What NEA assesses
A coursework component for Route B candidates only. Candidates complete one extended response to a prose fiction text of their choice (30 marks, 20% of the qualification).
The text must not come from the prescribed list of set texts for Paper 1. The teacher marks it using the same mark scheme and OxfordAQA moderates it.
- Marks: 30
- Weight: 20% of OxfordAQA 9275 (Specification, Version 5.1 (exams May/June 2018 onwards))
- How it is assessed: Internal (teacher marked, moderated by OxfordAQA)
- Who takes it: Route B candidates only
NEA is worth 20% of the 9275 grade and carries 30 marks. Each mark moves the qualification by about 0.67%. The qualification is graded 9–1.
What the examiners reward in NEA
Reading
- AO1: Understanding of, and engagement with, themes, ideas and contexts
This is one of the objectives. The 9275 overview lists the full set.
How the routes work in 9275
Every candidate sits Paper 1 (Prose and drama). Schools then choose one of two routes. Route A candidates take the exam-only Paper 2a (Poetry and unseen texts, 60%).
Route B candidates take the shorter Paper 2b (Poetry, 40%) plus a coursework non-exam assessment (20%), moderated by OxfordAQA. Route B Paper 1 is 40%, so the Route B total is 40% + 40% + 20%.
The trial lesson can work on OxfordAQA 9275 NEA directly, with timings, mark scheme and your child's own answers.
Question types we practise for NEA
- Literature essay structure: Structuring a clear, arguable literature essay. Skills guide · annotated model response · practice
- Embedding quotations: Weaving short quotations neatly into analysis. Skills guide · annotated model response · practice
- Theme analysis: Following a theme across a whole text. Skills guide · annotated model response · practice
Where marks are lost on NEA
Writing a literature essay introduction: A plot-summary opening. The first paragraph retells a story the examiner knows. Read the full guide.
Using PEE and PETAL with embedded quotations: The bolt-on quotation. "This is shown when the writer says '...'" sits outside the sentence and sounds mechanical. Read the full guide.
Preparing for NEA with us
NEA 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 Literature in English tuition for how a session runs. NEA 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.