Big news! Our brand new A-Level Maths practice papers have just dropped

These papers are designed to feel just like the real exams, helping you practise those tricky questions, build your confidence, and fine-tune your exam technique. 🧠💥

Here’s what’s waiting for you:

📝 Exam-style questions across Pure, Statistics, and Mechanics
🎯 Detailed mark schemes to self-check and understand where you went wrong
📚 Stuck on a question? Our walkthrough videos are there whenever you need an extra boost!
📥 Instant download – get started straight away!

1. Understand the Grade Boundaries: You Don’t Need 100%

One of the biggest myths about getting an A* is that you need to be perfect. You don’t. Typically, you can lose around 20% of the marks and still achieve an A*. If you’re struggling with a question, move on! Don’t waste precious time. Every mark counts, but you don’t need every mark to succeed.

2. “Hence” Is Your New Favourite Word

When you see the word “hence” in a question, it’s a big clue. It means the examiner is telling you to use information from a previous part of the question. You might be on part (e) and need to revisit part (a). This is the examiner’s way of giving you a nudge—don’t miss it!

3. Start with Your Favourite Topics

Don’t feel pressured to work through the paper in order. Flick through at the start and identify questions on topics you’re most confident in. Tackle these first to build your confidence and bank those easy marks. When you get stuck, move on and come back later.

4. Practice, Practice, Practice

The best way to prepare for A-Level Maths is by doing past papers and practice questions. We’ve created brand-new papers for this year with unseen questions to test your readiness. Even better, Charlotte will walk you through these papers, showing you how to approach each question and lay out your answers to impress the examiner.

5. Use Visual Tools: Pictures and Highlighters

Use highlighters to annotate diagrams or create your own sketches if none are provided. Highlight forces, angles, or key pieces of information in the question to make them stand out.

6. Make the Examiner’s Job Easy

Examiners are often overworked, so clarity is key.

• Leave space between lines of working.

• Work logically down the page.

• Box your final answers or write them on the answer line.
  When your working is clear, it’s easier for the examiner to award marks.

7. Mistakes Happen: Cross Them Out Neatly

If you make a mistake, simply draw a single line through it. Don’t scribble or overwrite it, as this can confuse the examiner. Write the correct answer clearly below. Remember, examiners are trained to award marks wherever possible, so don’t panic if you slip up.

8. Read Every Question Twice

Always read the question at least twice. On your second read, use highlighters to pull out key details—numbers, units, or what the examiner is asking for. A careful, thorough approach will help you avoid missing important information.

9. Use Your Calculator Wisely

Your calculator is there to help! Even if you think you can do the calculations in your head, stress can lead to silly mistakes. Double-check that your calculator is in the correct mode (e.g., radians for trigonometry questions) before starting.

10. Don’t Rush: Accuracy Beats Speed

It’s tempting to rush through the paper, but accuracy is far more important. Take your time to double-check your calculations and ensure you’ve accounted for minus signs or units. Careless errors can cost easy marks.

Why Now Is the Perfect Time to Sign Up for Our Masterclasses

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Get ready to boost your confidence with our OCR-A A-Level Biology Predicted Papers! 🧬📘 

These are designed to help you sharpen your exam skills with A* example answers and expert analysis in a free video walkthrough, showing you exactly how to interpret questions and structure your answers for top marks 🧠📝.

They're brilliant for practice – but don’t forget, they’re just predictions, so make sure you revise everything! 📚💡 

And above all, look after your mental health – you're working hard, and that absolutely counts 💛🌿.

Table of Contents

• Any Paper

• OCR-A A-Level Biology Paper 1

• OCR-A A-Level Biology Paper 2

• OCR-A A-Level Biology Paper 3

Any Paper

These predicted topics that can appear across any paper (including Paper 3!) – perfect for making sure your core understanding is rock solid 🧬💪

Cell Structure of Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cells

🔬

• Eukaryotes: membrane-bound organelles (e.g., nucleus, mitochondria, rough ER).

• Prokaryotes: no nucleus, smaller ribosomes (70S), circular DNA, plasmids, cell wall (not cellulose).

• Be able to compare structures clearly in table or diagram form.

Microscopy

🔍

• Know the differences between Confocal laser, TEM, and SEM: magnification, resolution, 3D image ertc.

• Calculate magnification using the equation, and make sure you can convert between units.

• Revise how to prepare and stain slides (PAG 1), and focus on calibration using eyepiece graticules.

Membranes and PAG 8 (Osmosis)

💧

• Structure = fluid mosaic model: phospholipid bilayer, proteins, cholesterol, glycoproteins and glycolipids.

• Osmosis = diffusion of water from high to low water potential through a semi-permeable membrane.

• IFor PAG 8, remember: plant tissue in different concentrated solutions or artificial cells made with Visking tubing, measure % change in mass, plot a graph to find isotonic point.

Meiosis and Life Cycles

🔁

• Meiosis = two divisions producing 4 genetically unique haploid cells.

• Key stages: crossing over (prophase I), independent assortment (metaphase I).

• Understand how meiosis introduces genetic variation and links to gamete formation and fertilisation.

