What 9275/1 assesses
A written exam on one studied prose text and one studied drama text. Candidates answer on both. It assesses understanding of themes, ideas and contexts, analysis of writers' methods, and a clear personal response in accurate writing.
- Time: 1h 30min
- Marks: 60
- Weight: 40% of OxfordAQA 9275 (Specification, Version 5.1 (exams May/June 2018 onwards))
- How it is assessed: External (written exam, closed book)
- Who takes it: All candidates (both routes)
9275/1 is worth 40% of the 9275 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 9275/1
Reading
- AO2: Analysis of how writers create meanings and effects
This is one of the objectives. The 9275 overview lists the full set.
The three assessment objectives are shared with the prose essay but reward a distinctly dramatic reading. The first credits understanding of the play and engagement with its themes, ideas and context. The second carries much of the analysis.
It credits the dramatic methods a playwright uses to make meaning for an audience. These are dialogue, stage directions, entrances and exits, structure and dramatic irony, described with apt terminology. The third credits a clear personal response in accurate, coherent writing.
The best answers track how conflict or character changes from the opening to the close. They choose precise evidence from across the acts and always connect a method to its effect in performance. Our teachers train students to see the stage picture, not only the words on the page.
For more detail, see 9275 drama in the syllabus.
The trial lesson can work on OxfordAQA 9275 Paper 1 directly, with timings, mark scheme and your child's own answers.
Question types we practise for 9275/1
- Character analysis: Tracing how a character is built and changes. Skills guide · annotated model response · practice
- Theme analysis: Following a theme across a whole text. Skills guide · annotated model response · practice
- Embedding quotations: Weaving short quotations neatly into analysis. Skills guide · annotated model response · practice
A timing plan for 9275/1
The syllabus gives 60 marks and 1h 30min for 9275/1. That is about 1.5 minutes per mark. A 10-mark answer therefore earns about 15 minutes.
At the halfway point of 45 minutes, check that you have covered about 30 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 9275/1
Writing about a character: Treating the character as real. The student guesses at feelings the text does not support. Read the full guide.
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.
Preparing for 9275/1 with us
A teacher works through 9275/1 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.
9275/1 is one component of OxfordAQA 9275, graded on the 9–1 scale. Check the current arrangement for your exam year with your school or the board.