Pass Check: GCSE Exam Skills
Manage timing, command words and question requirements across both English Language papers.
Command word
The instruction word in a question, e.g. 'explain', 'analyse', 'compare', which tells you what to do.
AO (Assessment Objective)
A specific skill examiners mark, e.g. AO1 information retrieval, AO2 language/structure analysis, AO5 content, AO6 accuracy.
Mark scheme
The document listing what examiners reward for each question, often organised in levels.
Levels-based marking
A system where answers are placed in a level (e.g. Level 1 to 4) based on overall quality, not just a checklist of points.
Question paper structure
The fixed layout of an exam paper, e.g. Paper 1 fiction reading plus creative writing, Paper 2 non-fiction reading plus transactional writing.
Retrieval question
A low-mark question asking you to find and list information directly stated in the text.
Evaluation question
A question asking you to judge how successfully a writer achieves an effect, often worth high marks.
Spoken Language endorsement
A separate pass/fail assessment of speaking and listening skills, reported apart from the GCSE grade.
Quick check
Mixed quiz
1. A student has 45 minutes left for a 40 mark writing task. What should the last few minutes be used for?
2. If a student has used 100 minutes of a 105 minute exam and still has the whole writing task left, what should they do?
3. Which of these best matches the command word 'summarise'?
4. Which quotation is embedded correctly?
5. Which is the correct order of the PEEL structure?
6. Which part of a PEEL paragraph is where most marks for analysis are usually earned?
7. Which command word asks you to judge how successful or effective something is?
8. Which sentence best represents the Explain step, following the evidence 'a wound in the sky'?