AS Level English Literature (H072) June 2023 Exam Analysis

The June 2023 series for OCR AS Level English Literature presented a rigorous challenge, testing candidates across a wide spectrum of historical periods and styles. With a total of 120 marks split equally between Paper 1 (Shakespeare and pre-1900 Poetry) and Paper 2 (Drama and post-1900 Prose), success demanded excellent time management and deep engagement with authorial craft.

Where the Marks are Won

On Paper 1, the dominant assessment objective is AO2 (representing 40% of Section 1 and Section 2 marks). To score highly, candidates had to move beyond descriptive summaries and dissect how meaning is actively shaped by language, imagery, and form. In Section 2, this required rigorous attention to verse form (such as the irregular hexameters in Tennyson’s Maud or Chaucer’s heroic couplets). In Paper 2, AO1 and AO3 carried equal weight (30% each), rewarding structured, terminology-heavy essays that embedded historical context without letting it devolve into a dry history lesson.

Examiner Pitfalls to Avoid

  • The Narrative Trap: The most common mistake noted by examiners was the tendency to summarize plot and write lists of characters rather than sustaining a focused, argumentative thesis.
  • Neglecting Theatricality: For both Shakespeare and modern Drama, candidates frequently forgot that these are performance texts. Examiners looked for an awareness of stagecraft, dramatic irony, and physical action.
  • Weak Comparative Integration: In Paper 2, Section 2, weaker essays treated the studied novel and the unseen passage as two completely disconnected pieces, failing to draw meaningful, symmetrical comparisons.

Revision Strategy and Predictions

To prepare effectively for future sittings, students should practice planning essays that specifically interrogate the provided critical quotes rather than seeking to agree with them blindly. Developing a bank of versatile quotations that highlight specific structural features of poetry and drama is essential. Based on prior-sets mark history, we predict a high likelihood of central thematic focuses on Madness and Morality in Hamlet, and Illusion vs Reality in A Streetcar Named Desire, both of which have been under-tested in the most recent sittings.