The updates do not affect the requirements of the questions. They add more detail for markers to enhance the standardisation process and improve marking quality. These minor mark scheme amendments align our two English Language GCSEs and are being implemented to enhance comparability.

They affect the following questions: Paper 1, Writing and Paper 2, Writing. We are also issuing further guidance to our examiners on the marking of writing plans.

The updates for 2024 are as follows:

Section B Writing

We have aligned the writing mark schemes as follows to add more detail for examiners and enhance comparability between 1EN0 and 2.0. For AO6, 1EN0 has 5 levels and 16 marks. Previously, the ‘spare mark’ was in Level 5, meaning only those reaching the top level could access the mark. We have moved that mark to Level 1, in line with 2.0, and redistributed the marks accordingly.

For the AO5 and AO6 marking grids, we have added the first bullet (highlighted below) which provides an overall steer for the evaluation of the response. This is to aid examiners or teachers in selecting a level.

Writing Plans

The following bullet has been added to the ‘General Marking Guidance’ which precedes each writing mark scheme on 1EN2:

‘Plans (whether in the planning box provided for writing questions, or in the lined response area of the question paper/answer booklet) should not be marked unless no other response to the question has been provided. This applies whether the plan is crossed out or not.’

The purpose of the addition is to make entirely transparent that examiners do not mark plans unless no other response is provided. If a student writes a plan in the response space and no other response, an examiner will look at the plan against the mark scheme to see whether anything in the plan can be rewarded. This is a clarification of existing marking practice.

There will be no changes to the question papers for summer 2024. The requirements for all questions will remain the same as in previous exam series and these are identical to the papers you have used to prepare your students.

Yours sincerely

Lee Seiler
Head of Assessment (UK Qualifications)