Carbohydrates

🍞

• Monosaccharides: glucose, fructose, galactose

• Disaccharides: maltose, sucrose, lactose

• Polysaccharides: starch (amylose + amylopectin), glycogen, cellulose

• Know bonding (glycosidic bonds via condensation) and tests (e.g., Benedict’s for reducing sugars).

Enzymes and Rates of Reaction (PAG 4)

⚗️

• Enzymes = biological catalysts. Affected by temp, pH, substrate/enzyme conc.

• Know lock and key vs induced fit models.

• PAG 4: Measure rate using colour change (e.g., starch + amylase), gas produced, or pH change over a set amount of time. Graphs can be used to calculate rate including with a tangent to a curve.

• Use a line graph to display rate over time.

Protein Structure

🧬

• Primary = amino acid sequence

• Secondary = alpha-helix or beta-pleated sheet (H bonds)

• Tertiary = 3D folding (H bonds, ionic, disulfide bridges, hydrophobic interactions)

• Quaternary = multiple polypeptide chains (e.g., haemoglobin)

• Link structure to function (e.g., enzymes, antibodies, hormones).

Mutations

🧬⚠️

• Gene (point) mutations: substitution, deletion, insertion

• Silent, missense, nonsense – be able to explain outcomes on proteins

• Can be caused by mutagens (e.g., radiation, chemicals)

• Link to cancer, genetic variation, and evolution.

OCR-A A-Level Biology Paper 1

Biological Processes

📘

What it covers:

• Module 1: Development of Practical Skills

• Module 2: Foundations in Biology

• Module 3: Exchange and Transport

• Module 5: Communication, Homeostasis and Energy

Total marks: 100
Exam duration: 2 hours 15 minutes
Weighting: 37% of the full A-Level

Types of Questions

1. Multiple choice (around 15–20 marks)

   • 1 mark each

   • Usually at the beginning of the paper

   • 🔍 Focus on definitions, core concepts, and practical knowledge

2. Short answer and structured questions

   • Typically 2–4 marks per question

   • Cover processes, calculations, and data analysis

   • Include diagrams, graphs, and application questions

   • 📝 Use precise scientific terminology and show working for calculations

3. Extended response questions (5-6 marks)

   • Require a detailed description, explanation or comparison

   • ✨ Structure your answers clearly in a logical order and use correctly spelt terminology

4. Levelled questions (6 marks+)

   • Marked using levelled criteria (not just right/wrong)

   • Often include application to unfamiliar contexts

   • Assess depth, scientific understanding, and application. Often evaluate

   • 🌟 Structure your answers clearly with logical points and evidence to support arguments, make your conclusion clear

Time Management Tips

🕰️ Total time: 135 minutes

• Spend 15 minutes on multiple choice

• Allocate 1 minute per mark for structured/longer questions

• Leave 10–15 minutes at the end for checking and improving longer responses

Top Tips:

✅ Use clear scientific terms
✅ Include units and show your working in calculations
✅ Label diagrams if you draw them
✅ Link answers to the question and context given
✅ Don’t panic on application questions – use what you do know!

Mixed MCQs from across the spec

❓✅

• These will test a range of modules (especially 2, 3, and 5).

• Revise core definitions, practical skills, enzyme action, and graph interpretation.

• Time tip: aim to spend no more than 15–20 minutes on these at the start!

Heart, Blood Vessels, The Cardiac Cycle and Heart Rate

❤️🩸

• Know the structure of arteries, veins, capillaries and how they relate to function.

• Understand the cardiac cycle, including systole and diastole.

• Be able to explain how nervous and hormonal control regulates heart rate (e.g., adrenaline, medulla oblongata).

PAG 5 and PAG 9, Benedict’s Test and Kidney Function

🔬👩‍🔬

• PAG 5 is using a Colourimeter or Potometer

• PAG 9 is Qualitative Testing

• Benedict’s test for reducing and non-reducing sugars

• Kidney: Understand ultrafiltration, selective reabsorption, and roles of ADH in osmoregulation.

Respiration, Exercise and Muscles

🏃‍♂️💥

• Aerobic vs anaerobic respiration: location, inputs, outputs (ATP yield!)

• Muscle structure: actin, myosin, sarcomeres

• Sliding filament theory – be ready to explain how muscles contract using ATP, Ca²⁺, and troponin/tropomyosin.

Gas Exchange (focus on insects)

🪲💨

• Insects use a tracheal system: spiracles → tracheae → tracheoles → cells.

• Ventilation via abdominal movement and oxygen diffuses directly to cells.

• Know adaptations of the structures for diffusion and be able to compare to mammal and fish systems.

Classification

🔬📚

• Revise the three domains (Bacteria, Archaea, Eukarya) and five kingdoms.

• Understand phylogenetics, and how evidence from molecular biology can be used to update classifications based on evolutionary relationships

• Know the binomial naming system and why classification systems change over time.

Haemoglobin + Bohr Shift

🩸🧪

• Haemoglobin structure: 4 subunits, each binds 1 O₂ molecule.

• Oxygen dissociation curve: S-shape due to cooperative binding.

• Bohr shift: High CO₂ = lower affinity = O₂ released to tissues. Key in active tissues!

Transport in Plants (focus on phloem)

🌿🍬

• Phloem: translocation of sucrose via companion cells and sieve tube elements.

• Mass flow hypothesis: active loading at source, unloading at sink.

