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ENGLISH-LITERATURE-H072 · Cambridge OCR AS Level

ENGLISH-LITERATURE-H072/21

Drama

English Literature · June 2024 · Variant 1

Relative difficulty

Demanding · 3.5/5

Analysis source: OCR

Analysis aligned to the official syllabus and assessment design.

Relative difficulty

3.5 / 5

Total marks

120

Duration

195 min

Most tested topic

Comparative Literary Synthesis and Thematic Essay Writing

Cohort performance

Session statistics from official examination reports

Total marks

120

Duration

195 min

Session difficulty

3.5 / 5

Key examiner messages

Top priorities from the principal examiner before you revise

1

Success across both papers was heavily dependent on the balanced execution of the Assessment Objectives.

2

In Paper 1, AO2 (form, structure, and language analysis) carried the highest weighting at 40% 40\% 40%, making close textual engagement with Shakespeare’s theatricality and poetry meters crucial.

3

In Paper 2, the weight shifted towards AO3 (Context) and AO1 (Coherent Argumentation), demanding a sophisticated understanding of the historical, cultural, and political conditions surrounding the post-1900 texts.

4

For the prose section, AO4 (Comparative Analysis) demanded that students construct a genuine, sustained dialogue between their chosen set text and the unseen passage, rather than treating them as isolated entities.

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

Articulate iAO2:5
Analyse waysAO3:4
Contextual uAO4:3
Connections AO5:2
Explore Differentiation1

Skill weighting

Shows the skill mix this paper tested most heavily.

Articulate iAO2:Articulate iAO2:Analyse waysAO3:Analyse waysAO3:Contextual uAO4:Contextual uAO4:Connections AO5:Connections AO5:Explore DifferentiationExploreDifferentiation
SkillWeightShare
  • Articulate iAO2:

    Weight: 5100%
  • Analyse waysAO3:

    Weight: 480%
  • Contextual uAO4:

    Weight: 360%
  • Connections AO5:

    Weight: 240%
  • Explore Differentiation

    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

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

DiscussFrequency: 7

Present multiple perspectives with evidence; balance breadth and depth.

ExploreFrequency: 5

Match the expected response style for “Explore” questions.

Time traps

Sections where candidates spent disproportionate time relative to marks

H072/01 Section 1:45m / 30 marks

Min per mark: 1.5

H072/01 Section 2:45m / 30 marks

Min per mark: 1.5

H072/02 Section 1:45m / 30 marks

Min per mark: 1.5

Syllabus traceability

Topics linked to questions and mark weighting in this session

Hamlet (Shakespeare)

30 marks this session

Christina Rossetti: Selected Poems

30 marks this session

Tennessee Williams: A Streetcar Named Desire

30 marks this session

F Scott Fitzgerald: The Great Gatsby

30 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

LowHigh
Topic
2022
2023
2024
Σ

Hamlet (Shakespeare)

30
30
60

Christina Rossetti: Selected Poems

30
30
60

Tennessee Williams: A Streetcar Named Desire

30
30
60

F Scott Fitzgerald: The Great Gatsby

30
30
60

Shakespeare) 5.

45
45

Poems 5.

45
45

Desire 5.

45
45

Gatsby 5.

45
45

Paper comparison

Marks and duration breakdown across papers in this session

H072/01: Shakespeare and poetry pre-1900: H072/02: Drama and prose post-1900:

60 marks90 min

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

Self-diagnostic checklist

Key actions before you sit this paper — copy and tick off as you revise

  • 1Message

    Success across both papers was heavily dependent on the balanced execution of the Assessment Objectives.

  • 2Message

    In Paper 1, AO2 (form, structure, and language analysis) carried the highest weighting at 40% 40\% 40%, making close textual engagement with Shakespeare’s theatricality and poetry meters crucial.

  • 3Message

    In Paper 2, the weight shifted towards AO3 (Context) and AO1 (Coherent Argumentation), demanding a sophisticated understanding of the historical, cultural, and political conditions surrounding the post-1900 texts.

  • 4Message

    For the prose section, AO4 (Comparative Analysis) demanded that students construct a genuine, sustained dialogue between their chosen set text and the unseen passage, rather than treating them as isolated entities.

