Introduction to the international 2020 IGCSE First Language English paper 1 and 2

2. 2020 EXAMINATION OVERVIEW
PAPER 1
• 2 HOURS
• 50%
PAPER 2
• 2 HOURS
• 50%

3. PAPER 1 – READING
• 3 COMPULSORY QUESTIONS
• 3 TEXTS – TEXT A AND TEXT B 700 TO 750 WORDS; TEXT C 500 TO 650 WORDS IN LENGTH
• QUESTION 1 – COMPREHENSION – 15 MARKS (TEXT A IMPLICIT AND EXPLICIT MEANING, AS WELL AS
SPECIFIC INFORMATION) AND SUMMARY – 10 MARKS (TEXT B CONTINUOUS 120 WORD SUMMARY
INCLUDING IMPLICIT AND EXPLICIT MEANING, AS WELL AS SPECIFIC INFORMATION)
• QUESTION 2 – SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS – 10 MARKS (TEXT C IMPLICIT AND EXPLICIT MEANING, AS
WELL AS WRITER’S EFFECTS) AND LANGUAGE TASK - 15 MARKS (TEXT C WRITE 200 TO 300 WORDS
REFERRING TO IMPLICIT AND EXPLICIT MEANING, AS WELL AS WRITER’S EFFECTS)
• QUESTION 3 – EXTENDED RESPONSE TO READING 25 MARKS (TEXT C – RESPOND IN THE FORMAT THE
QUESTION REQUIRES – LETTER; REPORT; JOURNAL; SPEECH; INTERVIEW; ARTICLE )

4. PAPER 1 – READING (CONT.)
QUESTION 3 MARKED AS FOLLOWS:
• 15 MARKS – READING
- EXPLICIT
- IMPLICIT
- ANALYSE, EVALUATE AND DEVELOP FACTS, IDEAS AND OPINIONS TAKEN FROM THE TEXT
• 10 MARKS – WRITING
- WHAT IS THOUGHT, FELT AND IMAGINED
- ORGANISATION AND STRUCTURE
- VOCABULARY AND SENTENCE STRUCTURE
- APPROPRIATE REGISTER
- SPELLING, PUNCTUATION AND GRAMMAR

5. PAPER 1 TIMING ANALYSIS
80 MARKS 2 HOURS (120 MINUTES) - 15 MIN READING = 1.3 MIN PER MARK
• QUESTION 1 (5 MINUTES READING + 30 MINUTES ANSWERING)
• QUESTION 2 (5 MINUTES READING + 30 MINUTES ANSWERING)
• QUESTION 3 (5 MINUTES READING + 45 MINUTES ANSWERING – INCLUDING PLANNING)

6. PAPER 2 – DIRECTED WRITING AND
COMPOSITION
2 QUESTIONS – ONE FROM EACH SECTION
• SECTION A – DIRECTED WRITING (40 MARKS) 1 OR 2 TEXTS TOTALLING 650 TO 750 WORDS
• USE, DEVELOP AND EVALUATE INFORMATION TO CREATE A DISCURSIVE/ARGUMENTATIVE/PERSUASIVE SPEECH,
LETTER OR ARTICLE 250 T0 350 WORDS IN LENGTH
• SECTION B – COMPOSITION (40 MARKS)
• ANSWER ONE QUESTION FROM A CHOICE OF FOUR TITLES (TWO DESCRIPTIVE AND TWO NARRATIVE)
• WRITE 350 TO 450 WORDS

7. PAPER 2 – DIRECTED WRITING AND
COMPOSITION
SECTION A MARKED AS FOLLOWS:
• 25 MARKS – WRITING
- WHAT IS THOUGHT, FELT AND IMAGINED
- ORGANISATION AND STRUCTURE
- VOCABULARY AND SENTENCE STRUCTURE
- APPROPRIATE REGISTER
- SPELLING, PUNCTUATION AND GRAMMAR
• 15 MARKS – READING
- EXPLICIT
- IMPLICIT
- ANALYSE, EVALUATE AND DEVELOP FACTS, IDEAS AND OPINIONS TAKEN FROM THE TEXT
- SELECT AND USE INFORMATION FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES

8. PAPER 2 – DIRECTED WRITING AND
COMPOSITION
SECTION A MARKED AS FOLLOWS:
• 25 MARKS – WRITING
- WHAT IS THOUGHT, FELT AND IMAGINED
- ORGANISATION AND STRUCTURE
- VOCABULARY AND SENTENCE STRUCTURE
- APPROPRIATE REGISTER
- SPELLING, PUNCTUATION AND GRAMMAR

9. PAPER 2 TIMING ANALYSIS
80 MARKS 2 HOURS (120 MINUTES) - 15 MIN READING/PLANNING
• SECTION A 1 (5 MINUTES READING + 5 MINUTES PLANNING + 50 MINUTES WRITING)
• SECTION B (5 MINUTES PLANNING + 55 MINUTES WRITING)

10. AIMS + TIPS
• START A DICTIONARY AT THE BACK OF YOUR BOOK THAT INCLUDES POWERFUL WORDS AND FIGURES OF
SPEECH THAT COULD BE USED IN YOUR WRITING
• READING SPEED AND EFFECTIVENESS IS KEY – INCREASE YOUR READING AND YOUR READING SPEED AND
ACCURACY WILL INCREASE
• ANSWER THE QUESTIONS IN THE ORDER THAT SUITS YOU – START WITH THE QUESTIONS THAT YOU ARE GOOD
AT
• PAY CAREFUL ATTENTION TO TIMING
• ALWAYS PLAN
• EDIT AS YOU WRITE (REREAD EACH PARAGRAPH AS YOU COMPLETE IT, LOOKING FOR THINGS THAT YOU
NORMALLY DO WRONG – COMMA SPLICE, SPELLING, SENTENCE CONSTRUCTION ETC.)