• Compare with xylem (transpiration stream, cohesion-tension theory).

Respiration and ATP Synthesis

🔋⚡

• Stages of aerobic respiration: glycolysis → link reaction → Krebs → oxidative phosphorylation.

• Know the inputs and outputs at each stage (including CO₂ and NADH/FADH₂).

• ATP synthesis via chemiosmosis: H⁺ gradient + ATP synthase = energy magic!

Synapses and Neuromuscular Junctions

🧠➡️💪

• Synapse: presynaptic vesicles release neurotransmitters (e.g., ACh), bind to receptors, trigger AP.

• Neuromuscular junction: ACh causes Ca²⁺ influx and contraction – always excitatory.

• Understand summation, inhibition, and drug effects on transmission.

OCR-A A-Level Biology Paper 2

Biological Diversity

🌿🦠

What it covers:

• Module 1: Development of Practical Skills

• Module 2: Foundations in Biology

• Module 4: Biodiversity, Evolution and Disease

• Module 6: Genetics, Evolution and Ecosystems

Total marks: 100
Exam duration: 2 hours 15 minutes
Weighting: 37% of the full A-Level

Types of Questions

1. Multiple Choice

   • Usually 15–20 questions at the start

   • Each worth 1 mark

   • 🧠 Focus on precise knowledge and quick recall

2. Short Answer and Structured Questions

   • 2 to 6 marks

   • Test your understanding of key processes and terminology

   • Often include graphs, data interpretation, and experimental design

   • ✍️ Use specific language and labelled diagrams when needed

3. Extended Response Questions

   • 6 marks or more

   • Require detailed explanations, often in unfamiliar or applied contexts

   • 🌟 Include examples, logical structure, and a clear conclusion

4. Levelled Questions (6–9 marks)

   • Marked using level descriptors

   • Focus on scientific understanding, application, and depth

   • 🔍 Show off your reasoning, knowledge, and ability to link ideas

Time Management Tips

🕰️ Total time: 135 minutes

• Multiple choice: ~15 minutes

• Structured and extended answers: ~1 minute per mark

• Reserve final 10–15 minutes for review, checking calculations, and adding detail to longer answers

Top Tips:

✅ Use correct biological terms – definitions matter!
✅ Show full working in calculations
✅ Annotate graphs and diagrams clearly
✅ Make sure your explanations match what the question asks
✅ Don’t let applied questions throw you – think it through step-by-step

Mixed MCQs from across the spec

❓📚

• Expect questions from Modules 2, 4, and 6.

• Revise key definitions, enzyme pathways, immunity, and genetic terms.

• Watch for data interpretation and experimental context questions!

Biodiversity Including Human Impact and Measuring

🌱📉

• Biodiversity: species richness, genetic diversity, ecosystem diversity.

• Human impacts: habitat destruction, pollution, climate change.

• Measuring: Simpson’s Index of Diversity, quadrats, transects.

• Sampling strategies: random vs systematic, repeat for reliability.

Plant and Human Defences Against Disease

🦠🌿🧍‍♀️

• Plants: physical barriers (waxy cuticle), chemical defences (antimicrobial compounds).

• Humans: skin, lysozymes, blood clotting, inflammation, phagocytosis.

• Understand primary vs secondary immune response.

Carrying Capacity and Factors Affecting Population Size

📈🌍

• Carrying capacity: maximum sustainable population in an environment.

• Biotic factors: predation, disease, competition.

• Abiotic factors: temperature, pH, water.

• Use of population graphs and lag, log, stationary, death phases.

Types of Immunity, Antibodies, and Vaccination

💉🛡️

• Active vs passive immunity; natural vs artificial.

• Structure and function of antibodies (Y-shaped, specificity).

• Vaccines: stimulate memory cell production.

• Herd immunity and booster doses.

Hardy-Weinberg and Allele Frequencies in Populations

🔢🧬

• Formula: p² + 2pq + q² = 1 and p + q = 1.

• Used to calculate genotype and allele frequencies.

• Assumptions: no mutation, random mating, large population, no selection/migration.

Aseptic Technique, Bacterial Resistance, PAG 7

🧫🧼

• Aseptic technique: sterilisation, flaming tools, avoiding contamination.

• PAG 7: culturing microorganisms, antibiotic disc testing.

• Understand zones of inhibition, resistant strains (e.g., MRSA), and mutation spread.

Transcription Factors and Cellular Control

🧠💡

• Transcription factors bind to DNA to activate/inhibit transcription.

• In eukaryotes: complex regulation of gene expression.

• Cellular control includes the secondary messenger model, homeobox genes, apoptosis, and development.

Animal Cloning

🐑🧪

• Natural cloning: identical twins, budding.

• Artificial cloning: embryo splitting, somatic cell nuclear transfer (e.g., Dolly the sheep).

• Pros and cons: conservation, research, ethics.

Genetic Fingerprinting

🔬🧬

• Based on short tandem repeats (STRs) in non-coding DNA.

• Use gel electrophoresis to compare DNA samples.

• Applications: paternity tests, forensic science, genetic relationships.

Genetic Diversity

🌍🧫

• Arises from mutations, meiosis (crossing over, independent assortment), random fertilisation.

• Low diversity = higher extinction risk.

• Measured using number of alleles and heterozygosity.

