English Literature and English Language: How many GCSEs is English Worth?

English Literature and English Language: How many GCSEs is English Worth?

GCSE English is something that all UK students know about. It’s a compulsory subject that everyone has to sit… but this doesn’t necessarily mean it’s always clear what’s involved.

You might be wondering how many papers you’ll have to sit, the kind of content you’ll cover and even how important English is, compared to other subjects like Maths and Science.

And when it comes to English Literature and English Language – does this mean English is worth just one GCSE qualification, or does it count as two?

In this article, we’ve answered all your most pressing questions, so you can go into your GCSE English studies with confidence.

What is GCSE English?

GCSE English consists of two separate qualifications. This means you’ll sit exams for both GCSE English Literature and GCSE English Language. While there used to be one subject that mixed these two aspects, today each English GCSE qualification teaches diverse skills and assesses learners on different parts of writing, reading and analysis. 

Despite the fact that GCSE English Literature and GCSE English Language are separate qualifications, they are normally studied at the same time and taught by the same teacher. This often leads to confusion, as students aren’t sure where the boundaries lie and what’s covered in each exam.

How much is GCSE English worth?

GCSE English is worth two GCSE qualifications. So, when you receive your grades on that long-awaited results day, you’ll see separate marks for English Literature and English Language. 

These range from 9 to 1, with grade 9 being the highest and 1 the lowest.

Aside from the number of qualifications, how much GCSE English is worth will be different for every student. For example, while you’ll always want to achieve the best grades possible, English may not be worth so much to someone aiming to study Maths and Sciences at A Level.

On the other hand, if you’re considering further study within the humanities – for instance in History, Philosophy or even more English… your English GCSE is pretty valuable.

Do you have to take both English Language and English Literature?

While most schools in the UK opt to teach both English Language and English Literature, it’s actually only GCSE English Language that’s compulsory. 

This means that a few schools only teach English Language. They’re definitely in the minority though, and if your school does teach GCSE English Literature – it’s compulsory for students to sit these exams.

What’s the difference between English Language and Literature?

We’ve already seen how GCSE English Language and Literature are two separate GCSEs. The reason for this is that each exam tests different skills and content. They also need to be treated differently when you’re revising.

In short, GCSE English Literature asks students to explore full-length texts from a personal and critical perspective. This usually includes novels, plays and poems from Shakespeare, the Victorian era and the present day.

On the other hand, GCSE English Language assesses student’s ability to analyse unseen texts – often taken from “real life” contexts. This usually involves things like newspaper articles, diary entries, letters and speeches. It also tests students’ creative writing skills, both for fiction and persuasive writing.

Is English Language or Literature more important?

From an academic perspective, GCSE English Language is a compulsory subject.

Most higher education and employment institutions require a pass in English Language (classed as a “four” and above). For this reason, it’s often seen as more important than English Literature.

But is this necessarily the case?

Many universities and A Level admissions boards see GCSE English Literature as the more “traditional” subject, as it focuses on classic literature and essay writing skills. These analytical, evaluative and interpretive abilities are all highly prized in the world of work.

In general though, it depends on what you’d like to study, or what career you’d like to pursue. Fancy studying linguistics, languages and speech therapy? Then English Language will be more important to you. If you’re considering something like Law, History or Philosophy, English Literature might help more. Ultimately, it’s up to you!

Are English Language and Literature the same level of difficulty?

Let’s take both in turn…

English Literature is often seen as the harder part of GCSE English. Why? Well, you’ve got lots of key quotes to memorise and texts to understand – as well as the skills in written analysis needed for English Language. Because students have to deal with both these factors at the same time, it can feel challenging.

In terms of student success, GCSE English Literature has a pass rate of 72.9%.

English Language involves a very different style of revision. Because you’ll be dealing with unseen texts, it’s all about understanding how to answer the questions and the ways examiners award marks. This style of exam can catch some people off-guard, but with plenty of practice (and a few past papers), you’ll know how to deal with whatever comes your way…

Although it’s sometimes seen as the easier option, GCSE English Language has a pass rate of 70.2% which is slightly below English Literature.

How are English GCSE exams structured?

There are four written English GCSE exams in total.

While there are several main exam boards (each with different requirements), this usually includes:

  • Two English Literature papers – normally focusing on Shakespeare, nineteenth century novels, modern texts and poetry (both poems you’ve prepared for, and an unseen comparison).
  • Two English Language papers – which are normally split into fiction and non-fiction papers, each with a reading and a writing section.

Most exam boards expect students to complete an oral presentation (usually in the form of a speech) as part of their GCSE English Language. Although this won’t count towards your final grade, you’ll receive a mark of “Pass”, “Merit” or “Distinction” for your oral presentation.

If you know what exam board you’re studying with, go to their website and search for past papers. This will give you all the information you need on how your GCSE English exams are structured.

If you don’t know which exam board you’re studying for – it’s time to ask your teacher!

What content is covered in an English GCSE?

While the structure for English GCSE exams remains largely the same, the content and specific question types will vary for each exam board. 

There are five main exam boards for GCSE English, which are:

Each exam board publishes their own syllabus for each subject. This is also called a “specification”, which you’ll find at the links above.

A specification lists the books, plays and poems you might study as well as the key skills they’ll be looking out for.

There are similarities (for instance, you’ll probably encounter at least one Shakespeare play and one Victorian novel as well as modern texts and poetry), but it’s up to your school to choose exactly what texts and poetry anthologies you study.

Again, if you’re not sure what content you’re covering at English GCSE, just ask your teacher. They’ll be happy to explain.

 

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