Have you ever had someone tell you that you can’t really revise for English Literature exams?

Well if so, ignore that advice!

Yes, English Literature encourages independent analysis, original thought and overviews of entire novels and plays. But you totally can prepare for your English A Level exam just like any other subject.

It’s all about improving your knowledge of the texts as a whole, developing unique literary insights and some stellar written skills.

So, how exactly can you do this? Here’s your step-by-step guide to revising for your English Literature A Level exams…

How to revise for English Literature A Level

If you’re studying English Literature A Level, you may feel swamped by the amount of revision involved. But don’t worry. This is completely normal, and there are loads of ways to organise your revision successfully and effectively. From flash cards to assessment objectives and past papers, here’s your step-by-step guide.

Let’s jump straight in.

1. Get familiar with the mark scheme

First things first, if you’re preparing for your English Literature A Level – it’s vital you understand the mark scheme and assessment objectives.

Each exam board has their own way of awarding points, so double-check with your teacher which exam board you’re studying and check-out their mark schemes online.

We’d recommend printing out your mark scheme and pinning it up near your desk. This will mean you know exactly what your examiners are looking for.

2. Gen up on your general knowledge

Now by this, we don’t mean preparing for the next Mastermind final. Instead, it’s all about getting familiar with your texts.

You should have read each book, play or poetry collection from cover to cover. If not, it’s time to start now!

The chances are, you may have read through your texts over the summer holidays… but by the time it comes to final exams, this could be almost two years ago. Just think. How many quotes do you remember from books you read years ago?

Remind yourself of the general plot, key themes and key quotes. Things like television adaptations, radio plays, revision guides and supplementary reading will all help. Anything goes! It all ensures you’re able to talk about the texts with confidence. We’ll work on those finer details next…

3. Organise your quotes and notes

Yes, English is a huge subject. But this doesn’t necessarily mean the more notes the better. Instead, focus on three things:

• What you need to know. Think quotes, themes, characters, context, literary techniques etc.
• The points and arguments that particularly interest you. For instance, are there any interesting feminist takes or psychological insights?
• How you can use this material effectively in your exam – the mark schemes you’ve already looked at will help here.

It’s never too early to start making revision notes. In fact, you could organise your notes after each lesson or once a week – condensing the most useful or interesting facts into one document.

4. Explore your learning style

Once you’ve got most of your notes in place, it’s time to start thinking about the way you work.

Chances are, you’ve already been through this once with your GCSE studies. Did any revision methods work for you? If so, don’t be scared to use these again. While you’ll need to go into more depth at A Level… the chances are, the same techniques will still work for you.

If you haven’t found a revision method that “clicks”, try experimenting with the following:

• Revision cards: one of the most popular revision strategies and a great way of condensing notes.
• Mind maps: useful for linking ideas together, for instance with characters, themes and context.
• Quizzes: there are loads of free online tools that let you create quizzes. Great for revising with classmates too.
• Videos and podcasts: to supplement your reading, YouTube series and Podcasts can be a really engaging way of embedding knowledge.

5. Check out plenty of past papers

To make sure you’re prepared to answer any questions that might come your way, explore your exam board’s past papers.

Most exam boards have loads of past papers, mark schemes, student examples and examiner commentaries available online.

If you have a go at answering some questions, your teacher might be happy to give extra feedback on your responses. If they’re not able to, mark your answers yourself! Read over the mark scheme and assessment objectives and really think about where you can improve…

The first time you tackle a past paper, have a go with your revision notes nearby. As you get more confident, start completing questions from memory (like you’ll have to do in the exam itself). 

A Level English Past Papers: Useful Links

• AQA Past Papers
• Pearson Edexcel Past Papers
• OCR Past Papers
• WJEC Eduqas Past Papers
• Cambridge International Past Papers

6. Get discussing and debating

Once you’re feeling confident with your revision notes and well on your way to memorising specific quotes and themes – why not get some friends involved?

A Level revision can sometimes get lonely, especially if you’re feeling tired and overwhelmed. So break things up and arrange a discussion group with your classmates. It’s a great way of sharing quotes, revision tips and interesting ideas. 

As well as revision itself, don’t underestimate the importance of moral support too! 

7. Refresh your memory on your texts

You’re so nearly there…

The penultimate tip on our step-by-step guide is refreshing your memory of your texts. Yep, it’s that again. Unfortunately, if the idea of reading Pride and Prejudice for the second (or maybe third) time makes you cringe… it’s a really important step as you approach exams.

The second time around, really focus on which elements interest you. You know the plot, you know key quotes – so start thinking about how themes link together, how characters develop and your personal response to the text.

When returning to your original annotations and analysis – is there anything you’d add second time round? If so, add these points to your overall revision notes.

8. Final review and revision

Congratulations. You’ve made it.

You’re now in the run up to your English Literature A Level exams. Now all that’s left to do is review all the hard work you’ve put in over the previous months (and maybe years!).

In the final weeks, focus on memorising key quotes, context and facts about each of your texts. Compartmentalising (i.e. breaking things up into small sections) really helps with memorisation, so start small… and build this up gradually.

Remember, examiners are looking for your personal responses and unique ideas. So embrace this opportunity! If you express your opinions, make your arguments clear and back everything up with quotes and analysis… you’ll be well on your way to the very top grades. 

If you’d like help revising for English Literature, reach out for a free, no-obligation call today. We provide dedicated 1-2-1 coaching to help students reach their full potential and ace their exams.

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