Conservation

🌳🦉

• In situ (natural habitat) vs ex situ (zoos, seed banks).

• Focus on maintaining biodiversity, gene pools, and ecosystems.

• Link to sustainable development and species protection strategies.

• International and National agreements to help conserve Biodiversity e.g CITES, RCB and CSS

OCR-A A-Level Biology Paper 3

Unified Biology

🔄🌿

What it covers:

• All six modules (Modules 1–6)

• This paper focuses on linking concepts from across the course and applying them in unfamiliar contexts.

• Great for testing your understanding, connections, and scientific thinking.

Total marks: 70
Exam duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
Weighting: 26% of the full A-Level

Types of Questions

1. Short Answer and Structured Questions

   • Usually 2–6 marks

   • Often data-based or applied questions (graphs, tables, unfamiliar scenarios)

   • 🔍 You’ll need to analyse, interpret and draw conclusions

2. Extended Response Questions

   • 6–9 marks

   • Require detailed, logical explanations using information from across different modules

   • 🌟 High marks come from using precise terminology and linking concepts

3. Data Handling and Analysis

   • Often linked to practical skills and real-world science

   • May involve drawing conclusions, identifying variables, or designing experiments

   • 📊 Know your stats tests (Chi-squared, Spearman’s Rank, etc.)

Time Management Tips

🕰️ Total time: 90 minutes

• Use 1 minute per mark as a guide

• Spend around 60 minutes on the main questions

• Leave 10–15 minutes to check calculations and tidy up longer answers

• Always allow time for the extended questions – they’re high-mark opportunities!

Top Tips:

✅ Be ready to apply knowledge, not just recall facts
✅ Read all data and graphs carefully – underline or annotate
✅ Use clear reasoning when explaining experimental design
✅ Don’t be afraid of unfamiliar contexts – use what you know and think logically
✅ Link ideas across topics: e.g. respiration + ecosystems, immunity + evolution

For OCR-A A-Level Biology Paper 3 (Unified Biology), you’re spot on – any topic from the entire A-level course (Modules 1–6) can be assessed, and it’s all about linking ideas together, applying them in new contexts, and showing a big-picture understanding. 🧬🔄

All the predictions from Paper 1 and Paper 2 are still very relevant, and here’s how you can focus your revision for Paper 3:

🔄 Revise Broadly – Think Connections!

Instead of just revising in topic blocks, try to link ideas, such as:

• How gas exchange relates to respiration and ATP synthesis

• How immune response connects to genetic diversity and evolution

• How plant transport supports ecosystem productivity

• How Hardy-Weinberg ties in with selection pressures and biodiversity

📊 Expect Data-Heavy Questions

Paper 3 is very data-focused, so:

• Be ready to analyse unfamiliar experiments

• Apply knowledge to new scenarios

• Use graph interpretation, data tables, and sometimes statistics (e.g., Chi-squared, Spearman's Rank)

🔬 Practical Skills are Key

Revise PAGs, especially:

• 4 – Enzyme reactions

• 5 – Using a colorimeter

• 7 – Microbial techniques

• 8 – Transport across cells

• 9 – Qualitative Testin

🕰️ Timing Tip

Paper 3 = 1 hour 30 minutes, 70 marks
🧠 That’s about 1.25 minutes per mark
Leave 10 minutes at the end to check the longer, levelled questions

⭐ Top 3 Focus Areas for Paper 3

1. Application – how does what you’ve learned apply in new contexts?

2. Analysis – can you evaluate data and experimental design?

3. Synthesis – can you combine ideas from multiple topics into a coherent answer?

Get exam-ready with our Edexcel GCSE English Literature Predicted Papers! 📚✨ 

These are here to help boost your confidence and sharpen your exam skills, with a free video walkthrough featuring Grade 9 essays and analysis to show you exactly how to interpret the questions and structure top-mark answers 💡📝.

They're brilliant for practice – but remember, these are just predictions, so be sure to revise everything 🧠📖.

And most importantly, please look after your mental health – you’re more than your grades, and taking care of yourself is the real priority 💛🌱.

Table of Contents

• Edexcel GCSE English Literature Paper 1

  • Macbeth

  • The Tempest

  • Romeo and Juliet

  • Much Ado About Nothing

  • Twelfth Night

  • The Merchant of Venice

  • An Inspector Calls – J.B. Priestley

  • Hobson’s Choice – Harold Brighouse

  • Blood Brothers – Willy Russell

  • Journey’s End – R.C. Sherriff

  • Animal Farm – George Orwell

  • Lord of the Flies – William Golding

  • Anita and Me – Meera Syal

  • The Woman in Black – Susan Hill

  • The Empress – Tanika Gupta

  • Refugee Boy – Benjamin Zephaniah (adapted by Lemn …

• Edexcel GCSE English Literature Paper 2

  • Jane Eyre – Charlotte Brontë

  • Great Expectations – Charles Dickens

  • Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde – R.L. Stevenson

  • A Christmas Carol – Charles Dickens

  • Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen

  • Silas Marner – George Eliot

  • Frankenstein – Mary Shelley

Edexcel GCSE English Literature Paper 1

Paper 1: Shakespeare and Post-1914 Literature

Total time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Total marks: 80
Weighting: 50% of the total GCSE English Literature grade

Section A: Shakespeare

You’ll answer one question on the Shakespeare play you studied (e.g. Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, Much Ado About Nothing, The Merchant of Venice).

