What 9270/P assesses
The non-exam alternative to Paper 2: a written task with a commentary, based on independent research. Audience, purpose and form are specified, and both reading and writing are assessed.
The teacher marks it and OxfordAQA moderates it. Marks can be carried forward for the lifetime of the specification.
- Marks: 60
- Weight: 40% of OxfordAQA 9270 (Specification, Version 5.1 (teaching from September 2016; exams May/June 2018 onwards))
- How it is assessed: Internal (teacher assessed, OxfordAQA/AQA moderated)
- Who takes it: Coursework route (instead of Paper 2)
9270/P is worth 40% of the 9270 grade and carries 60 marks. Each mark moves the qualification by about 0.67%. The qualification is graded 9–1.
What the examiners reward in 9270/P
Writing
- W1: Communicate clearly, effectively and imaginatively; use and adapt forms and select vocabulary appropriate to task and purpose in ways that engage the reader
This is one of the objectives. The 9270 overview lists the full set.
How the routes work in 9270
Every candidate sits Paper 1 (60%). They then take exactly one 40% component: Paper 2 (exam route) or a Coursework Project (coursework route).
An optional Speaking and Listening endorsement is reported as a separate statement on the certificate and does not count towards the overall grade. The qualification is linear: all assessments are taken in the same series at the end of the course, and individual components cannot be resat, although candidates can retake the whole qualification.
Preparing for OxfordAQA 9270/P? The paid trial hour can start with a timed look at that paper.
Question types we practise for 9270/P
- Descriptive composition: Building a place or moment through controlled sensory detail. Skills guide · annotated model response · practice
- Narrative composition: Telling a shaped story that controls its ending. Skills guide · annotated model response · practice
- Discursive essay: Exploring a topic in a balanced, well-structured way. Skills guide · annotated model response · practice
Where marks are lost on 9270/P
Structuring a discursive essay: A hidden argument. The student writes a one-sided essay and gives the other view one dismissive sentence. Examiners notice this quickly. 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/P with us
9270/P 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 First Language English tuition for how a session runs. 9270/P 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.