8702 · AQA GCSE
8702/11
Paper 1
English Literature · June 2023 · Variant 1
Relative difficulty
Analysis source: AQA
Analysis aligned to the official syllabus and assessment design.
3.5 / 5
160
240 min
Character development, thematic representation, and the critical comparison of structural and language choices across drama, prose, and poetry.
Cohort performance
Session statistics from official examination reports
Total marks
160
Duration
240 min
Session difficulty
3.5 / 5
Key examiner messages
Top priorities from the principal examiner before you revise
The June 2023 examination series offered a highly accessible yet discriminating pair of papers.
Paper 1 (Shakespeare and the 19th-century novel) featured popular themes such as masculinity and change in Macbeth, and danger and threat in Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.
Meanwhile, Paper 2 (Modern texts and poetry) tested central pillars of the specification, including gender presentation in An Inspector Calls and parent-child relationships in Carol Ann Duffy's Before You Were Mine.
The difficulty was moderate (3.5 out of 5), allowing all candidates to access the tasks while providing room for high-achieving students to excel through conceptualised arguments.
Question difficulty map
How candidates performed on each question in this series
No data available in official reports
Assessment objectives
Skill and AO weighting from official examiner commentary
Skill weighting
Shows the skill mix this paper tested most heavily.
Critical Evaluation
Weight: 5100%ResAO2:
Weight: 480%Analysis of AO3:
Weight: 360%Contextual IAO4: S
Weight: 240%PaG and
Weight: 120%
Method marks watchlist
Where working, steps, or method marks were commonly lost
No data available in official reports
Recurring mistakes across years
Themes examiners flag in multiple recent sessions for this subject
No data available in official reports
Question choice intelligence
Mean scores and popularity for optional questions (HKDSE electives)
No data available in official reports
Level exemplars
What candidate scripts at each grade level looked like
No data available in official reports
Grade & admission context
How marks relate to grade thresholds and entry standards
Report type
Examiner report — national grade boundaries and question-level commentary
Level 9
Approx. 84% of maximum mark
Level 8
Approx. 74% of maximum mark
Level 7
Approx. 65% of maximum mark
Level 6
Approx. 55% of maximum mark
Level 5
Approx. 45% of maximum mark
Level 4
Approx. 36% of maximum mark
Level 3
Approx. 26% of maximum mark
Level 2
Approx. 17% of maximum mark
Deep insights
What top candidates did
Techniques and approaches examiners rewarded in this series
No data available in official reports
Command word playbook
How to match each command word to the expected response style
Match the expected response style for “How” questions.
Match the expected response style for “Explore” questions.
Identify similarities and differences explicitly — paired sentences or a table helps.
Match the expected response style for “about” questions.
Time traps
Sections where candidates spent disproportionate time relative to marks
Min per mark: 2
Min per mark: 1.5
Min per mark: 1.5
Min per mark: 1.3
Min per mark: 1.3
Syllabus traceability
Topics linked to questions and mark weighting in this session
Macbeth (Shakespeare)
34 marks this session
JB Priestley - An Inspector Calls (Drama)
34 marks this session
Unseen poetry (Unseen poetry)
32 marks this session
MCQ trap analytics
Commonly chosen wrong options from examiner commentary
No data available in official reports
Topic heatmap across years
Mark concentration by topic and exam year for this subject
Mark intensity
Macbeth (Shakespeare)
Unseen poetry (Unseen poetry)
JB Priestley - An Inspector Calls (Drama)
Paper comparison
Marks and duration breakdown across papers in this session
Paper 1: Shakespeare and the 19th-century novel:
Paper 2: Modern texts and poetry:
Marks you can still earn
Where valid approaches outside the mark scheme may still gain credit
No data available in official reports
Practise what examiners flagged
Target weak topics from this report inside the Revui app
Macbeth (Shakespeare)
34 marks this session
Practise in RevuiJB Priestley - An Inspector Calls (Drama)
34 marks this session
Practise in RevuiUnseen poetry (Unseen poetry)
32 marks this session
Practise in RevuiSelf-diagnostic checklist
Key actions before you sit this paper — copy and tick off as you revise
- 1Message
The June 2023 examination series offered a highly accessible yet discriminating pair of papers.
- 2Message
Paper 1 (Shakespeare and the 19th-century novel) featured popular themes such as masculinity and change in Macbeth, and danger and threat in Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.
- 3Message
Meanwhile, Paper 2 (Modern texts and poetry) tested central pillars of the specification, including gender presentation in An Inspector Calls and parent-child relationships in Carol Ann Duffy's Before You Were Mine.
