English
English GCSEs are going onscreen
Find out about our plans to offer English GCSE onscreen from June 2025.
Pearson is delighted to announce that, subject to Ofqual approval, students will be able to sit our three English GCSEs (English Language 1EN0 & 1EN2 and English Literature) onscreen from June 2025.
- Working on a digital device is a normal way of working for many students, and it’s the way they expect to operate in their future working lives. Many students already word-process their English exams as part of their access arrangements.
- The onscreen format has many benefits which are especially valuable both for SEND students and the whole cohort: use the split screen to look at the reading text and the questions at the same time (no page flipping); use sticky notes to jot down ideas; change font size/colour to a look that is best for you; or highlight parts of the text that you want to draw on whilst planning your response.
- Students tell us they want to sit exams onscreen and those that have tried it say it helps them show what they can do. Students say that ‘typed work’ presents their ‘best side’, and allows them to edit more easily.
Try the onscreen GCSE English exams in our sandbox (registration required).
For more than a decade, we’ve gained extensive experience in offering onscreen assessment, forexample with our L1/2 Functional Skills qualifications. From June 2022 we offered part of our GCSE in Computer Science onscreen, and we’ve been offering English mocks and final exams onscreen for English International GCSEs for several years. In summer 2024, students will be able to sit International GCSEs in seven subjects, including English Language and Literature onscreen.
Find out more about all the qualifications Pearson offers onscreen.
No, our aim is to offer more choice and a better experience for those who already do their exams on a device, especially those with additional needs. You will be able to try out the onscreen format and decide whether it suits some or all your students.
It's our ambition to have onscreen assessment available for all GCSEs by 2030.
We hope you’re as excited as we are about being able to offer onscreen assessment to GCSE English students.
Subject advisor
Clare Haviland
English
Subject updates
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April 2026 teaching English update
Dear Colleagues
Many of you will currently be taking a break, but I hope you find some ideas in my April update to help you with the practical tasks ahead as well as inspiration for your teaching at the start of the summer term.
What’s in the April teaching English update?
• Signing Shakespeare: opening the world of Shakespeare to every learner
• Coursework/SLE submission reminders
• Summer term GCSE networks
• British Library A level: Fairy Tales Study Day – Angela Carter
• ActiveLearn to ActiveHub
• Exam Practice Assistant for GCSE English Language 2.0
• English and Media Centre Close Reading Competition 2026
• Hot Poets Take Over: poetry, creativity, hope and science -
March 2026 teaching English update
What's in the March 2026 teaching English update?
📖 World Book Day 2026
Ideas and inspiration to get everyone reading — and keep that momentum going.
🎓 Colleges Week (2–6 March)
Celebrating the impact of colleges, the learners, and the teachers behind the learning.
🏛️ Policy and SEND
The DfE white paper 'Every Child Achieving and Thriving' and the SEND consultation.
🤖 Cool new tool for 2.0
Support students to move beyond feature spotting and into confident AO2 analysis.
🧠 Exam equity and neurodiversity
Help shape fairer exams by contributing to research into exam equity for neurodivergent students.
⏳ Assessment reminders – 10 weeks to go
Key changes to submitting coursework and SLE marks, grades and samples.
🔍 Updated AI guidance
Clearer expectations on what’s allowed — and what isn’t — for coursework and the SLE.
🌱 Entry Level Certificate (ELC)
Could you be using ELC as a stepping stone alongside GCSE English?
✅ GCSE English exemplars
Exemplars from the November 2025 exam series to support mocks marking.
📘 A level English Language
An updated concepts and issues guide to clarify what you need to teach.
🎧 Recorded training
Professional development you can access anytime, anywhere.
🤝 English qualifications support
The quickest ways to get expert help when you need it.