• You'll be given an extract from the play.

• The question will ask you to analyse the extract, then link your ideas to the rest of the play.

Example question: Explore how Shakespeare presents ambition in this extract and elsewhere in the play.

🕰️ Recommended time: 55 minutes
✅ Spend ~10 minutes on planning
✅ Include quotes from the extract and the wider play
✅ Analyse language, form, structure, and context where relevant

Section B: Post-1914 Literature

You’ll answer one question on the modern text you studied (e.g. An Inspector Calls, Blood Brothers, Animal Farm, Lord of the Flies).

• No extract this time – just a question to be answered using evidence from across the text.

Example question: How does Priestley present ideas about social responsibility in An Inspector Calls?

🕰️ Recommended time: 50 minutes
✅ Plan your response briefly
✅ Focus on characters, themes, and writer’s methods
✅ Include relevant context when useful

Top Tips:

📝 Make sure your answers are focused and well-organised
🔍 Use quotes to support your points
📌 Keep linking back to the question
🧠 Think about what the writer is trying to say and how they do it
⏳ Stick to timings to avoid rushing

Macbeth

1. How does Shakespeare present the theme of ambition in Macbeth?

   • Explore Macbeth’s inner drive and the influence of the witches and Lady Macbeth.

   • Show how ambition leads to his rise and tragic downfall.

2. How is guilt shown throughout the play?

   • Analyse Macbeth’s and Lady Macbeth’s reactions to their crimes.

   • Link key scenes like the dagger speech and sleepwalking scene.

3. How does Shakespeare present the relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth?

   • Contrast their partnership at the start with how it changes.

   • Discuss power dynamics and emotional shifts.

The Tempest

1. How does Shakespeare present Prospero’s use of power and control?

   • Discuss his use of magic and manipulation of other characters.

   • Explore whether his power is used for revenge or justice.

2. How is the theme of forgiveness explored in the play?

   • Look at Prospero’s final choices, especially in the last act.

   • Consider whether true reconciliation is achieved.

3. How is the character of Caliban presented?

   • Explore Caliban as a colonised figure and his relationship with Prospero.

   • Analyse how he’s both villainous and sympathetic.

Romeo and Juliet

1. How does Shakespeare present the theme of fate?

   • Refer to “star-cross’d lovers” and fate-driven events.

   • Explore how characters try and fail to escape fate.

2. How is conflict presented in the play?

   • Examine the family feud, Tybalt’s aggression, and Romeo’s internal conflict.

   • Show how conflict drives the tragedy.

3. How does the relationship between Romeo and Juliet develop?

   • Look at key moments from the balcony scene to their deaths.

   • Contrast love at first sight with their deepening connection.

Much Ado About Nothing

1. How does Shakespeare present deception in the play?

   • Contrast the playful deception of Beatrice and Benedick with the malicious trick on Hero.

   • Consider the consequences of each.

2. How is the character of Beatrice portrayed?

   • Explore her wit, independence, and view on marriage.

   • Look at how her character grows and softens emotionally.

3. How does Shakespeare present honour in the play?

   • Focus on Hero’s public shaming and its impact.

   • Discuss how men’s reputations are judged differently to women’s.

Twelfth Night

1. How does Shakespeare use disguise and mistaken identity?

   • Discuss Viola/Cesario’s disguise and the chaos it causes.

   • Explore what this reveals about gender and love.

2. How is the theme of love presented in the play?

   • Look at different kinds of love: romantic, unrequited, self-love (Malvolio).

   • Analyse how love brings both comedy and pain.

3. How does Shakespeare present Malvolio?

   • Explore his pride, his downfall, and how the audience views him.

   • Consider if he is a comic figure or a tragic one.

The Merchant of Venice

1. How does Shakespeare explore justice and mercy in the play?

   • Analyse the courtroom scene: Shylock vs. Portia’s plea for mercy.

   • Discuss whether justice is truly served.

2. How is Shylock presented in the play?

   • Consider Shylock’s motivations, anger, and how he is treated.

   • Explore whether he is a villain, victim, or both.

3. How does Shakespeare explore prejudice and discrimination?

   • Look at anti-Semitism and treatment of Shylock.

   • Consider gender expectations through Portia’s disguise and actions

An Inspector Calls – J.B. Priestley

1. How does Priestley present the theme of responsibility in the play?

   • Examine how different characters accept or deny responsibility for Eva Smith's fate.

   • Discuss the Inspector's role in conveying the message of social responsibility.

2. How is the character of Sheila Birling presented and developed?

   • Analyse Sheila's transformation from naive to socially aware.

   • Explore her reactions to the Inspector's revelations and her relationship with her family.

3. How does Priestley use the character of the Inspector to convey his ideas?

   • Discuss the Inspector's function as a moral figure and his impact on the other characters.

   • Explore how his final speech encapsulates the play's central themes.

Hobson’s Choice – Harold Brighouse

1. How does Brighouse present the theme of independence in the play?

   • Analyse Maggie's determination to assert her independence.

   • Discuss how her actions challenge traditional gender roles.