Teacher briefing pack

One-page session summary for tutors and classroom review

June 2024 2024

English Literature

Success across both papers was heavily dependent on the balanced execution of the Assessment Objectives. In Paper 1, AO2 (form, structure, and language analysis) carried the highest weighting at 40% 40\% 40%, making close textual engagement with Shakespeare’s theatricality and po

  • Success across both papers was heavily dependent on the balanced execution of the Assessment Objectives.

  • In Paper 1, AO2 (form, structure, and language analysis) carried the highest weighting at 40% 40\% 40%, making close textual engagement with Shakespeare’s theatricality and poetry meters crucial.

  • In Paper 2, the weight shifted towards AO3 (Context) and AO1 (Coherent Argumentation), demanding a sophisticated understanding of the historical, cultural, and political conditions surrounding the post-1900 texts.

Total marks
120
Duration
195 min
Session difficulty
3.5 / 5

Session analysis

Success across both papers was heavily dependent on the balanced execution of the Assessment Objectives. In Paper 1, AO2 (form, structure, and language analysis) carried the highest weighting at 40% 40\% 40%, making close textual engagement with Shakespeare’s theatricality and poetry meters crucial. In Paper 2, the weight shifted towards AO3 (Context) and AO1 (Coherent Argumentation), demanding a sophisticated understanding of the historical, cultural, and political conditions surrounding the post-1900 texts. For the prose section, AO4 (Comparative Analysis) demanded that students construct a genuine, sustained dialogue between their chosen set text and the unseen passage, rather than treating them as isolated entities.

Updated Jun 14, 2026

Paper breakdown

H072/01: Shakespeare and poetry pre-1900: H072/02: Drama and prose post-1900:

60 marks90 min

Top chapters

Hamlet (Shakespeare)30 marks
Christina Rossetti: Selected Poems30 marks
Tennessee Williams: A Streetcar Named Desire30 marks
F Scott Fitzgerald: The Great Gatsby30 marks

Exam structure insights

Marks by chapter

See where the marks were concentrated so revision time goes to the highest-value topics.

Hamlet (Shakespeare)30 marks
Christina Rossetti: Selected Po30 marks
Tennessee Williams: A Streetcar30 marks
F Scott Fitzgerald: The Great G30 marks

Mark accessibility

Estimate which marks were basic, mid-level, or high-difficulty.

75% within easy or medium reach

40
50
30
Easy: 40 marksMedium: 50 marksHard: 30 marks

Command word frequency

Spot common command words so answers match the expected response style.

Discuss7 times
Explore5 times

Question type mix

Compare the mark share of each paper section and question type.

120Marks
  • Shakespeare Essay

    (H072/01)

    30·1·25%

  • Pre-1900 Poetry Extract Essay

    (H072/01)

    30·1·25%

  • Post-1900 Drama Essay

    (H072/02)

    30·1·25%

  • Post-1900 Comparative Prose Essay

    (H072/02)

    30·1·25%

Study ROI

Bigger bubbles recur more often; higher bubbles carry more marks, helping you rank revision priorities.

DifficultyRecurrence %Tennessee Williams…F Scott Fitzgerald…Christina Rossetti…Hamlet (Shakespeare)

Difficulty trend

Compare difficulty across recent years.

320223.820233.52024

Time vs marks

Compare marks with suggested time allocation to plan exam pacing.

MarksMinutesMarks / min

H072/01 Section 1:

0.67 m/min
30
45

H072/01 Section 2:

0.67 m/min
30
45

H072/02 Section 1:

0.67 m/min
30
45

Total marks

90

Total time

135 min

Avg pace

0.67

Cumulative marks ladder

The line is your running mark total question by question; dashed lines are the estimated grade cut-offs. See which question the line crosses your target grade at, so you know how far you must answer cleanly and which questions decide a band.

0306090120A estimatedB estimatedC estimatedD estimatedE estimatedU estimated306090120

Next-year prediction

Topics worth watching next year, with the reason shown directly below each bar.

Christina Rossetti: Selected Poems (Earthly vs. Heavenly Love)

85%

85%

Hamlet (Madness vs. Political Decay)

80%

80%

F Scott Fitzgerald: The Great Gatsby (Class and Geographic Mobility)

75%

75%

Exam tips

Analysis is paraphrased for study purposes. Always verify against the official examiner report and mark scheme.

ENGLISH-LITERATURE-H072/21 — Cambridge OCR AS Level English Literature (June 2024) | Revui