Topic One (0.1): Introduction to AL English Literature – Examinations and Course Structure

Introduction

For CAIE AL English Literature, in addition to the two AS papers, which you may already have taken in an earlier exam series, you will take the following two exam papers:

Paper 3: Shakespeare and Drama

  • Worth 25% of the full A Level.
  • Length 2 hours.
  • Section A: Hamletby William Shakespeare
  • Section B: Long Day’s Journey Into Nightby Eugene O’Neill

Paper 4: Pre- and Post-1900 Poetry and Prose

  • Worth 25% of the full A Level.
  • Length 2 hours.
  • Section A: Pre-1900 Poetry and Prose – Selected Poemsby John Donne
  • Section B: Post-1900 Poetry and Prose – Dubliners by James Joyce

A more detailed overview of the format of each exam paper is available on pages 7 to 9 of the CAIE Learner Guide for 2021 onwards. This is a very useful document and you may wish to refer to it frequently as you work through the course.

N.B. You should have printed this out already when studying AS English Literature, but if you did not study AS with Wolsey Hall, you may not have seen this document before, so do make sure you print it out and read it now:

Download PRINT OUT & READ – CAIE Learner Guide

Top Tip

As was the case at AS, English Literature is very much an applied subject, and you will be working on the same assessment criteria all the way through the AL course (with the addition of AO5), but you will be applying them to different texts each time. If you follow the tips and guidance provided in this module, you should see a consistent improvement in your marks as you work through the assignments.

Course Structure

The order of the modules is as follows: 

  • Module Zero: Introductory Skills Module
  • Module One: Hamlet – Part 1
  • Module Two: Hamlet – Part 2
  • Module Three: Long Day’s Journey Into Night– Part 1
  • Module Four: Long Day’s Journey Into Night– Part 2
  • Module Five: Dubliners – Part 1
  • Module Six: Dubliners – Part 2
  • Module Seven: John Donne’s Poetry – Part 1
  • Module Eight: John Donne’s Poetry – Part 2
  • Module Nine: Revision and Exam Practice for Paper 3 – Shakespeare and Drama
  • Module Ten: Revision and Exam Practice for Paper 4 – Pre- and Post-1900 Poetry and Prose

Your Programme of Study gives a more detailed overview of all the modules and the topics within them.

Read and Make Notes

  • Before you begin reading through the resources in the next few topics, you will find some helpful general advice on the core study skills needed for this course in the introduction to Mastering English Literature.
  • If you have not already done this at AS, read pages xxv to xxxvii and make brief notes now.