Cambridge O Level Literature in English (2010): syllabus, papers and marking
Every answer is a 25-mark levels essay, so marking turns on the band descriptors. The rubric quotes the descriptor reached next to each mark and names what would have lifted it a band.
Syllabus for examination in 2026 (2027 separate: set-text changes to Prose and Drama) · June and November series · grades A*–E
Literature in English 2010: where the marks go
O Level Literature in English 2010 is two closed-book papers of 1 hour 30 minutes and 50 marks each, built from four answers of 25 marks. Paper 1 asks for one answer on poetry and one on prose; Paper 2 asks for answers on two plays, one a passage-based question and one an essay. There is a choice of two questions on every text. All four assessment objectives carry 25 per cent: detailed knowledge of the text, understanding of its meanings and context, appreciation of the writer’s language, structure and form, and a personal response.
Because every answer is a levels essay, a student can know a text well and still lose a band on technique. We write original questions on the set texts and mark each answer against the four objectives, showing the level reached and the single habit, such as a quotation with no comment or a plot summary, that held it back. The marking rubric is still being built, so the page is listed as opening soon.
Paper structure and what we mark
| Paper | Time | Marks | Weight | Questions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 — Poetry and Prose | 1 h 30 min | 50 | 50% | One poetry question and one prose question, 25 marks each, from a choice of two on each set text; closed book |
| Paper 2 — Drama | 1 h 30 min | 50 | 50% | Two questions on two set plays, 25 marks each: one passage-based and one essay; closed book |
Syllabus outline
- Paper 1 Section A: Poetry, from Songs of Ourselves Volume 1 or from Part 3 of Volume 2 (15 poems each)
- Paper 1 Section B: Prose, one set text such as a novel or a selection of ten stories from Stories of Ourselves Volume 2
- Paper 2: Drama, two of the set plays, one passage-based answer and one essay
- Assessment objectives: knowledge of the text, understanding of meaning and context, the writer’s methods, personal response
How each paper is marked here
- Each 25-mark answer is placed in a level against the four objectives, and the report shows which of the four was weakest.
- Every level decision quotes the descriptor reached and the specific sentence in the script that supports it.
- Questions are written on the texts set for the series being sat, as listed in the syllabus.
Where Literature in English 2010 candidates lose marks
- Plot summary instead of argument — Retelling the story fills the page but shows only knowledge. The marks for understanding and for the writer’s methods go to answers that make a point and test it against the text.
- Quotations with no comment — A quotation dropped into the sentence earns credit for knowledge only. The higher marks come when the student explains what particular words or images do and why the writer chose them.
- Ignoring the passage on a passage-based question — Answers that jump to the rest of the play lose the marks for close reading. The passage printed on the paper must be the starting point for most of the discussion.
- A personal response that is only “I liked it” — The fourth objective asks for a sensitive and informed response. A reasoned view of how the writer affects the reader scores; a statement of preference does not.
- Spotting techniques without effects — Naming a metaphor or enjambment in a poem gains little. The mark is for what the technique achieves in this poem, for this reader.
Sample papers, mark schemes and marked reports for 2010
See a real handwritten script marked by eight examiners at admitportfolio.com/examiners.
Questions teachers ask
- Which texts are set for 2027?
- Poetry from Songs of Ourselves Volume 1, or Part 3 of Volume 2. Prose includes Things Fall Apart, Pride and Prejudice, To Kill a Mockingbird and a selection from Stories of Ourselves Volume 2. Plays include A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Antony and Cleopatra, Blues for an Alabama Sky, A Taste of Honey and Princess & the Hustler. The syllabus has the full list.
- Can students take their set texts into the exam?
- No. Both papers are closed book, and the relevant passages or poems are printed on the paper.
- Do the set texts change?
- Yes. The set texts change between syllabus years, and the 2027 syllabus has changes to the Prose and Drama lists, so a school should check the one for the year being sat.
- Is this official Cambridge marking?
- No. Cambridge International Education marks the real exam. This is examiner-style marking of mocks and homework for 2010. Only you see the marking, and you decide what reaches the student.
- Do you reproduce past-paper questions?
- No. Every 2010 paper here is original and written to the syllabus for examination in 2026 (2027 separate: set-text changes to prose and drama), in the same structure as the real papers shown above.
- Which papers are marked?
- None yet are marked question by question. Practical exams sat at the centre are not marked here.
- How is the next paper chosen?
- From the marks a student lost: the concepts behind them are ranked by marks dropped, and the new paper weights those topics. It is the same syllabus and structure, with new questions.
- When are the exams?
- June and November series. Grades A*–E.
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Start marking Literature in English scripts · See a real marked script