GCSE English literature: Exam Structure by Board
Your Teacher Information Pack for GCSE English literature: how the exams are built for each board, the key dates for summer 2027, and links to specifications, past papers and grade boundaries.
- Qualification
- GCSE (9 to 1)
- Years
- Year 10 and Year 11 (KS4)
- Boards covered
- AQA, Pearson Edexcel, OCR, WJEC Eduqas
- Entries 2026 (England)
- 620,420 (no. 4 by entries)
- Last checked
- 2026-10-20
Entries: Ofqual provisional entries, summer 2026 (rounded).
The national curriculum content behind this GCSE: KS4 English programme of study.
Exam structure by board
Pick your board to see every paper with its length, marks and weighting, plus practicals, tiers and links.
AQA GCSE English Literature (8702)
Tiers: No tiers (one paper set for all) · first taught 2015
| Paper | Time | Marks | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1: Shakespeare and the 19th-century novel | 1 h 45 min | 64 | 40% |
| Paper 2: Modern texts and poetry | 2 h 15 min | 96 | 60% |
Pearson Edexcel GCSE (9-1) English Literature (1ET0)
Tiers: No tiers (one paper set for all) · first taught 2015
| Paper | Time | Marks | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Component 1: Shakespeare and Post-1914 Literature | 1 h 45 min | 80 | 50% |
| Component 2: 19th-century Novel and Poetry since 1789 | 2 h 15 min | 80 | 50% |
Full Pearson Edexcel pack · specification on the Pearson Edexcel website
OCR GCSE (9-1) English Literature (J352)
Tiers: No tiers (one paper set for all) · first taught 2015
| Paper | Time | Marks | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Component 01: Exploring modern and literary heritage texts | 2 h | 80 | 50% |
| Component 02: Exploring poetry and Shakespeare | 2 h | 80 | 50% |
Eduqas GCSE (9-1) English Literature (C720QS)
Tiers: No tiers (one paper set for all) · first taught 2015
| Paper | Time | Marks | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Component 1: Shakespeare and Poetry 1789 to present | 2 h | 80 | 40% |
| Component 2: Prose, Drama and Poetry | 2 h 30 min | 120 | 60% |
Full WJEC Eduqas pack · specification on the WJEC Eduqas website
Key dates
Summer 2027 exam series
- Entries deadline: Sun, 21 February 2027
- First exam: Mon, 10 May 2027
- Last GCSE exam: Fri, 18 June 2027
- Contingency day: Wed, 23 June 2027
- GCSE results day: Thu, 19 August 2027 (from a provisional board timetable)
Sources: JCQ key dates June 2027 (final (JCQ key dates)); JCQ key dates and timetables; JCQ timetable commentary. Check each board's final timetable for paper dates. Last checked 2026-10-20.
Official documents
- Ofqual subject-level conditions and requirements (GOV.UK)
- Grade boundaries: AQA
- Grade boundaries: Pearson Edexcel
- Grade boundaries: OCR
- Grade boundaries: WJEC Eduqas
- JCQ access arrangements
More packs
Other GCSEs: GCSE Combined science, GCSE Mathematics, GCSE English language, GCSE History, GCSE Geography, GCSE Religious studies, GCSE Art and design, GCSE Biology, GCSE Chemistry, GCSE Physics. Find another TIP
Exam facts (paper names, times, marks, weightings, tiers, codes) are taken from each exam board's own specification pages and summarised in our own words; no specification text, papers or mark schemes 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 many papers are there in GCSE English literature?
AQA 8702: 2 exam papers; Pearson Edexcel 1ET0: 2 exam papers; OCR J352: 2 exam papers; WJEC Eduqas C720QS: 2 exam papers. Check the board's specification for options and routes.
Is GCSE English literature tiered?
No. All students sit the same papers.