2. How Paper 2 is StructuredThe exact shape of the exam, marks and all
The Two Sections, Side by Side
Think of Paper 2 as two completely different skills tests stitched into one exam. Section A is about working with someone else's words — reading them carefully and transforming them into a new piece of writing. Section B is about generating your own world from scratch, with nothing to lean on but your imagination and your control of language.
| Section | What it tests | Marks | Choice? |
|---|
| A — Directed Writing | Reading comprehension + transforming texts into a new format (speech/letter/article/report) | 40 | No — compulsory (Question 1) |
| B — Composition | Original creative writing (descriptive or narrative) | 40 | Yes — pick 1 of 4 questions |
Golden rule: Because both sections are worth exactly 40 marks, spend exactly half your time on each — roughly 60 minutes per section. Students who "run out of time" on Section B almost always overspent on Section A. Set a watch alarm at the 60-minute mark.
Section A in Detail: Question 1(a) and 1(b)
Section A is split into two connected parts that both use the same insert texts, but they ask you to do very different things with them.
| Part | Task | Marks | Skill focus |
|---|
1(a)
Short answer |
You're given a short extract from the text. In your own words, you evaluate the writer's or character's attitude, backing it up with details from the text. |
5 |
Close, careful reading of a small chunk of text — spotting attitude and tone. |
1(b)
Directed writing |
You write a full discursive, argumentative, or persuasive response based on the texts, in one of four set formats. |
35
(Reading 10 + Writing 25) |
Selecting and reshaping information into a new, purposeful piece of writing. |
Why 1(b) is worth so much more: Notice 1(b) is worth seven times as many marks as 1(a) (35 vs 5). That's not an accident — it reflects that 1(b) blends reading marks AND writing marks together. This is the single highest-value question on the whole paper, so it deserves the most careful planning.
Question 1(b): The Rules You Must Not Break
- Word count: 250–350 words. Going wildly over or under costs you marks — examiners notice a response that's too thin to develop ideas, or one so long it's clearly unplanned rambling.
- Format choices: speech, letter, article, or report. The question will tell you which one to use — you must match its conventions (a speech needs direct address to an audience; a letter needs a salutation and sign-off; a report needs headings; etc.)
- Content requirement: you must evaluate and develop the information from the texts — not just copy it out. Lifting sentences word-for-word from the insert earns you almost nothing; the examiner wants to see you've understood the material well enough to reshape it in your own voice.
- Register: you must write in a voice and register appropriate to the task — formal for a report to a headteacher, persuasive and rhetorical for a speech to classmates, etc.
Practice Question
Q: Why does simply copying phrases from the insert text into your Question 1(b) answer lose you marks, even if those phrases are relevant?
Section B in Detail: The Four Composition Choices
Section B has no reading texts — it's a blank canvas. You choose one question from four options, split into two types:
| Type | Task | Marks Breakdown | Word Limit |
|---|
Descriptive
(Questions 2 or 3) |
Describe a scene, atmosphere, or object. Focus on building a convincing picture using sensory detail and imagery. |
40 total
(16 content/structure + 24 style/accuracy) |
350–450 words |
Narrative
(Questions 4 or 5) |
Write a story based on a given title or opening sentence. Focus on plot, characterisation, structure, and setting. |
40 total
(16 content/structure + 24 style/accuracy) |
350–450 words |
Spot the pattern: In both Descriptive and Narrative writing, style and accuracy (24 marks) is worth more than content and structure (16 marks). This tells you exactly where the marks are hiding: a simple story told in beautiful, controlled, varied language will consistently outscore an elaborate plot told in clumsy sentences.
Practice Question
Q: A student writes an extremely inventive, twist-filled narrative but their grammar and sentence variety are weak throughout. Based on the mark breakdown, roughly what ceiling are they likely to hit, and why?
3. What Skills Are Being AssessedThe two Assessment Objectives — AO1 and AO2 — and exactly what each sub-skill means
AO2: Writing (65 marks) — The Big One
AO2 is the dominant objective on this paper because Paper 2 is, at its heart, a writing exam. It appears in every single question — both in Section A's directed writing and all of Section B. AO2 breaks down into five sub-objectives, each tagged W1–W5:
| Code | Sub-objective | Plain-English meaning |
|---|
| W1 | Articulate experience and express what is thought, felt, and imagined | Write convincingly about real or invented experiences, thoughts, and feelings — make the reader believe it. |
| W2 | Organise and structure ideas for deliberate effect | Sequence and link your ideas on purpose, so the piece interests and influences the reader — not just a random order. |
| W3 | Use a range of vocabulary and sentence structures appropriate to context | Vary your word choice and sentence length/type deliberately to create specific effects (short sentence = tension; long sentence = flowing description). |
| W4 | Use register appropriate to context | Match your tone/formality to the purpose, audience, and form — formal report vs. casual diary entry, for example. |
| W5 | Make accurate use of spelling, punctuation, and grammar | Write technically correctly — this is the "accuracy" that examiners are trained to penalise errors against. |
Memory Trick
Remember W1–W5 as: Feel it (W1) → Structure it (W2) → Word it (W3) → Voice it (W4) → Fix it (W5). That's the natural order you should be thinking in as you plan and then proofread any piece of writing on this paper.
