This week we are publishing our first of several Paper 2 exemplars from the May 2024 examination session.  You can find the exemplar here.   

It is a sophisticated and original essay.  The student understands, to a really great extent, the works they’ve written about in their Paper 2.  It’s also a genuine response.  The student isn’t trying to score points on certain criteria by listing devices, for example.  Instead, they are engaging authentically with the question.  And authenticity is hard to do in an exam!

A question arises about comparing and contrasting.  And in the “new” criteria for May 2026 and beyond, this response does fall a bit short in criterion B2.  There is an explicit need to compare and contrast the author's choices or techniques.  More could be done in this area.  However, this is an exemplary essay and showing it to students will help them understand the demands of the assessment task. 

As always, use what works for you, in your context, with your particular students and modify anything you need to change.

Best,

Tim and David