Scholarship English

On this page:

• English assessment specification
• English resources

English assessment specifications

Specific Information

Candidates will answer three questions, writing at least 800 words for each.

Format of the assessment

There will be three sections:

Section A: Close Reading of Unfamiliar Texts will require a comparison of two written texts – one prose and one poetry – with an emphasis on aspects of content and crafting. There will be a single question for this section.

Section B: Literature and Language – Genre Based will require a response to literature and / or language studied. Candidates will be required to select one question from 14 genre-based options including poetry, non-fiction, film, non-Shakespearean drama, Shakespearean drama, novel, short story, social media, and the internet.

Section C: Exploring Issues in Literature and Language will require an exploration of issues in literature and / or language studied. Candidates will be required to select one question from 12 issues-based options.

Notes:

• In Sections B and C, candidates should demonstrate wide knowledge and wide reading, and an appreciation of aspects of genre and intertextuality.
• Candidates cannot include the same content or quotations for both Section B and Section C.

Marking

Each essay will be marked out of 8, for a total of 24 marks.

English resources

The links listed below are for resources to help teachers and students understand what is required for success in Scholarship.

• Performance standards
• Exemplars of students work (PDF, 150KB)
• Top Scholar 2011 (PDF, 3.6MB)
• Exam materials (question books, resource books, reports, schedules, etc)
  • 2011 exam materials (ZIP, 669KB)
  • 2010 exam materials (ZIP, 521KB)
  • 2009 exam materials (ZIP, 4.8MB)
  • 2008 exam materials (ZIP, 438KB)
  • 2007 exam materials (ZIP, 803KB)
  • 2006 exam materials (ZIP, 1014KB)
  • 2005 exam materials (ZIP, 485KB)
  • 2004 exam materials (ZIP, 431KB)
  • (ZIP, 13MB)
  • All years