AS/A Level GCEEnglish Language - H069, H469

FAQs

Please find below the most frequently asked questions for this qualification. If you have a question that is not answered here or elsewhere on the website please contact the OCR Customer Contact Centre.

Your regional Customer Support Manager is on hand to provide continued support, advice and guidance on what is happening with A Levels from an OCR prospective. This can include, an overview of our assessment approach or signposting to support and training to help you progress with our new A levels. To arrange a support call or visit, please email 14-19alevels@ocr.org.uk.

English Language FAQs

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Will there be any new types of language texts included in the specification?

The range of texts is broadly the same. 'Multimodal' texts (e.g. a webpage combining written text with image or sound) are a requirement of the QCA subject criteria and therefore included in the specification.

Is there still coursework at AS and A2?

Yes. Coursework requirements reflect the QCA subject criteria. Coursework is compulsory at AS (40% AS, 20% A Level) and at A2 (20%).

Do semantics and pragmatics feature in the new specification?

Semantics and pragmatics are no longer a specific requirement of the QCA subject criteria, but they do remain relevant to the study of language.

What are the Key Constituents referred to in the specification?

'Key Constituents' is the new name given to frameworks of language by QCA, and include:

  • phonetics
  • phonology
  • lexis
  • morphology
  • grammar

General FAQs

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Will OCR make past papers available?

Yes. In response to centre demand, OCR will be publishing past papers for live specifications on the website. These will be free of charge. Question papers from the latest series will be available to download from OCR Interchange only.

What support can we expect from publishers?

OCR is working in partnership with individual publishers for different subject groups. Comprehensive resources are being developed by these Publishing Partners and others to support the specification and complement the support available from OCR.

What Support Materials are being produced by OCR for the revised GCEs?

Schemes of work and lesson plans can be downloaded for each qualifcation. The materials are available in PDF format, and  Word format. Teachers can adapt the materials for their own use.

Can a candidate be awarded an A* grade if they re-sat one or more of their units?

Yes, the A* grade is calculated arithmetically based on the units used for aggregation, irrespective of whether or not they are re-sits.

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