How Many A Level English Literature Papers Are There?

If you’re already doing Level English Literature, or wondering if it’s right for you, you might be asking: how many A Level English Literature papers are there?

The short answer is that it depends on your exam board. Exam content, timing, and coursework options depend on whether you're studying AQA, Edexcel, OCR, or Eduqas.

Let's take a thorough look at what’s involved.

Key Takeaways

• Most exam boards use 2 or 3 written exam papers: these cover poetry, prose, and drama across different time periods

• Exam timings typically range from 2 to 3 hours per paper, depending on exam board

• There’s typically some coursework (Non-Exam Assessment or NEA), which can make up 20% of your final grade

• All boards assess similar skills but the structure and set texts differ

AQA A Level English Literature Papers

AQA is a popular exam board in England. They have 2 course options

Literature A

AQA English Literature A (opens in a new tab) takes a historical approach to texts within a shared context.

Number of Papers: 2 exams + 1 coursework component

Paper 1: Love Through the Ages

• Duration: 3 hours

• Weighting: 40% of your A Level

• What's covered:

  • Shakespeare play, like Othello,or Measure for Measure

  • A comparison of unseen poems

  • A comparative essay on anthology poetry and a prose text 

• Format: Open book for Section C (a clean copy of prose and poetry texts) 

  • Section A: 25 mark analytical essay based on a passage from the play

  • Section B: 25 mark comparison essay question of two unseen poems 

  • Section C: 25 mark comparison essay of two studied poems with a studied prose text

Paper 2: Texts in Shared Contexts

• Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes

• Weighting: 40% of your A Level

• What's covered: 

  • Paper 2A: Poetry, prose, plays written about World War I and its aftermath or

  • Paper 2B: Poetry, prose, plays written about modern times (from 1945 to the present day)

• Format: Open book (clean copies of texts)

  • Section A: 25 mark question on poems from the poetry anthology

  • Section B: 25 mark question on an unseen extract + 25 mark comparison question on a studied play and post-2000 novel

Non-Exam Assessment (NEA)

You’ll do an independent critical study that compares two texts across time.The two texts you choose may not be taken from the set list of exam texts.

• Weighting: 20% of your A Level

• What it involves: 

  • A 50 mark comparative essay of 2500 words

  • Poems or short stories from a collection and compare with a play and/or novel

  • One text must be pre-1900

AQA Literature B 

AQA English Literature B (opens in a new tab) studies specific genres and engages with literary theory.

Number of Papers: 2 exams + 1 coursework component

Paper 1: Literary Genres

• Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes

• Weighting: 40% of your A Level

• What's covered: 

  • One post-2000 novel; one poetry, and one pre-1900 text

  • Option 1A: Aspects of tragedy

  • Option 1B: Aspects of comedy

• Format: closed book (no text copies)

  • Section A: 25 mark passage-based question on your Shakespeare play

  • Section B: 25 mark essay question on Shakespeare

  • Section C: 25 mark essay question linking two texts, including poetry and a play like Death of a Salesman or The Importance of Being Earnest

Paper 2: Texts and Genres

• Duration: 3 hours

• Weighting: 40% of your A Level

• What's covered: 

  • One post-2000 novel, one poetry, and one pre-1900 text + unseen passage

  • Option 2A: Elements of crime writing or

  • Option 2B: Elements of political and social protest writing

• Format: open book 

  • Section A: 25 mark compulsory question on an unseen passage 

  • Section B: 25 mark essay question on set authors like Agatha Christie or Margaret Atwood

  • Section C: 25 mark essay question which connects two texts 

Non-Exam Assessment (NEA)

Your two coursework essays focus on critical theory (Theory and Independence). 

• Weighting: 20% of your A Level (50 marks)

• What it involves: 

  • Two essays of 1250–1500 words, each on a different text and linking to the Critical Anthology

  • One poetry and one prose text

  • Informed by study of the Critical Anthology

  • One essay can be re-creative and is accompanied by a commentary

Edexcel A Level English Literature Papers

Edexcel (Pearson) A Level English Literature (opens in a new tab) engages with texts across genres and time periods. 

