Eduqas GCSE English Literature Revision Guide

• ⏰Duration: 2 hours

• 🏆Marks: 80 marks (40% of overall grade)

• 📌Content:

Section A: Shakespeare -  One extract-based question and one essay-based question based on one of the following texts that your school will choose from:

- Romeo and Juliet

- Macbeth

- Othello

- Much ado about nothing

- The Merchant of Venice

- Twelth Night

Section B: Poetry Anthology  - Two questions based on poems from the anthology (the anthology will change after the 2026 exam series)

👉 Top tip: This paper mixes close analysis with big-picture themes, so balance detail and overview in your answers.

• ❓Question Types: 

Section A:

Q1 - This question requires you to read an extract and to look at how the characters speak and behave. You must then answer how an audience might respond to this part of the play using the extract to support your answer. (15 marks)

Q2 - This answer asks how Shakespeare presents or creates something. You must use the whole play to explain your answer referring to characters and events. (20 marks + 5 for SPaG)

Section B:

Q1 - Read the poem given. How does the author present something. Refer to the context of the poem and use quotations as evidence to support your answer. (15 marks)

Q2 - Compare the given poem with another poem from the anthology on how the poets present something. (25 marks)

• ⏰Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes

• 🏆Marks: 120 marks (60% of overall grade)

• 📌Content: 

Section A: Post-1914 Prose/Drama  - One source-based essay question based on the chosen text of your school:

- Lord of the Flies (Golding)

- Anita and Me (Syal)

- Boys Don’t Cry (Blackman)
- The Woman in Black (Hill)

- Oranges are not the Only Fruit (Winterson)

- The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time (play script) (Stephens)

- Leave Taking (Pinnock);
- An Inspector Calls (Priestley)

- The History Boys (Bennett)

- Blood Brothers (Russell)

Section B: 19th-Century Prose - Extract + whole-text essay question from your school's chosen text:

- A Christmas Carol (Dickens)

- Silas Marner (Eliot) 

- Pride and Prejudice (Austen)
- War of the Worlds (Wells)

- Jane Eyre (Brontë)

- The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (Stevenson) 

Section C: Unseen Poetry  - One essay on an unseen poem + a comparison with a second unseen poem.

👉 Top tip: This is the longer paper, so keep a close eye on your timings ⏳ and practise moving on when time’s up.

• ❓Question Types: 

Section A: Use the extract given of your chosen text and your knowledge of the whole text to complete an essay-based question. Ensure you use your understanding of the characters and events to support your answer. (35 marks + 5 SPaG) 

Section B: Use the extract given of your chosen text and your knowledge of the whole text to complete an essay-based question. Ensure you use your understanding of the characters and events to support your answer. (40 marks)

Section C: 

Q1 - Read the first poem and write about its effects on you, considering the choice of language and the author's intent. (15 marks)

Q2 - Compare the first and second poem including what they are about, the author's intentions, the choice of language and how you respond to the poems. (25 marks)

✨Here are some top tips to make your revision more effective:

1. Know your set texts inside out 📖

• Make character/theme mind maps 

• Collect short, flexible quotes you can adapt in essays

• Rewatch or reread summaries to refresh the plot quickly 

2. Practise essay writing ✍️

• Do timed practice with past papers (we got you covered with links to past papers on this page!)

• Set a stopwatch to get used to exam conditions 

• Plan quick essay structures (intro + 3 key points + conclusion) 

3. Revise poetry effectively 📚

• Group anthology poems by theme (e.g., love, conflict, power)

• Practise comparing poems - look at tone, structure and imagery 

• For unseen poetry, practise spotting patterns and writer’s methods 

4. Think like an examiner 🎯

• AO1 = clear ideas + evidence

• AO2 = analysis of writer’s methods 

• AO3 = context (where required) 

5. Use active revision 🔍

• Flashcards for quotes & themes

• Teach a friend or talk through a theme out loud 

• Quiz yourself with quick-fire questions 

✅ Final tip: Don’t just memorise - practise applying your knowledge under timed conditions. And remember: balance your revision with rest, food and breaks.  A calm brain is a sharp brain! 🧘‍♀️