2. How is the character of Henry Hobson portrayed?

   • Examine Hobson's attitudes towards his daughters and his business.

   • Explore how his character represents patriarchal authority and its decline.

3. How does Brighouse use humour to address serious themes?

   • Identify instances of comedic elements in the play.

   • Discuss how humour is employed to critique social norms and expectations.

Blood Brothers – Willy Russell

1. How does Russell explore the theme of class differences in the play?

   • Contrast the lives of Mickey and Edward, focusing on education and opportunities.

   • Discuss how class affects their relationship and life choices.

2. How is the character of Mrs. Johnstone presented?

   • Analyse her struggles as a single mother and her decision to give up one of her twins.

   • Explore how she is portrayed sympathetically despite her flaws.

3. How does Russell use the Narrator to influence the audience's understanding of the story?

   • Discuss the Narrator's role in foreshadowing events and commenting on the action.

   • Explore how the Narrator contributes to the play's moral and thematic messages.

Journey’s End – R.C. Sherriff

1. How does Sherriff depict the psychological effects of war on soldiers?

   • Analyse the behaviors of characters like Stanhope and Hibbert.

   • Discuss how the play portrays coping mechanisms and mental strain.

2. How is the theme of heroism presented in the play?

   • Examine different characters' perceptions of bravery and duty.

   • Explore how heroism is portrayed realistically rather than glorified.

3. How does Sherriff use setting and atmosphere to enhance the play's themes?

   • Discuss the significance of the trench setting.

   • Analyse how the confined space contributes to tension and character interactions.

Animal Farm – George Orwell

1. How does Orwell explore the theme of power and corruption in the novel?

   • Analyse Napoleon's rise to power and the changes in leadership.

   • Discuss how the pigs manipulate language and laws to maintain control.

2. How is the character of Boxer portrayed?

   • Examine Boxer's loyalty and work ethic.

   • Discuss how his fate reflects the betrayal of the working class.

3. How does Orwell use propaganda to influence the animals?

   • Identify examples of propaganda techniques used by Squealer.

   • Discuss the impact of propaganda on the animals' beliefs and actions.

Lord of the Flies – William Golding

1. How does Golding present the theme of civilisation versus savagery?

   • Contrast Ralph's leadership with Jack's descent into savagery.

   • Discuss symbols like the conch and the "Lord of the Flies."

2. How is the character of Simon portrayed in the novel?

   • Analyse Simon's moral compass and his connection to nature.

   • Discuss the significance of his death and its impact on the group.

3. How does Golding use setting to reflect the novel's themes?

   • Examine how the island's environment influences the boys' behavior.

   • Discuss how the setting serves as a microcosm for society.

Anita and Me – Meera Syal

1. How does Syal explore cultural identity in the novel?

   • Analyse Meena's experiences growing up in a multicultural environment.

   • Discuss how she navigates the expectations of her Indian heritage and British upbringing.

2. How is the friendship between Meena and Anita portrayed?

   • Examine the dynamics of their relationship and its impact on Meena's development.

   • Discuss how their friendship reflects broader social and cultural themes.

3. How does Syal address the theme of racism in the novel?

   • Identify instances of racial prejudice and their effects on the characters.

   • Discuss how the novel portrays the challenges of integration and acceptance.

The Woman in Black – Susan Hill

1. How does Hill create a sense of fear and suspense in the novel?

   • Analyse the use of setting, particularly Eel Marsh House and the surrounding marshes.

   • Discuss narrative techniques that contribute to the eerie atmosphere.

2. How is the character of Arthur Kipps developed throughout the story?

   • Examine his transformation from a rational solicitor to someone deeply affected by supernatural events.

   • Discuss how his experiences shape his understanding of fear and loss.

3. How does Hill use the theme of isolation in the novel?

   • Explore how physical and emotional isolation affects characters.

   • Discuss how isolation enhances the novel's gothic elements.

The Empress – Tanika Gupta

1. How does Gupta explore the theme of colonialism in the play?

   • Analyse the interactions between British and Indian characters.

   • Discuss how the play portrays the complexities of empire and identity.

2. How is the character of Queen Victoria portrayed in the play?

   • Examine her relationship with Abdul Karim and its political implications.

   • Discuss how her character challenges or reinforces contemporary views of monarchy.

Refugee Boy – Benjamin Zephaniah (adapted by Lemn Sissay)

1. How does the play portray the challenges faced by refugees?

   • Analyse Alem's experiences with displacement and identity.

   • Discuss how the play addresses issues of belonging and acceptance.

2. How is the theme of family explored in the play?

   • Examine Alem's relationships with his parents and foster carers.

   • Discuss how these relationships influence his development.

3. How does the play address the theme of resilience?

   • Identify moments where Alem demonstrates strength in adversity.

   • Discuss how other characters support or hinder his resilience.

Edexcel GCSE English Literature Paper 2

Paper 2: 19th-Century Novel and Poetry Since 1789

Total time: 2 hours 15 minutes
Total marks: 80
Weighting: 50% of the total GCSE English Literature grade

Section A: 19th-Century Novel

You’ll answer one question on the novel you studied (e.g. A Christmas Carol, Jekyll and Hyde, Frankenstein, Jane Eyre, Pride and Prejudice).

• You’ll be given a short extract from the novel.

