What 9275/2B assesses
A shorter poetry exam for candidates whose school follows the coursework route. It replaces part of the load carried by Paper 2a. It tests the three assessment objectives across studied and unseen poetry.
- 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, open book)
- Who takes it: Route B candidates only
9275/2B 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 9275/2B
Reading
- AO1: Understanding of, and engagement with, themes, ideas and contexts
This is one of the objectives. The 9275 overview lists the full set.
Three assessment objectives share the marks. The first rewards understanding of and genuine engagement with the poems. This includes their themes and ideas, and the contexts in which they were written and are read.
The second, where much of the analysis sits, rewards close reading of the methods poets use to make meaning. These include imagery, word choice, sound, line and stanza, with subject terminology used only where it helps. The third rewards a clear, informed personal response written in accurate, coherent English.
Good work reads poems rather than paraphrasing them. It compares method with method rather than listing features, and keeps returning to the question's theme. Our teachers train students to argue from short, well-chosen evidence and to say what each choice achieves.
For more detail, see 9275 poetry in the syllabus.
The trial lesson can work on OxfordAQA 9275 Paper 2b directly, with timings, mark scheme and your child's own answers.
Question types we practise for 9275/2B
- Unseen poem commentary: Writing about an unfamiliar poem under time. Skills guide · annotated model response · practice
- Embedding quotations: Weaving short quotations neatly into analysis. Skills guide · annotated model response · practice
- Poetry essay: Arguing about a poem with embedded evidence. Skills guide · annotated model response · practice
A timing plan for 9275/2B
The syllabus gives 60 marks and 1h 30min for 9275/2B. 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 9275/2B
Comparing two poems: The most common failure is the two-essay structure. The student says everything about the first poem, then everything about the second. Read the full guide.
Reading an unseen poem: Analysing after one reading. You write before you understand the situation. Read the full guide.
Preparing for 9275/2B with us
A teacher works through 9275/2B 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.
9275/2B 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.