Summer 2023 English Language A: Examiner Breakdown
The Verdict: A Fair Yet Rigorous Assessment
The Summer 2023 examination series offered a balanced challenge. Across both papers, candidates were tested on their ability to move beyond superficial reading to unlock nuanced structural and emotional depth. Paper 1 paired a gripping unseen account from David Nott's War Doctor with George Alagiah's classic A Passage to Africa, focusing heavily on how writers portray shock and traumatic experiences. Paper 2 presented Robert Frost's narrative poem 'Out, Out–', demanding a sensitive exploration of sympathy and a pragmatic community's reaction to tragedy. While the writing sections gave candidates incredible creative scope, they served as powerful discriminators for planning, structural variety, and technical precision.
Where the Marks are Won
In the reading sections, high-scoring scripts were defined by a 'drilling down' technique. Rather than merely identifying structural elements—a common pitfall—the top candidates evaluated how those elements manipulate reader response. For instance, in the Robert Frost essay, superior answers analysed how the contrast between the tranquil Vermont setting and the animalistic personification of the buzz saw ('snarled and rattled') builds dread. Top marks in transactional and imaginative writing were secured by students who utilized deliberate structural shifts, sophisticated vocabulary used strategically rather than excessively, and carefully managed pacing.
Key Examiner Pitfalls to Avoid
A recurring issue highlighted by the senior team was candidate speculation. A significant number of students made unsubstantiated claims, such as asserting the boy in 'Out, Out–' deliberately maimed himself or that the doctor intentionally let him die. Furthermore, many fell into the stanza-by-stanza or chronological retelling trap, offering a dry summary of events rather than a thematic analysis. In creative writing, the most common weakness was the 'airport itinerary' structure, where candidates meticulously listed every mundane detail of travel rather than focusing on character psychology or emotional tension.
Strategic Preparation for Upcoming Series
To maximize success in future papers, students should practice the following:
- Integrate Language and Structure: Do not relegate structure to a brief, tacked-on paragraph at the end of your essay. Analyze caesura, enjambment, and sentence variety as organic partners to word choice.
- Vary Sentence Starters: For transactional and imaginative writing, work on initiating sentences with subordinate clauses, adverbials, or participles to elevate grammatical control.
- Plan the Endings: Many candidate stories started with immense promise but dissolved into rushed, unconvincing, or cliché endings. Always know your narrative resolution before putting pen to paper.
Predictions for Next Cycles
Given the focus on modern narrative poetry in this series, it is highly likely that future papers will return to classic thematic works, such as Wilfred Owen's Disabled. In the non-fiction sections, foundational pieces with strong rhetorical voices—such as Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's The Danger of a Single Story—are highly overdue for selection. Mastery of rhetorical devices and individual writer perspectives remains the single most effective preparation tool.