The non-negotiables before you leave home
What to bring
| Bring | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| 2 black pens | One failure should not cost time. |
| Highlighter if your centre allows it | Useful for source mapping, but not essential. |
| Water in a clear bottle, label removed if required | Avoids leaving the room for a drink. |
| Tissues if needed | Stops small distractions turning into lost minutes. |
| Candidate details if you do not know them | Speeds up seating and front-sheet checks. |
Do not bring your phone into the exam room unless your centre explicitly permits storage under their rules. Do not rely on a smartwatch. If you wear a watch, it must comply with centre regulations.
30-minute pre-exam routine
- Arrive early enough to avoid a rushed check-in.
- Use the toilet before line-up.
- Put notes away completely.
- Decide your hard stop time for Section A before you enter.
- When seated, write your details carefully, then wait.
A rushed start is expensive in English Language because the first 10 minutes often decide whether you protect the 40-mark writing task.
The timing rule that works on every board
The core split
For any paper that contains both reading and writing, use this default structure:
- Section A finished by halfway point or slightly before
- At least 45 minutes protected for the 40-mark writing task
- Final 5 minutes protected for proofread
For AQA 8700, each paper is 105 minutes and worth 80 marks. The safest split is:
That is better than chasing a perfect reading answer and then writing 2 pages in 18 minutes.
Hard-stop rule
Write a time on the front of the paper or in your head:
- On a 105-minute paper: move to writing at about 50 minutes gone.
- On a 115-minute paper: move at about 55 minutes gone.
- On a 120-minute paper: move at about 60 minutes gone.
If one reading question goes badly, you still move on. English Language is best-fit marking: one weak answer hurts less than an unfinished long task.
AQA 8700: minute-by-minute plans
Paper 1: Explorations in Creative Reading and Writing
| Time | Task | Target |
|---|---|---|
| 0-4 min | Read the extract once, mark paragraph shifts, circle 3 key moments | Build a quick source map |
| 4-9 min | Q1 | 4 short retrieval points, no analysis |
| 9-19 min | Q2 | Language: 2-3 sharp quotations, analyse effects |
| 19-31 min | Q3 | Structure: whole-text movement, not just feature spotting |
| 31-49 min | Q4 | Clear judgement + methods + evidence |
| 49-55 min | Plan Q5 | 4-6 bullet plot/description stages |
| 55-98 min | Write Q5 | Keep shape, vary sentences, stay on task |
| 98-105 min | Proofread | Spelling, tense, punctuation, paragraphing |
Paper 2: Writers’ Viewpoints and Perspectives
| Time | Task | Target |
|---|---|---|
| 0-6 min | Read both sources, label each writer’s main viewpoint and tone | Build a comparison map |
| 6-10 min | Q1 | Choose the 4 true statements carefully |
| 10-20 min | Q2 | Summary of differences: ideas/inferences, not language analysis |
| 20-34 min | Q3 | Analyse one writer’s methods |
| 34-50 min | Q4 | Compare both writers throughout |
| 50-56 min | Plan Q5 | Form, audience, 3 main arguments |
| 56-99 min | Write Q5 | Strong opening, controlled register, clear paragraph logic |
| 99-105 min | Proofread | Tone, technical accuracy, missing words |
How to read unseen sources fast
The 4-step source map
Use the same method on any unseen text.
- Read the heading and blurb first: period, form, situation.
- Read the opening and ending of the extract carefully: examiners often reward comments on movement or shift.
- Mark changes: place, time, mood, focus, speaker, pace.
- Underline only what you can use: one word, one phrase, one sentence shift.
Do not fully annotate. That wastes writing time.
For fiction
Look for:
- who is in control
- what changes
- where tension rises
- where description becomes action or reflection
- what the reader learns late
For non-fiction
Look for:
- the writer’s viewpoint in one sentence
- tone: admiring, bitter, ironic, urgent, reflective
- examples, anecdotes, statistics, direct address, contrast
- where the writer intensifies or softens the message
When to move on in each question type
Short questions
- Retrieval/listing questions: if you have the required number of points, stop.
- True/false selection: check exactly once, then move.
- Summary/synthesis: aim for clear differences or similarities; do not drift into language analysis.
Levelled analysis questions
Move on when you have:
- a clear point
- short embedded evidence
- analysis of effect
- at least one comment on the writer’s overall method or pattern
Do not keep adding quotation after quotation. Extra evidence without sharper analysis rarely lifts the level.
Writing tasks
If you are stuck after 2 minutes, use a default structure.
Creative writing default
- Opening image
- development/change
- pivot or problem
- ending that echoes the start
Transactional writing default
- clear position in first paragraph
- 3 developed arguments
- one counter-view or concession
- decisive ending
Adapting the plan to other boards
Safe timing by paper length
| Board/paper length | Safe Section A cutoff | Minimum protected writing time | Final check |
|---|---|---|---|
| AQA 8700, 105 min | 50 min | 45-50 min | 5 min |
| Edexcel 1EN0, 105 min paper | 50 min | 45-50 min | 5 min |
| Edexcel 1EN0, 120 min paper | 60 min | 50-55 min | 5-10 min |
| Edexcel 1EN2, 115 min papers | 55 min | 50-55 min | 5 min |
| OCR J351, 120 min papers | 60 min | 50-55 min | 5-10 min |
| Eduqas C700, 105 min paper | 50 min | 45-50 min | 5 min |
| Eduqas C700, 120 min paper | 60 min | 50-55 min | 5-10 min |
| Cambridge 0500/0990, separate 120 min components | Split strictly by marks on that component | Keep final 10 min to edit/cut | 10 min |
Board-specific reminders
- Edexcel: respect the exact task wording; some papers reward close work on a single text before broader evaluation or comparison.
- OCR/Eduqas: longer papers tempt over-reading. Do not spend extra time decorating the source.
- Cambridge 0500/0990: if the task has an own-words summary limit, obey it exactly. Count and cut. Paraphrase; do not copy.
Recovery tactics if the paper starts going wrong
If you panic mid-question
Use a 20-second reset:
- Put the pen down.
- Read the command word only: list, explain, compare, evaluate.
- Write one plain sentence answering that command.
- Build from it.
If time is slipping
Cut in this order:
- extra annotation
- extra quotations
- fancy opening sentences
- conclusion length
Do not cut:
- the writing plan
- paragraphing
- proofread time
- direct comparison where required
If you blank on vocabulary
Use precise simple wording. Examiners reward accurate analysis, not thesaurus writing. “The verb suggests control” scores better than vague inflated phrasing.
Proofreading: what to check in the last minutes
Writing task checklist
Check these in order:
- Task fit: did you answer the exact form, purpose and audience?
- Paragraphs: obvious breaks in argument or sequence.
- Sentence control: remove comma splices and fragments.
- Tense/person: no accidental switching.
- High-frequency spellings: separate, definitely, because, environment, government.
- Punctuation: full stops, apostrophes, speech punctuation if used.
For reading answers, only add if it improves clarity. Do not rewrite whole paragraphs.
Exam-day mindset that actually raises marks
The three rules
- Obey the command word.
- Stop when the marks stop. A 4-mark answer should not take 12 minutes.
- Finish the paper. A complete paper with some plain moments outscores an incomplete paper with flashes of brilliance.
What “good enough” looks like under pressure
- Q1-type answers: correct, brief, exact.
- Analysis answers: fewer points, better explained.
- Comparison answers: both texts in every main paragraph.
- Writing: clear structure, controlled style, accurate basics.