• The question will ask you to explore the extract and how the theme/character/idea is presented in the rest of the novel.

Example question: Explore how Dickens presents Scrooge’s attitude to the poor in this extract and elsewhere in the novel.

🕰️ Recommended time: 45 minutes
✅ Use the extract and your wider knowledge of the novel
✅ Plan your ideas, then write a clear, structured essay
✅ Include context if relevant

Section B: Poetry Anthology (Relationships or Conflict cluster)

You’ll answer one comparative question.

• You’ll be given one named poem from your studied cluster.

• You must compare it with another poem of your choice from the same cluster.

Example question: Compare how poets present the effects of war in Exposure and one other poem of your choice.

🕰️ Recommended time: 45 minutes
✅ Analyse both poems (themes, language, structure, form)
✅ Make detailed comparisons
✅ Use short quotes to support your points

Section C: Unseen Poetry

You’ll answer two questions on two unseen poems.

1. First poem question – analysis of a single unseen poem.

2. Second poem question – compare the first poem with a second, shorter unseen poem.

Example questions:

• Explore how the poet presents feelings of isolation in this poem.

• Compare how the poets present different attitudes to nature in the two poems.

🕰️ Recommended time:

• First poem (single analysis): 25 minutes

• Comparison (second poem): 20 minutes

✅ Focus on language, structure, tone, and meaning
✅ Use evidence from both poems
✅ Don’t worry about naming techniques – focus on effects

Top Tips:

⏳ Stick to timings – don't let one section eat into another
📌 Keep linking your points back to the question
🧠 Think about writer’s purpose and message
📚 Prepare by practising unseen poems and comparisons

Jane Eyre – Charlotte Brontë

1. How does Brontë present Jane’s struggle for independence?

   • Explore Jane’s resistance to authority and expectations (e.g., Aunt Reed, Lowood, St John).

   • Analyse how her relationships challenge or support her autonomy.

2. How is Mr. Rochester presented in the novel?

   • Examine his mysterious, dominant personality and moral complexity.

   • Discuss his development and how Jane influences him.

3. How does Brontë use setting to reflect Jane’s emotional state?

   • Link places (Gateshead, Thornfield, Moor House) to stages of Jane’s growth.

   • Consider gothic elements and how they enhance mood and theme.

Great Expectations – Charles Dickens

1. How does Dickens present Pip’s journey of self-discovery?

   • Trace Pip’s changing values from childhood to adulthood.

   • Examine how guilt, pride, and humility shape his transformation.

2. How is the theme of social class explored in the novel?

   • Discuss Pip’s desire to be a gentleman and the realities of wealth.

   • Compare characters from different social backgrounds (e.g., Joe, Estella, Miss Havisham).

3. How does Dickens present the character of Miss Havisham?

   • Explore her obsession with the past and her manipulation of Estella and Pip.

   • Consider how she represents emotional damage and regret.

Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde – R.L. Stevenson

1. How does Stevenson present the duality of human nature?

   • Discuss the contrast between Jekyll and Hyde.

   • Explore how setting and structure reinforce this theme.

2. How is the theme of secrecy and repression explored in the novel?

   • Look at Victorian social expectations and Jekyll’s hidden desires.

   • Analyse the narrative structure (multiple perspectives, letters).

3. How is Mr. Hyde presented as a frightening character?

   • Focus on his physical appearance, actions, and reactions from others.

   • Consider how language creates horror and fear.

A Christmas Carol – Charles Dickens

1. How does Dickens present Scrooge’s transformation?

   • Trace his change through visits from each spirit.

   • Discuss what Scrooge learns and how Dickens uses him to promote social values.

2. How is the theme of poverty presented in the novel?

   • Analyse the Cratchit family and references to workhouses.

   • Examine Dickens’ use of contrast between rich and poor.

3. How is the character of the Ghost of Christmas Present used?

   • Explore his role in showing joy, generosity, and consequences of neglect.

   • Consider symbolism and the use of Ignorance and Want.

Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen

1. How does Austen present Elizabeth Bennet as an unusual heroine?

   • Explore her wit, independence, and moral integrity.

   • Discuss how she defies societal expectations.

2. How is the theme of marriage explored in the novel?

   • Contrast different marriages (Darcy & Elizabeth, Charlotte & Mr Collins).

   • Discuss how marriage reflects class, wealth, and compatibility.

3. How does Austen present Mr Darcy’s character?

   • Trace his development from proud and aloof to honourable and kind.

   • Examine how his character is revealed through others’ opinions and his actions.

Silas Marner – George Eliot

1. How is Silas Marner’s character changed by love and community?

   • Trace his emotional journey from isolation to belonging.

   • Discuss the role of Eppie and the villagers of Raveloe.

2. How does Eliot explore the theme of redemption in the novel?

   • Examine Silas’s spiritual renewal.

   • Compare characters who experience or reject moral growth.

3. How is social class presented in the novel?

   • Contrast Silas’s simple, honest life with the Cass family’s wealth.

   • Discuss how class affects respectability and happiness.

Frankenstein – Mary Shelley

1. How does Shelley explore the dangers of unchecked ambition?

   • Focus on Victor’s pursuit of knowledge and its consequences.

   • Consider the parallel with Walton’s journey.