Number of Papers: 3 exams + coursework

Paper 1: Drama

• Duration: 2 hours 15 minutes

• Weighting: 30% of your A Level

• What's covered: 

  • One Shakespeare play (a tragedy or a comedy), and one other drama text, such as A Streetcar Named Desire

  • Your studies will be supported by Shakespeare: A Critical Anthology

• Format: Open book, but you can’t take your critical anthology with you

• Section A: a 35 mark critical essay on Shakespeare 

• Section B: a 25 mark essay question on your other studied play

Paper 2: Prose

• Duration: 1 hour 15 minutes

• Weighting: 20% of your A Level

• What's covered: 

  • Two prose texts based on a theme: novels like Hard Times, Frankenstein or Tess of the D’Urbervilles

• Format: Open book

  • A 40 mark comparative essay question based on the studied theme

Paper 3: Poetry

• Duration: 2 hours 15 minutes

• Weighting: 30% of your A Level

• What's covered: 

  • Post-2000 selection of modern poetry

  • Poetry Pre- or Post-1900, for example: 

    • medieval poetry or Geoffrey Chaucer

    • metaphysical poetry or John Keats

    • Victorian poetry or Christina Rossetti

• Format: open book + an unseen poem

  • Section A: a 30 mark comparative essay question on an unseen modern poem written post-2000 + one studied poem

  • Section B: a 30 mark question from a choice of two on a studied movement or poet

Non-Exam Assessment (NEA)

Your two coursework essays focus on critical theory (Theory and Independence). 

• Weighting: 20% of your A Level (60 marks)

• What it involves: 

  • A choice of two texts to study (they must be different from exam texts)

  • One extended comparative essay of 2500–3000 words, referring to two texts 

OCR A Level English Literature Papers

OCR A Level English Literature (opens in a new tab) offers thematic and comparative study. 

Number of Papers: 2 exams + 1 coursework component

Paper 1: Drama and Poetry pre-1900

• Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes

• Weighting: 40% of your A Level

• What's covered: 

  • One Shakespeare play, like Hamlet, Measure for Measure or Twelfth Night

  • One other drama text (pre-1900, like A Doll’s House or The Duchess of Malfi)

  • Poetry from a set anthology

• Format: Closed book

  • Section 1: a 30 mark essay (in two parts) on your Shakespeare play

  • Section 2: a 30 mark essay on a studied play and set poetry 

Paper 2: Comparative and Contextual Study

• Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes

• Weighting: 40% of your A Level

• What's covered: A thematic study (like Gothic or Dystopia) + an unseen extract

• Format: Closed book

  • A 30 mark critical essay on an unseen extract based on theme

  • A 30 mark comparative essay on two prose texts from the studied theme

Non-Exam Assessment (NEA)

• Weighting: 20% of your A Level

• What it involves: 

  • Two tasks equalling 40 marks: both to reach a 3000 word count

  • Texts must not be in the examined list

  • Close reading or re-creative writing piece with commentary

  • Comparative essay on two texts based on theme

Eduqas A Level English Literature Papers

EDUQAS A Level English Literature (opens in a new tab) is the Welsh exam board, but it's also used in some English schools.

Number of Papers: 3 exams + 1 coursework component

Component 1: Poetry

• Duration: 2 hours

• Weighting: 30% of your A Level

• What's covered: Poetry pre- and post- 1900, such as William Blake and WB Yeats

• Format: open book

  • Section A: a 60 mark two-part essay question from a choice of poetry pre-1900

  • Section B: a 60 mark essay question on poetry from a choice of post-1900 poems

Component 2: Drama

• Duration: 2 hours

• Weighting: 30% of your A Level

• What's covered: Shakespeare, such as King Lear or Antony and Cleopatra + one other drama, such as Dr Faustus or Betrayal

• Format: Closed book

  • Section A: a 60 mark two-part question on your Shakespeare play

  • Section B: a 60 mark essay on two plays (one pre-1900 and one post-1900)

Component 3: Unseen texts

• Duration: 2 hours

• Weighting: 20% of your A Level

• What's covered: Unseen prose and poetry 

• Format: 

  • Section A: a 50 mark question from a choice, analysing an unseen passage

  • Section B: a 30 mark question from a choice of unseen poetry

Component 4: Non-Exam Assessment (NEA) - Prose study

• Weighting: 20% of your A Level

• What it involves: 

  • One 2500-3500 word assignment based on the reading of two novels: one pre-2000 and one post- 2000

Coursework vs Exam: How Is English Literature Assessed?

