. "The writer uses a short sentence" tells the marker nothing. Read the full guide.

Opening a narrative: The most common fault is the slow run-up: alarm clocks, breakfast, a long description of a bedroom before anything happens. The reader waits, and waiting hurts a first impression. Read the full guide.

Preparing for 9270/1 with us

A teacher works through 9270/1 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.

9270/1 is one component of OxfordAQA 9270, graded on the 9–1 scale. Check the current arrangement for your exam year with your school or the board.

Next, visit our original practice tasks to rehearse the paper with timings. Our First Language English tuition page explains how lessons run. When you are ready, the paid one-hour trial is the first step.