AQA A-level English Literature B (7717)
Exam structure at a glance for AQA A-level English Literature B: every paper with its time, marks and weighting, plus the facts and links you need.
- Board
- AQA
- Specification code
- 7717
- Level
- A level
- First teaching
- 2015
- First exams
- 2017
- Exam papers
- 2 · 5 h 30 min in total
- Last checked
- 2026-10-20
Plan the whole year: open this course in the Year Planner – every lesson dated around your term dates, with a coverage check. Free.
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Papers and weightings
| Paper | Time | Marks | Weight | What it is (our summary) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1: Literary genres | 2 h 30 min | 75 | 40% | Option 1A aspects of tragedy or 1B aspects of comedy: Shakespeare passage question, Shakespeare essay, and an essay linking two texts; closed book. |
| Paper 2: Texts and genres | 3 h | 75 | 40% | Option 2A crime writing or 2B political and social protest writing: unseen passage question, set-text essay, and an essay connecting two texts; open book. |
| Non-exam assessment: Theory and independence Non-exam assessment | not stated | 50 | 20% | Two essays of 1,250-1,500 words (one poetry, one prose text) linked to the AQA Critical Anthology; one may be re-creative with commentary. |
Times are exam lengths; weightings are shares of the whole qualification. Summaries are in our own words.
Good to know
- Non-exam assessment: Two essays of 1,250-1,500 words, 50 marks, 20%.
- Set texts: closed book: students may not take the texts into the exam
- Marks: Raw marks; AQA scales papers x2 and NEA x1.5 (total 375).
- AS level: 7716 – Separate AS qualification; components not stored yet. (AS marks do not count towards the A level)
Key dates
Summer 2027 exam series
- First exam (GCSE and A level): Mon, 10 May 2027
- Contingency day: Wed, 23 June 2027
- Special consideration deadline: Wed, 30 June 2027
A levels are linear: all exams are sat at the end of the two-year course. Source: JCQ key dates June 2027. Check each board's final timetable for paper dates and results day.
Specification, past papers and grade boundaries
- AQA: Specification at a glance (board website)
- AQA: Specification (PDF, board website)
- AQA: Past papers and mark schemes (board website)
- AQA: Grade boundaries (board website)
Facts checked against: aqa.org.uk, aqa.org.uk.
More packs
Exam facts (paper names, times, marks, weightings, codes) are taken from each awarding body's own specification and summarised in our own words; no specification text, papers, mark schemes or booklets are reproduced. Exam details checked against the board's specification on 2026-10-20. Always check the current specification on the board's website.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 (Ofqual and DfE pages on GOV.UK). Classfern is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Department for Education, Ofqual, JCQ, AQA, Pearson Edexcel, OCR or WJEC Eduqas.
Questions teachers ask
How long are the AQA A-level English Literature B exams?
Paper 1: 2 h 30 min; Paper 2: 3 h.