This document provides information about the English Language exam for Higher level students. It has two sections - Unit 1 for reading and Unit 2 for writing. Unit 1 involves reading three unseen sources and answering 4 questions about them. The questions assess students' ability to extract information, understand meanings and interpret presentational features, and compare sources. Unit 2 involves two writing tasks - a 25 minute descriptive/explanatory question worth 16 marks, and a 35 minute persuasive question worth 24 marks. Students are marked on content, organization, and accuracy. They must plan their responses carefully considering audience, structure, and adapting their voice for each question. Proper time allocation and applying assessment objectives are essential for success.

1. English/ English Language Exam Higher
What you need to know

2. Two sections to the Exam
Unit 1 - Reading
Unit 2 - Writing

3. Unit 1 – Reading
There are three reading sources on which the
questions are based. All three reading sources
are used in the exam and all three are „unseen‟.
There are four questions.

4. The Unit 1 Assessment Objectives
(AO2) are:
II. Read and understand texts, selecting material
appropriate to purpose, collating from different
sources and making comparisons and cross-
references as appropriate.
III. Explain and evaluate how writers use
linguistic, grammatical, structural and
presentational features to achieve effects and
engage and influence the reader, supporting
their comments with detailed textual references.

5. The Unit 1 Assessment Objectives
(AO2) are:
II. Read and understand texts, selecting material
appropriate to purpose, collating from
different sources and making comparisons
and cross-references as appropriate.
III. Explain and evaluate how writers use
linguistic, grammatical, structural and
presentational features to achieve effects
and engage and influence the
reader, supporting their comments with
detailed textual references.

6. Q1 – 8 marks
Question 1 refers to the first source, called Item
1, and will test the candidates‟ ability to retrieve
information and ideas from the source text.
What the examiners are looking for:
“information/understanding/inference”

7. Q1 – 8 marks
Question 1 refers to the first source, called Item
1, and will test the candidates‟ ability to
retrieve information and ideas from the
source text.
What the examiners are looking for:
“Information/understanding/inference”
Reading Skill Select appropriate information and show
1 understanding

8. Example Q1
Note: it doesn‟t tell you you need to include a
direct reference but you must.

9. Q2 - 8 marks
Question 2 refers to the second of the
sources, called Item 2, and will test candidates‟
ability to understand and interpret
presentational features such as
headline, sub-headline, pictures and captions
from the source text. (AO2iii)

10. Q2 - 8 marks
When thinking about the uses of
presentational and linguistic devices, you
should have in mind the following:
- the need to make a direct reference or
quotation to illustrate the device
- the need to explain why they think the writer
has used the device (purpose)
- the need to explain or analyse the effect that
the use of the device has on the reader
(audience)
PEE+

11. Q2
What the examiners say:
“Q2 is about linking presentational aspects
to the texts so do some work on pictures
and headlines and captions”
Reading Skill
2
Understand and interpret (PEE+)

12. Example Q2
Note: it doesn‟t tell you you need to include a
direct reference but you must.

13. Q3 – 8 marks
Question 3 refers to the third source, called Item
3, and will test the candidates‟ ability to
understand and interpret meaning in
the source text.

14. Q3
What the examiners say you‟ll be asked about:
“Thought/feelings usually linked to
literary non-fiction text”
Reading Skill
2
Understand and interpret (PEE+)

15. Q3 Example
USE QUOTES!

16. Q4 – 16 marks
Question 4 refers to the third source together with
one of the other sources chosen by the candidate.
This tests the candidates‟ ability to compare
the effectiveness of language used by the
writers in the source texts.

17. Q4
What the examiners say:
“Q4 is the comparative element and
here the comparison is between the
language features of two of the
sources”
Reading Skill
3
Understand, interpret and compare

18. Q4 Example

19. Q4 - 16 marks (like Q2)
When thinking about the uses of
presentational and linguistic devices, you
should have in mind the following:
- the need to make a direct reference or
quotation to illustrate the device
- the need to explain why they think the writer
has used the device (purpose)
- the need to explain or analyse the effect that
the use of the device has on the reader
(audience)

20. The Essentials...
• read the entire question paper through once
• read each source text a second time before attempting to
write an answer
• note the allocation of marks – some questions carry
more marks than others
• allocate time; rushed or unfinished answers will lose
marks
• focus your response on the question which is actually
being asked
• present your own comments, explanations and analysis
about the texts in your answers
• support all of their ideas with appropriate quotations
from the text, making sure they quote in full.

21. Mark Scheme
Band 1, 1-2 marks, key word: Limited.
Candidates whose answer falls within this band will
have shown limited engagement with the
texts, limited ability to interpret meaning and will
have been unable to support their views with helpful
quotations.
Band 2, 3-4 marks, key words: Some, Attempts.
In this mark band candidates will have shown some
evidence that the texts are understood and will have
attempted to support their views with references and
quotations. They will have attempted to interpret
meaning, explain ideas and words and made some
comparisons between the texts for question 4.

22. Band 3, 5-6 marks, key words: Clear, Relevant.
Candidates whose performance falls within this band will
have shown that they clearly understand the texts and will
have chosen relevant quotations to support their views.
They will have made some clear interpretation and
comments about the text and shown a clear appreciation
of the way language is used, comparatively, for effect, in
question 4.
Band 4, 7-8 marks, key words Perceptive, Detailed.
In this mark band candidates will have written a full and
detailed response to the question. They will have
presented some perceptive interpretations and insights
into the meaning of the texts and supported their views
with appropriate references and quotations. For question
4 they will have made interesting and telling comparisons
about the way the writers use language in the texts

23. Writing
Section B 1 hour
Two Questions
Q1 – 25 minutes
Q2 – 35 minutes

24. How the Paper is structured
• the first writing question is focused on writing
to inform, explain or describe (not a choice)
16 Marks
• the second writing question is focused on writing
to persuade or to argue a point of view
24 Marks

25. You are marked on
• Content – what you‟ve got in it
• Organisation – how you‟ve structured it
• Accuracy – range of sentences correctly
punctuated

26. Writing
For each writing question two thirds of marks
available are allocated for Content and
Organisation.
The remaining one third of marks is allocated for
Accuracy.

27. The Assessment Objectives are:
I. Communicate clearly, effectively and
imaginatively, using and adapting forms and
selecting vocabulary appropriate to task and
purpose in ways which engage the reader
II. Organise information and ideas into structured
and sequenced sentences, paragraphs and whole
texts, using a variety of linguistic and structural
features to support cohesion and overall coherence
III. Use a range of sentence structures for
clarity, purpose and effect, with accurate
punctuation and spelling

28. The Assessment Objectives are:
I. Communicate clearly, effectively and
imaginatively, using and adapting forms and
selecting vocabulary appropriate to task and
purpose in ways which engage the reader
II. Organise information and ideas into structured
and sequenced sentences, paragraphs and
whole texts, using a variety of linguistic and
structural features to support cohesion and
overall coherence
III. Use a range of sentence structures for
clarity, purpose and effect, with accurate
punctuation and spelling

29. Q1 in Section B: an example

30. Q2 in Section B: an example

31. Essential information:
• read both questions through carefully and
understand what is being asked
• Consider who is the audience or reader
• note that Question 1 earns a possible 16
marks, Question 2 earns 24 so allocate time
carefully between the questions, including time for
planning
• remember that there are three ways to get marks;
content, organisation, accuracy
• decide on the voice, register, tone of the writing and
keep it going, this might be different for each
question
• make a plan for each piece of writing, paragraph by
paragraph, including a conclusion.