AO1: Reading (15 marks) — Section A Only
Unlike AO2, AO1 is only tested in Section A — Section B has no reading texts, so it's impossible to test reading skills there. AO1 breaks into five sub-objectives (R1–R5), and — this is worth memorising — each one maps to a specific question:
| Code | Sub-objective | Plain-English meaning | Tested in |
|---|
| R1 | Understand explicit meanings | Show you understand what's — the obvious, surface-level meaning. | Question 1(b) |
| R2 | Understand implicit meanings and attitudes | Read between the lines — spot hints and suggestions to work out hidden meanings or the writer's attitude. | Question 1(b) |
| R3 | Analyse, evaluate, and develop facts, ideas, and opinions using text support | Don't just repeat facts — explain and build on them, using evidence like quotations or references. | Questions 1(a) 1(b) |
| R4 | Understand how writers achieve effects and influence readers | Explain language choices are used deliberately to create an effect on the reader. | Question 1(a) |
| R5 | Select and use information for specific purposes | Pick out only the relevant, useful information for the particular task you've been set. | Question 1(b) |
Critical insight: Notice that R3 is the only sub-objective tested in parts of Question 1. That means "analyse, evaluate, and develop using evidence from the text" is the single most universally important reading skill on this whole paper — practise it above all else.
Also notice: R4 ("how writers achieve effects") is tested in 1(a) — this is your clue that Question 1(a) wants you to talk about , not just what the writer said.
Practice Question
Q: A student answering Question 1(a) writes: "The writer feels frustrated because she says she is annoyed." Why is this a weak answer, and which AO1 sub-objective is it failing to demonstrate?
4. What to MemoriseKey terms, numbers, and rules for fast recall before the exam
Core Numbers
| Fact | Value |
|---|
| Total exam time | 2 hours |
| Total marks | 80 |
| Writing marks (total across paper) | 65 |
| Reading marks (total, Section A only) | 15 |
| Section A total | 40 marks (compulsory) |
| Section B total | 40 marks (choose 1 of 4 questions) |
| Question 1(a) marks | 5 |
| Question 1(b) marks | 35 (Reading 10 + Writing 25) |
| Question 1(b) word count | 250–350 words |
| Section B word count (each option) | 350–450 words |
| Section B marks split | 16 content/structure + 24 style/accuracy |
Glossary
Directed writing — writing that transforms information from a given source text into a new format for a new purpose and audience (e.g. turning a newspaper article into a speech).
Insert — the separate booklet containing the one or two reading texts you're given alongside the question paper.
Register — the level of formality and the tone of language used, matched to audience and purpose (e.g. formal register for a report, conversational register for a diary entry).
Explicit meaning — something stated directly and clearly in the text — no interpretation required.
Implicit meaning — something suggested or hinted at, which the reader has to infer rather than being told outright.
Composition — a piece of original creative writing (descriptive or narrative) with no source text to work from.
AO (Assessment Objective) — an official category of skill that the exam board tests and awards marks for — this paper uses AO1 (Reading) and AO2 (Writing).
6. Exam TipsCommon mistakes and what examiners are actually looking for
Time Trap
Because Section A feels "easier" (the text is right there in front of you), students often overspend time on it and rush Section B. But both sections are worth the same 40 marks — protect your Section B time fiercely. Set a hard cut-off at the 60-minute mark and move on regardless of how "finished" Section A feels.
The "Lifting" Trap
In Question 1(b), copying phrases directly from the insert feels safe because it's "guaranteed accurate" — but it actively caps your marks. Examiners are specifically checking for your own words (R3, W3). Practise paraphrasing: read a sentence from the insert, close the booklet, and rewrite the idea from memory in your own words.
Format Trap
Question 1(b) demands you match the conventions of the chosen format (speech/letter/article/report) — a "letter" answer with no greeting or sign-off, or a "speech" with no direct address to an audience, will lose W4 (register) marks even if the content is excellent. Learn the layout conventions of all four formats before the exam, not during it.
Section B Priority Trap
Students often pour their energy into an ambitious, complicated plot for the Narrative option, at the expense of sentence-level accuracy. Remember: style and accuracy (24 marks) outweighs content and structure (16 marks). A simple, well-told story consistently beats an ambitious, poorly-controlled one.
What Examiners Actually Look For
- In 1(a): can you identify implied attitude, not just stated facts? Are you referencing specific language choices (R4)?
- In 1(b): have you evaluated and developed the source material in your own voice, in the correct format, within the word limit?
- In Section B: is your language varied and controlled (sentence lengths, vocabulary, punctuation), and does your structure show deliberate planning rather than "stream of consciousness"?
- Across the whole paper: is your spelling, punctuation, and grammar consistently accurate under exam pressure (W5)?
Final pre-exam checklist: Read the insert texts twice before writing anything. Underline attitude/tone words for 1(a). Plan 1(b) with a quick bullet-point structure before writing prose. For Section B, spend 3–4 minutes planning a clear beginning/middle/end before you start — a plan is never wasted time.