Paper 2
Paper Two is known as the Literature Paper. There are three sections on this paper - Single Text, Comparative Texts and Poetry. Higher Level candidates must answer on Shakespearean drama. They can do so in either the Single Text question or as part of their Comparative Study.
The Single Text is worth 60 marks, Comparative and Poetry are worth 70 marks each. (Poetry is divided into studied and unstudied sections, worth 50 and 20 marks respectively). It should be clear from this that you should allocate plenty of study time to your comparative section - it's worth 20 marks more than your studied poets!
Unlike in Paper 1, there's no significant advantage to be gained by doing Paper 2 in any particular order. Do not just set to on the first question and hope for the best. Read all the questions carefully and make absolutely sure you understand what is being asked of you. Examiners are becoming increasingly intolerant of essays that do not engage with the terms of the question, so ensure you have made note of the key terms of the question and base your answer around them. If you have some quotations that are only barely holding on in your head, jot abbreviated versions of them down in your answerbook as soon as the exam begins.
The Single Text is worth 60 marks, Comparative and Poetry are worth 70 marks each. (Poetry is divided into studied and unstudied sections, worth 50 and 20 marks respectively). It should be clear from this that you should allocate plenty of study time to your comparative section - it's worth 20 marks more than your studied poets!
Unlike in Paper 1, there's no significant advantage to be gained by doing Paper 2 in any particular order. Do not just set to on the first question and hope for the best. Read all the questions carefully and make absolutely sure you understand what is being asked of you. Examiners are becoming increasingly intolerant of essays that do not engage with the terms of the question, so ensure you have made note of the key terms of the question and base your answer around them. If you have some quotations that are only barely holding on in your head, jot abbreviated versions of them down in your answerbook as soon as the exam begins.