A-level ENGLISH LITERATURE A 7712/2B Paper 2B Texts in shared contexts: Modern times: Literature from 1945 to the present day

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e significance of closed book (AS Paper 1 Sections A and B, A-level Paper 1 Section A) Examiners must understand that in marking a closed book exam there are examining implications. Candidates do n... ot have their texts in front of them, so while it is expected that they will use quotations, it is also legitimate to use close textual references. They will have had to memorise quotations so there may be some errors which should not be over-penalised. Detailed discussions of particular sections of texts, apart from printed extracts, are less likely here than in open book exams. Instead, candidates may range broadly across their texts as they construct their arguments. There are specific issues for AO2 – how meanings are shaped in texts. There is, with closed book, the expectation that candidates will not have the texts in front of them, so although they will sometimes be able to make specific references to structural and organisational issues, at other times they will be more general. The significance of open book (AS Paper 2 Section B, A-level Paper 2 Section A and the second part of Section B) Examiners must understand that in marking an open book exam there are examining implications. Candidates have their texts in front of them, and they are expected to use them to focus on specific passages for detailed discussion. They will not have had to memorise quotations, so when quotations are used they should be accurate. Because candidates have their texts in the examination room, examiners need to be alert to possible malpractice. The texts should not be annotated, but if examiners suspect that they have been or that notes from texts have been copied, they must alert the malpractice team. There are specific issues for AO2 – how meanings are shaped in texts. There is, with open book, the expectation that candidates can use the text they have in front of them to make specific and detailed reference to structural and organisational issues. Arriving at Marks 1. All questions are framed to address all the Assessment Objectives (AOs). Weightings are given above the generic mark scheme. Answers are marked holistically but, when deciding upon a mark in a band, examiners should bear in mind the relative weightings of the assessment objectives (see page 7) and be careful not to over/under credit a particular skill. This will be exemplified and reinforced as part of examiner training and standardisation. Examiners need to read the whole answer taking into account its strengths and weaknesses and then place it in the appropriate band. 2. Examiners should avoid making early snap judgements before the whole answer has been read. Some candidates begin tentatively but go on to make relevant points. 3. Examiners should be prepared to use the full mark range and not ‘bunch’ scripts in the middle for safety. Top band marks are attainable if candidates could not be expected to do more in the time and under the conditions in which they are working. 4. Examiners should mark positively. Although the mark scheme provides some indicators for what candidates are likely to write about, examiners should be willing to reward what is actually there – [Show More]

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