Eduqas GCSE English Language
Explore your course, one topic at a time.
The EDUQAS GCSE English Language specification covers 6 topics with 118 learning objectives (C700QS). Use the topic browser below to explore subtopics, exam tips, common mistakes, and key terminology for each area of the course.
- 6 topics
- 15 study pages
- 118 learning objectives
Explore your topics
6 topics
Reading, writing and spoken-language aims1 topic
Core English language skills1 topic
20th Century Literature Reading and Creative Prose Writing1 topic
19th and 21st Century Non-Fiction Reading and Transactional/Persuasive Writing1 topic
Spoken Language1 topic
Assessment objectives and weightings1 topic
About this course
About Eduqas GCSE English Language
This Eduqas GCSE English Language course develops your ability to read critically and write effectively across a wide range of genres and contexts. You will explore fiction and non-fiction texts from the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries, learning to analyse how writers use language, structure and form to create meaning and impact.
The specification is split into two externally assessed papers: Paper 1 (20th Century Literature Reading and Creative Prose Writing) and Paper 2 (19th and 21st Century Non-Fiction Reading and Transactional/Persuasive Writing). Alongside these, you will complete a non-examination speaking and listening assessment, which is separately endorsed. The course places strong emphasis on critical thinking, creativity and the ability to adapt your writing for different purposes and audiences.
Assessment Structure
The Eduqas GCSE English Language qualification is assessed through two written examination papers, each worth 50% of the final grade. Paper 1 (1 hour 45 minutes) covers 20th Century Literature Reading and Creative Prose Writing, with a total of 80 marks. Paper 2 (1 hour 45 minutes) covers 19th and 21st Century Non-Fiction Reading and Transactional/Persuasive Writing, also with 80 marks. Both papers are externally assessed. In addition, there is a separate non-examination assessment for Spoken Language, which is endorsed (pass, merit, distinction) but does not contribute to the overall GCSE grade.
Why Choose Eduqas?
- Eduqas offers a clear and straightforward structure with two equally weighted papers, making it easier to manage revision and understand what is expected in each exam.
- The specification includes a wide variety of engaging texts, including literary fiction and non-fiction from different centuries, which helps you develop a broad range of reading skills and cultural knowledge.
- Eduqas provides excellent free digital resources, including past papers, mark schemes and sample answers, which are invaluable for exam preparation and understanding how to achieve top marks.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between Eduqas GCSE English Language and English Literature?
How is the Eduqas GCSE English Language speaking and listening component assessed?
Are there any set texts I need to study for Eduqas GCSE English Language?
What is the best way to revise for the Eduqas English Language exams?
How long are the Eduqas English Language exams and what is the total marks?
Assessment and exam guidance
Assessment Objectives
Identify and interpret explicit and implicit information and ideas; select and synthesise evidence from different texts
Explain, comment on and analyse how writers use language and structure to achieve effects and influence readers, using relevant subject terminology to support their views
Compare writers' ideas and perspectives, as well as how these are conveyed, across two or more texts
Evaluate texts critically and support this with appropriate textual references
Communicate clearly, effectively and imaginatively, selecting and adapting tone, style and register for different forms, purposes and audiences; organise information and ideas, using structural and grammatical features to support coherence and cohesion of texts
Use a range of vocabulary and sentence structures for clarity, purpose and effect, with accurate spelling and punctuation
Demonstrate presentation skills in a formal setting
Listen and respond appropriately to spoken language, including to questions and feedback to presentations
Use spoken Standard English effectively in speeches and presentations
Exam Structure
Component 1: 20th Century Literature Reading and Creative Prose Writing
1h 45m
Duration
80
Marks
40%
Weighting
Component 2: 19th and 21st Century Non-Fiction Reading and Transactional/Persuasive Writing
2h
Duration
80
Marks
60%
Weighting
Component 3: Spoken Language
Not stated
Duration
Not stated
Marks
0%
Weighting
Tips and common mistakes
Common Exam Mistakes
Pitfalls to avoid in your exams
- •Treating 'wide range' as reading only one genre such as novels; correction: deliberately read non-fiction, journalism, speeches and poetry too, and note the different conventions each uses.
- •Confusing fluency with speed; correction: fluency is accurate, expressive reading that preserves meaning, so slow down and re-read when a sentence is dense rather than racing through.
- •Summarising plot instead of showing understanding of purpose and effect; correction: for each text, state what the writer is trying to do and identify the language or structural choice that achieves it.
- •Describing what a text says without judging how or why; correct this by adding a comment on method and effect for each point.
- •Copying a writer's style wholesale so the writing loses its own voice; correct this by adapting a technique to fit your purpose rather than imitating surface features.
- •Treating all texts as equally trustworthy; correct this by checking the source, date and evidence behind claims.
- •Using impressive vocabulary without accuracy; correct this by choosing words whose meaning and register you can control.
- •Writing in a chatty spoken register for a formal task; correct by matching vocabulary and tone to the named audience and form.
Top Examiner Tips
Expert advice for exam success
- •Keep a short reading log recording genre, purpose, audience and one technique per text so you can draw on a genuinely wide range under timed conditions.
- •Practise skimming for gist in about a minute, then re-read closely to annotate, so fluency and close understanding work together.
- •When analysing, always link a quoted word or phrase to its effect on the reader rather than listing features.
- •Use a short quotation as a springboard, then spend most of your answer explaining the effect of the writer's choice.
- •Plan writing with a quick purpose-audience-form note at the top so every paragraph can be checked against it.
- •Re-read your own draft as a critical reader would, asking whether each sentence earns its place.
- •Keep a mental bank of two or three techniques from your reading that you can deploy confidently under time pressure.
- •Spend a few minutes planning purpose, audience, form and paragraph order before writing.
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