Edexcel IGCSE English Literature Past Papers

Common mistake: Students often write long paragraphs of historical background (e.g., the Great Depression or the Wall Street Crash) at the beginning or end of an essay without linking it to the text. In some cases, responses look more like "historical essays" than literary analysis.

How to solve it: Integrate and weave context naturally into your points. Context should support the textual evidence you are providing, showing how the historical period impacted the characters or themes

Common mistake: Students often identify literary devices (like alliteration or enjambment) but fail to explain their effect on the reader or their significance to the poem's meaning.

How to solve it: Use the PETER acronym (Point, Evidence, Technique, Effect on Reader). Always follow an identified technique with an explanation of why the poet used it and how it changes the reader's perception

Common mistake: Students often write extensively on one poem and provide only brief comments on the second, or they fail to compare them throughout the essay.

How to solve it: Provide a balanced exploration of both poems. The most successful responses integrate comparisons (using AO3) throughout the essay rather than treating the poems as two separate entities.

Common mistake: Some students use examples or scenes that only appear in film adaptations and are not present in the original novel.

How to solve it: Ensure all evidence is drawn strictly from the text of the novel. Examiners cannot award marks for film-only details.

Common mistake: Many students spend too much time retelling the story rather than analysing it. Providing "largely narrative" detail is a key descriptor for Level 2, which significantly limits marks.

How to solve it: Use the PEE (Point, Evidence, Explanation) approach to ensure you move into Level 3 or higher. Focus on why the writer made certain choices rather than what happened in the story.

Common mistake: In Section A (Modern Drama), candidates often perform well on AO1 (knowledge) but offer only a "light touch" to AO2 (analysis), or ignore it entirely.

How to solve it: Remember that AO1 and AO2 have equal weighting (30 marks each) in Section A. For every point you make about a character or theme, you must analyse the language, form, or structure used to present it.

Common mistake: Students often fail to recognise the texts as drama intended for performance.

How to solve it: : Identify with the texts as drama. Comment on performance-specific elements like dramatic irony, foreshadowing, and stage directions to show how the writer creates effects for an audience