GCSE
ENGLISH LITERATURE
8702/2
Paper 2 Modern texts and poetry
Mark scheme
June 2025
Version: 1.0 Final
, MARK SCHEME – GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE – 8702/2 –
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.
2
, MARK SCHEME – GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE – 8702/2 –
JUNE 2025
Copyright © 2025 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.
3
, MARK SCHEME – GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE – 8702/2 –
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.
4
ENGLISH LITERATURE
8702/2
Paper 2 Modern texts and poetry
Mark scheme
June 2025
Version: 1.0 Final
, MARK SCHEME – GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE – 8702/2 –
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.
2
, MARK SCHEME – GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE – 8702/2 –
JUNE 2025
Copyright © 2025 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.
3
, MARK SCHEME – GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE – 8702/2 –
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.
4
