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ENGLISH-LANGUAGE-A · Pearson Edexcel IGCSE

ENGLISH-LANGUAGE-A/22

Poetry and Prose Texts and Imaginative Writing

English Language A · 2023 · Variant 2

Relative difficulty

Demanding · 3.6/5

Analysis source: Pearson Edexcel

Analysis aligned to the official syllabus and assessment design.

Relative difficulty

3.6 / 5

Total marks

150

Duration

225 min

Most tested topic

Non-Fiction Analysis, Gothic Prose Tension, and Argumentative/Creative Writing

Cohort performance

Session statistics from official examination reports

Total marks

150

Duration

225 min

Session difficulty

3.6 / 5

Key examiner messages

Top priorities from the principal examiner before you revise

1

The core of the marks lie in the high-weighting analytical and creative writing questions:

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

Information AO2:6
Language & SAO3:5
Synthesis & AO4: Formulae, Tone & AO5:4
Technical1

Skill weighting

Shows the skill mix this paper tested most heavily.

Information AO2:Information AO2:Language & SAO3:Language & SAO3:Synthesis & AO4: Formulae, Tone & AO5:Synthesis & AO4:Formulae, Tone &TechnicalTechnical
SkillWeightShare
  • Information AO2:

    Weight: 6100%
  • Language & SAO3:

    Weight: 583%
  • Synthesis & AO4: Formulae, Tone & AO5:

    Weight: 467%
  • Technical

    Weight: 117%

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

SelectFrequency: 1

Match the expected response style for “Select” questions.

ExplainFrequency: 1

Give reasons and link mechanism to outcome; each point needs a because/so chain.

DescribeFrequency: 1

State features in sequence or list observable properties — do not explain causes unless asked.

CompareFrequency: 1

Identify similarities and differences explicitly — paired sentences or a table helps.

WriteFrequency: 2

Match the expected response style for “Write” questions.

Time traps

Sections where candidates spent disproportionate time relative to marks

Paper 2 Section A (45m / 30 marks

Min per mark: 1.5

Paper 2 Section B (45m / 30 marks

Min per mark: 1.5

Paper 1 Section B (45m / 45 marks

Min per mark: 1

Syllabus traceability

Topics linked to questions and mark weighting in this session

Whistle and I’ll Come to You (from The Woman in Black)

30 marks this session

From A Game of Polo with a Headless Goat

23 marks this session

Transactional Writing (Section B)

45 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
2023
2024
2025
Σ

Section B: Transactional Writing (Speech/Article)

45
45

Transactional Writing

45
45

The Bright Lights of Sarajevo, Tony Harrison

30
30

Section B: Imaginative Writing

30
30

An Unknown Girl, Moniza Alvi

30
30

The Necklace

30
30

Imaginative Writing

30
30

Explorers, or boys messing about? Either way, taxpayer gets rescue bill, Steven Morris

23
23

Paper comparison

Marks and duration breakdown across papers in this session

Paper 1: Non-fiction Texts and Transactional Writing:

90 marks135 min

Paper 2: Poetry and Prose Texts and Imaginative Writing:

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

    The core of the marks lie in the high-weighting analytical and creative writing questions:

Teacher briefing pack

One-page session summary for tutors and classroom review

2023 2023

English Language A

The core of the marks lie in the high-weighting analytical and creative writing questions:

  • The core of the marks lie in the high-weighting analytical and creative writing questions:

Total marks
150
Duration
225 min
Session difficulty
3.6 / 5

Session analysis

The core of the marks lie in the high-weighting analytical and creative writing questions:

Updated Jun 13, 2026

Paper breakdown

Paper 1: Non-fiction Texts and Transactional Writing:

90 marks135 min

Paper 2: Poetry and Prose Texts and Imaginative Writing:

60 marks90 min

Top chapters

Whistle and I’ll Come to You (from The Woman in Black)30 marks
From A Game of Polo with a Headless Goat23 marks
Transactional Writing (Section B)45 marks

Exam structure insights

Marks by chapter

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

Whistle and I’ll Come to You (f30 marks
From A Game of Polo with a Head23 marks
Unseen Non-fiction: Himalaya (M22 marks
Transactional Writing (Section45 marks
Imaginative Writing (Section B30 marks

Mark accessibility

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

70% within easy or medium reach

25
80
45
Easy: 25 marksMedium: 80 marksHard: 45 marks

Command word frequency

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

Select1 times
Explain1 times
Describe1 times
Compare1 times
Write2 times

Question type mix

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

150Marks
  • Extended Writing

    (Choice)

    75·2·50%

  • Essay

    (Analysis)

    42·2·28%

  • Essay

    (Comparison)

    22·1·15%

  • Short Explanation

    9·2·6%

  • Short Response

    2·1·1%

Study ROI

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

DifficultyRecurrence %Transactional Writ…Gothic conventions…Comparative Writin…A Game of Polo wit…

Difficulty trend

Compare difficulty across recent years.

3.820223.62023

Time vs marks

Compare marks with suggested time allocation to plan exam pacing.

MarksMinutesMarks / min

Paper 1 Section B (

1.00 m/min
45
45

Paper 2 Section A (

0.67 m/min
30
45

Paper 2 Section B (

0.67 m/min
30
45

Total marks

105

Total time

135 min

Avg pace

0.78

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.

038751131509 estimated8 estimated7 estimated6 estimated5 estimated4 estimated3 estimated2 estimated1 estimatedU estimated2611234590120150

Next-year prediction

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

From The Danger of a Single Story (Adichie)

88%

88%

Disabled (Wilfred Owen)

82%

82%

The Bright Lights of Sarajevo (Tony Harrison)

74%

74%

Exam tips

Paper format

Duration
1h 30min
Total marks
60
Weighting
40%
Question types
Poetry/Prose Analysis Essay (AO1/AO2), Imaginative Writing (AO4/AO5)

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

ENGLISH-LANGUAGE-A/22 — Pearson Edexcel IGCSE English Language A (2023) | Revui