OxfordAQA 9275 Paper 2a: Poetry and unseen texts

What 9275/2A assesses

A longer written exam for the exam-only route. It covers studied poetry and unseen literary material. It tests the same three assessment objectives.

• Time: 2h 15min
• Marks: 90
• Weight: 60% of OxfordAQA 9275 (Specification, Version 5.1 (exams May/June 2018 onwards))
• How it is assessed: External (written exam, open book)
• Who takes it: Route A candidates only

9275/2A is worth 60% of the 9275 grade and carries 90 marks. Each mark moves the qualification by about 0.67%. The qualification is graded 9–1.

What the examiners reward in 9275/2A

Reading

• AO2: Analysis of how writers create meanings and effects

This is one of the objectives. The 9275 overview lists the full set.

Question types we practise for 9275/2A

• Unseen poem commentary: Writing about an unfamiliar poem under time. Skills guide · annotated model response · practice
• Unseen prose commentary: Writing about an unfamiliar prose passage under time. Skills guide · annotated model response · practice

A timing plan for 9275/2A

The syllabus gives 90 marks and 2h 15min for 9275/2A. That is about 1.5 minutes per mark. A 10-mark answer therefore earns about 15 minutes.

At the halfway point of 67.5 minutes, check that you have covered about 45 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 9275/2A

Reading an unseen poem: Analysing after one reading. You write before you understand the situation. Read the full guide.

Reading an unseen prose passage: Deciding too early. The student defends a reading that the ending undercuts. Read the full guide.

Preparing for 9275/2A with us

A teacher works through 9275/2A 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.

9275/2A 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.

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