GCSE
ENGLISH LITERATURE
8702/1
Paper 1 Shakespeare and the 19th-century novel
Mark scheme
June 2025
Version: 1.0 Final
256g8702/1/MS
, MARK SCHEME – GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE – 8702/1 – JUNE 2025
Mark schemes are prepared by the Lead Assessment Writer and considered, together with the relevant
questions, by a panel of subject teachers. This mark scheme includes any amendments made at the
standardisation events which all associates participate in and is the scheme which was used by them in
this examination. The standardisation process ensures that the mark scheme covers the students’
responses to questions and that every associate understands and applies it in the same correct way.
As preparation for standardisation each associate analyses a number of students’ scripts. Alternative
answers not already covered by the mark scheme are discussed and legislated for. If, after the
standardisation process, associates encounter unusual answers which have not been raised they are
required to refer these to the Lead Examiner.
It must be stressed that a mark scheme is a working document, in many cases further developed and
expanded on the basis of students’ reactions to a particular paper. Assumptions about future mark
schemes on the basis of one year’s document should be avoided; whilst the guiding principles of
assessment remain constant, details will change, depending on the content of a particular examination
paper.
No student should be disadvantaged on the basis of their gender identity and/or how they refer to the
gender identity of others in their exam responses.
A consistent use of ‘they/them’ as a singular and pronouns beyond ‘she/her’ or ‘he/him’ will be credited in
exam responses in line with existing mark scheme criteria.
Further copies of this mark scheme are available from aqa.org.uk
Copyright information
AQA retains the copyright on all its publications. However, registered schools/colleges for AQA are permitted to copy material from this booklet for their own
internal use, with the following important exception: AQA cannot give permission to schools/colleges to photocopy any material that is acknowledged to a third
party even for internal use within the centre.
Copyright © 2025 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.
2
, MARK SCHEME – GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE – 8702/1 – JUNE 2025
Statement of importance
GCSE English Literature is the study of how writers communicate their ideas about the world, and how
readers might respond to these ideas. It aims to develop a critical understanding of the ways in which
literary texts are a reflection of, and exploration of, the human condition, the study of which develops
empathic understanding of human nature. High-quality English literature is writing which displays
recognisable literary qualities and, although shaped by particular contexts, transcends them and speaks
about the universality of the human condition. GCSE English Literature aims to enable students to
appreciate these qualities, developing and presenting informed, critical responses to the ideas in literary
texts and the ways writers present these ideas. It aims to enable students to make links between a
variety of written texts and between the text and the context within which it was shaped.
Principles of mark scheme construction
Each mark scheme is driven by the task and by the statement of importance about GCSE English
Literature. It aims to do two things:
• to describe typical features of response in order to decide on a mark
• to identify typical features of proficiency in order to aid discrimination between levels of performance.
Each long form answer mark scheme is constructed using six levels. This is to reflect the ability level of
the whole cohort. There are four or five marks within each level to allow for levels of proficiency and to
allow for discrimination between levels of cognitive ability across the whole cohort.
Each mark scheme places assessment objectives AO1 and AO2 as the key skills. This is driven by the
statement of importance of the subject, in that the study of great literary texts is the study of the
interrelationship between the reader and the writer of the text and that the communication and reception
of these ideas is an inherent feature of English literature. It is also driven by the acknowledgement that
GCSE English Literature assesses cognitive levels of ability; the level of response to ideas will have
parity with the level of response to the methods of communicating those ideas.
3
ENGLISH LITERATURE
8702/1
Paper 1 Shakespeare and the 19th-century novel
Mark scheme
June 2025
Version: 1.0 Final
256g8702/1/MS
, MARK SCHEME – GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE – 8702/1 – JUNE 2025
Mark schemes are prepared by the Lead Assessment Writer and considered, together with the relevant
questions, by a panel of subject teachers. This mark scheme includes any amendments made at the
standardisation events which all associates participate in and is the scheme which was used by them in
this examination. The standardisation process ensures that the mark scheme covers the students’
responses to questions and that every associate understands and applies it in the same correct way.
As preparation for standardisation each associate analyses a number of students’ scripts. Alternative
answers not already covered by the mark scheme are discussed and legislated for. If, after the
standardisation process, associates encounter unusual answers which have not been raised they are
required to refer these to the Lead Examiner.
It must be stressed that a mark scheme is a working document, in many cases further developed and
expanded on the basis of students’ reactions to a particular paper. Assumptions about future mark
schemes on the basis of one year’s document should be avoided; whilst the guiding principles of
assessment remain constant, details will change, depending on the content of a particular examination
paper.
No student should be disadvantaged on the basis of their gender identity and/or how they refer to the
gender identity of others in their exam responses.
A consistent use of ‘they/them’ as a singular and pronouns beyond ‘she/her’ or ‘he/him’ will be credited in
exam responses in line with existing mark scheme criteria.
Further copies of this mark scheme are available from aqa.org.uk
Copyright information
AQA retains the copyright on all its publications. However, registered schools/colleges for AQA are permitted to copy material from this booklet for their own
internal use, with the following important exception: AQA cannot give permission to schools/colleges to photocopy any material that is acknowledged to a third
party even for internal use within the centre.
Copyright © 2025 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.
2
, MARK SCHEME – GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE – 8702/1 – JUNE 2025
Statement of importance
GCSE English Literature is the study of how writers communicate their ideas about the world, and how
readers might respond to these ideas. It aims to develop a critical understanding of the ways in which
literary texts are a reflection of, and exploration of, the human condition, the study of which develops
empathic understanding of human nature. High-quality English literature is writing which displays
recognisable literary qualities and, although shaped by particular contexts, transcends them and speaks
about the universality of the human condition. GCSE English Literature aims to enable students to
appreciate these qualities, developing and presenting informed, critical responses to the ideas in literary
texts and the ways writers present these ideas. It aims to enable students to make links between a
variety of written texts and between the text and the context within which it was shaped.
Principles of mark scheme construction
Each mark scheme is driven by the task and by the statement of importance about GCSE English
Literature. It aims to do two things:
• to describe typical features of response in order to decide on a mark
• to identify typical features of proficiency in order to aid discrimination between levels of performance.
Each long form answer mark scheme is constructed using six levels. This is to reflect the ability level of
the whole cohort. There are four or five marks within each level to allow for levels of proficiency and to
allow for discrimination between levels of cognitive ability across the whole cohort.
Each mark scheme places assessment objectives AO1 and AO2 as the key skills. This is driven by the
statement of importance of the subject, in that the study of great literary texts is the study of the
interrelationship between the reader and the writer of the text and that the communication and reception
of these ideas is an inherent feature of English literature. It is also driven by the acknowledgement that
GCSE English Literature assesses cognitive levels of ability; the level of response to ideas will have
parity with the level of response to the methods of communicating those ideas.
3
