Final Tips for Tomorrow's AQA Literature Paper 1 exam, by Mr Bruff on YouTube. 6 min 11 s.
- Video length
- 6 min 11 s
- Time to do it
- 2 hours
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Check which two texts your exam covers. Paper 1 is Section A, Shakespeare, and Section B, the 19th-century novel. Confirming this first stops you revising the wrong book.
Write 5 to 8 short quotes for each text on one sheet. Keep them to a few words, and note who says each one and in which scene or chapter.
Reread the opening, the turning point and the ending of each text. These are the sections most questions pull their extract from, so they are worth the most time.
Learn one paragraph shape you can repeat: point, short quotation, method, effect on the reader, then a link to context or the whole text.
Practise the extract question. Read the printed extract twice, underline two or three words worth analysing, then plan how to move from that extract out to the rest of the play or novel.
Plan one past paper question for each text rather than writing it in full. Give yourself 10 minutes per plan and jot down your main points and quotes.
Time yourself against the real paper. You have 1 hour 45 minutes for 64 marks, so aim for about 50 minutes on each section and leave time to check spelling and punctuation.
Pack your pens, clear water bottle and exam details, set an alarm, and go to bed. Sleep helps recall more than one more hour of cramming.
Tips and common mistakes
Learn short quotations rather than long ones, because a few words you can remember under pressure are worth more than a paragraph you half recall.
Both sections are closed book, so you get an extract but no full copy of the text, which is why quote learning matters.
Write about the writer's choices, not just what happens in the story.
Keep context comments brief and tied to the point you are making.
Questions
How long is AQA GCSE English Literature Paper 1?
It lasts 1 hour 45 minutes and is worth 64 marks. Section A on Shakespeare is 30 marks plus 4 for spelling, punctuation and grammar, and Section B on the 19th-century novel is 30 marks.
Do I get the book in the exam?
No, the exam is closed book. You are given a printed extract from your Shakespeare play and from your novel, and you must write about the wider text from memory.
How many quotes should I learn per text?
Aim for 6 to 10 short quotes per text, spread across the beginning, middle and end. Short phrases are easier to remember and quicker to analyse.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