A Level Literature generally offers coursework tasks that make up 20% of available marks. 

Exam structures vary across exam boards. Typically, there are 2 or 3 exam papers that test your analytical and comparative skills on studied prose, poetry, and drama.  Often, the texts are linked thematically and cover different time periods. There are often questions on unseen texts, too. 

You can take a look at each exam board’s A Level English Literature course overview to see exactly how they’re delivered. 

What does coursework involve?

In your Non-Exam Assessment (NEA), you'll typically write:

• One or two essays (usually between 1250–3000 words)

• Comparative analysis of two texts you've chosen yourself

• Critical response drawing on literary theory, context, and secondary sources

• Sometimes, there are recreative options (you’ll change the form or style of a text)

The great thing about coursework is that you have time to plan, draft, and refine your work. You'll also get feedback from your teacher along the way. 

My Literature A Level students love the coursework because it gives them a chance to choose their own texts or writers. Researching and writing independently takes a lot of work, but your teachers will help as much as they can. 

Tips for balancing coursework and revision

• Start your coursework early — don't leave it until exam season!

• Choose texts you're excited about — your passion will show in your writing.

• Use coursework to develop skills that will help in your exams (analysis, argument structure, using critical perspectives).

• Stay organised — create a revision timetable that includes both coursework deadlines and exam prep.

How to Prepare for Each Exam Paper

Now you know what you're facing — here's how to tackle it.

Understand the Assessment Objectives (AOs)

Every exam board assesses you on five key skills, though they may use different phrasing.

• AO1: Articulate informed responses using literary terminology

• AO2: Analyse how writers use language, form, and structure

• AO3: Show understanding of context (historical, social, literary)

• AO4: Explore connections across texts

• AO5: Understand and engage with different interpretations

Your essays need to hit all of these, so make sure you're addressing them in your answers.

Revision strategies per paper type

Knowing the best way to spend revision time will help you prepare effectively. 

For closed book exams:

• Memorise key quotations

  • Aim for quotes across the text to analyse development of character or theme

• Know your texts inside out

  • Study character arcs, themes, structure, perspective, and key moments

• Practise writing essays under timed conditions

  • This builds stamina and helps prepare you for a range of questions

For open book exams:

• Don’t rely on flicking through the book in the exam

  • Prepare yourself beforehand with our revision resources

• Use the text to find precise evidence

  • But don't waste time searching for quotes

For coursework (NEA):

• Plan thoroughly before you start writing

  • Create a detailed essay structure and strong argument

• Read widely

  • Read secondary sources, critical essays, and literary theory

• Redraft carefully

  • Use teacher feedback and be prepared for lots of editing

For more detailed revision techniques, explore the dedicated revision tips section of the Learning Hub at Save My Exams.

Time management tips

• Plan your essay before you write

  • Create a strong argument 

• Stick to timings

  • Divide your time equally between essays (use the marks offered to guide you)

• Leave time to check your work

  • Even a few minutes of editing at the end could add a few marks

Use past papers

Past papers are your best friend. They help you:

• Get familiar with question styles

• Practise writing under exam conditions

• Identify which AOs you need to work on

Why not have a look at our A Level English Literature past papers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is English Literature A Level mostly exams or coursework?

Mostly exams. Coursework usually makes up 20% of your final grade - a great opportunity to boost your grade. The bulk of your marks come from written exams. 

Can I choose which texts I study?

Your school or college will choose the set texts based on the exam board's requirements. However, you’ll be able to choose texts for your coursework (NEA).

Which exam board is the hardest?

There's no definitive answer. Some exam boards give you less time to write essays, like Eduqas, but the best way to prepare yourself is to familiarise yourself with your exam board. You may want to browse our teacher’s guide to Is A Level English Literature hard? 

Final Thoughts

So, how many A Level English Literature papers are there? Most students will sit two or three exams and do one or two coursework tasks. Remember: understanding your exam board's structure is half the battle. The more you know about what to expect, the better prepared you'll be.

References: 

AQA A Level English Literature B (opens in a new tab)

AQA A Level English Literature A (opens in a new tab)

Edexcel Pearson A Level English Literature (opens in a new tab)

OCR A Level NEA (opens in a new tab)

OCR A Level English Literature (opens in a new tab)

Eduqas A Level English Literature (opens in a new tab)