- 4Message
The difficulty was moderate (3.5 out of 5), allowing all candidates to access the tasks while providing room for high-achieving students to excel through conceptualised arguments.
Teacher briefing pack
One-page session summary for tutors and classroom review
June 2023 2023
English Literature
The June 2023 examination series offered a highly accessible yet discriminating pair of papers. Paper 1 (Shakespeare and the 19th-century novel) featured popular themes such as masculinity and change in Macbeth, and danger and threat in Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. Meanwhile, Paper 2 (
The June 2023 examination series offered a highly accessible yet discriminating pair of papers.
Paper 1 (Shakespeare and the 19th-century novel) featured popular themes such as masculinity and change in Macbeth, and danger and threat in Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.
Meanwhile, Paper 2 (Modern texts and poetry) tested central pillars of the specification, including gender presentation in An Inspector Calls and parent-child relationships in Carol Ann Duffy's Before You Were Mine.
- Total marks
- 160
- Duration
- 240 min
- Session difficulty
- 3.5 / 5
Session analysis
The June 2023 examination series offered a highly accessible yet discriminating pair of papers. Paper 1 (Shakespeare and the 19th-century novel) featured popular themes such as masculinity and change in Macbeth, and danger and threat in Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. Meanwhile, Paper 2 (Modern texts and poetry) tested central pillars of the specification, including gender presentation in An Inspector Calls and parent-child relationships in Carol Ann Duffy's Before You Were Mine. The difficulty was moderate (3.5 out of 5), allowing all candidates to access the tasks while providing room for high-achieving students to excel through conceptualised arguments.
Updated Jun 14, 2026
Paper breakdown
Paper 1: Shakespeare and the 19th-century novel:
Paper 2: Modern texts and poetry:
Top chapters
Exam structure insights
Marks by chapter
See where the marks were concentrated so revision time goes to the highest-value topics.
Mark accessibility
Estimate which marks were basic, mid-level, or high-difficulty.
77% within easy or medium reach
Command word frequency
Spot common command words so answers match the expected response style.
Question type mix
Compare the mark share of each paper section and question type.
Extract-to-Whole Essay
(Shakespeare)
34·1·21%
Modern Text Critical Essay
34·1·21%
Extract-to-Whole Essay
(19th-century Novel)
30·1·19%
Comparative Poetry Anthology Essay
30·1·19%
Unseen Poem Essay
24·1·15%
Unseen Comparative Poetry Response
8·1·5%
Study ROI
Bigger bubbles recur more often; higher bubbles carry more marks, helping you rank revision priorities.
Difficulty trend
Compare difficulty across recent years.
Time vs marks
Compare marks with suggested time allocation to plan exam pacing.
Paper 1 Section A (
0.50 m/minPaper 2 Section A (
0.76 m/minPaper 2 Section B (
0.67 m/minPaper 2 Section C (
0.69 m/minPaper 2 Section C (
0.80 m/minTotal marks
106
Total time
155 min
Avg pace
0.68
Next-year prediction
Topics worth watching next year, with the reason shown directly below each bar.
Macbeth: Kingship, Tyranny, and the Supernatural
85%85%
An Inspector Calls: Social Class and Generational Responsibility
80%80%
Power & Conflict: Internal Conflict and Individual Memory
75%75%
Difficulty Verdict
The June 2023 examination series offered a highly accessible yet discriminating pair of papers. Paper 1 (Shakespeare and the 19th-century novel) featured popular themes such as masculinity and change in Macbeth, and danger and threat in Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. Meanwhile, Paper 2 (Modern texts and poetry) tested central pillars of the specification, including gender presentation in An Inspector Calls and parent-child relationships in Carol Ann Duffy's Before You Were Mine. The difficulty was moderate (3.5 out of 5), allowing all candidates to access the tasks while providing room for high-achieving students to excel through conceptualised arguments.
Examiner notes & key calculations
- The 'Extract-Bound' Trap: Too many students spent their entire time analyzing the provided Paper 1 extract, leaving only a brief paragraph for the rest of the text. The mark scheme demands a balanced focus across both parts of the task.
- Feature Spotting: Identifying complex devices (like hypophora, synecdoche, or iambic pentameter) without explaining their emotional or thematic impact on the reader yielded low marks.
- Historical Dumping: Copying out pre-prepared essays on the Poor Law, King James I, or Victorian psychiatry that did not directly answer the specific question asked.
Analysis is paraphrased for study purposes. Always verify against the official examiner report and mark scheme.