2. How is the creature portrayed as both sympathetic and frightening?

   • Examine the creature’s suffering, isolation, and violence.

   • Discuss narrative perspective and how it shapes our view.

3. How is the theme of isolation presented in the novel?

   • Explore the emotional and physical isolation of both Victor and the creature.

   • Consider how isolation leads to destructive behaviour.

Smash your revision with our AQA GCSE English Literature Predicted Papers! 📚✨ 

These are designed to help you feel confident and exam-ready, with a free video walkthrough featuring Grade 9 essays and analysis 🎥📝.

You’ll see exactly how to interpret the questions and structure your answers to maximise your marks 💡📖.

These papers are super helpful for practice – but remember, they’re just predictions, so make sure you still revise everything!

And please don’t forget to look after your mental health during revision season – your wellbeing matters more than any grade 💛🌿.

Table of Contents

• AQA GCSE English Literature Paper 1

  • Macbeth

  • Romeo and Juliet

  • The Tempest

  • The Merchant of Venice

  • Much Ado About Nothing

  • Julius Caesar

  • The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde

  • A Christmas Carol

  • Great Expectations

  • Jane Eyre

  • Frankenstein

  • Pride and Prejudice

  • The Sign of Four

• AQA GCSE English Literature Paper 2

  • An Inspector Calls (J.B. Priestley)

  • Blood Brothers (Willy Russell)

  • Lord of the Flies (William Golding)

  • Telling Tales (AQA Anthology)

  • Animal Farm (George Orwell)

  • Anita and Me (Meera Syal)

  • Pigeon English (Stephen Kelman)

  • My Name is Leon (Kit de Waal)

  • DNA (Dennis Kelly)

  • A Taste of Honey (Sheila Delaney)

  • Princess & The Hustler (Chinonyerem Odimba)

  • Leave Taking (Winsome Pinnock)

AQA GCSE English Literature Paper 1

Paper 1: Shakespeare and the 19th-century novel

📜🕰️
Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Marks Available: 64
Worth: 40% of your GCSE English Literature grade

Section A: Shakespeare

You’ll answer one question on the Shakespeare play you studied (e.g. Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, Much Ado About Nothing).

• You’ll be given an extract from the play

• The question will ask you to analyse the extract and then relate it to the whole play

Example question: Starting with this extract, explore how Shakespeare presents ambition in Macbeth.

🕰️ Recommended time: 55 minutes
✍️ Spend about 10–15 minutes planning, then the rest writing your essay
📌 Use quotes from both the extract and the rest of the play

Section B: 19th-century novel

You’ll answer one question on the novel you studied (e.g. A Christmas Carol, Frankenstein, Jekyll and Hyde).

• Again, you’ll get an extract, and then relate your answer to the whole text

Example question: Starting with this extract, explore how Dickens presents Scrooge’s attitudes to poverty.

🕰️ Recommended time: 50 minutes
🗂️ Same structure – focus on the extract and then zoom out to the whole text
🧠 Think character, themes, context, language, and structure

Top Tips:

✅ Plan before you write
✅ Link your ideas back to the question throughout
✅ Always include context where relevant
✅ Use a range of quotes (even short ones!)
✅ Stay calm and manage your time carefully

Macbeth

1. How does Shakespeare present Macbeth's ambition?

   • Explore Macbeth's desire for power and how it drives his actions.

   • Examine the influence of the witches' prophecies and Lady Macbeth.

   • Discuss the consequences of unchecked ambition.​

2. How is the theme of guilt portrayed in the play?

   • Analyse Macbeth's hallucinations and paranoia post-Duncan's murder.

   • Consider Lady Macbeth's descent into madness.

   • Reflect on how guilt affects their relationship and decisions.​

3. How does Shakespeare depict the supernatural?

   • Discuss the role of the witches and their prophecies.

   • Examine supernatural elements like Banquo's ghost and visions.

   • Consider how these elements influence characters' actions.​

Romeo and Juliet

1. How is the theme of fate presented in the play?

   • Explore the concept of "star-crossed lovers."

   • Analyse how fate influences key events and outcomes.

   • Discuss characters' beliefs in destiny versus free will.​

2. How does Shakespeare portray the relationship between Romeo and Juliet?

   • Examine the intensity and impulsiveness of their love.

   • Consider how their relationship challenges societal norms.

   • Reflect on how their bond evolves throughout the play.​

3. How is conflict depicted in the play?

   • Discuss the feud between the Montagues and Capulets.

   • Analyse how personal conflicts escalate the central tragedy.

   • Consider the impact of conflict on various relationships.​

The Tempest

1. How does Shakespeare present the theme of power and control?

   • Examine Prospero's use of magic to dominate others.

   • Discuss the dynamics between masters and servants.

   • Consider the relinquishing of power by the play's end.​

2. How is the theme of forgiveness explored in the play?

   • Analyse Prospero's decision to forgive his enemies.

   • Discuss the reconciliation between characters.

   • Reflect on the significance of forgiveness in restoring order.​

3. How does Shakespeare portray the character of Caliban?

   • Explore Caliban's relationship with Prospero and Miranda.

   • Discuss themes of colonisation and otherness.

   • Consider Caliban's complexity as both victim and villain.​

The Merchant of Venice

1. How is the theme of justice versus mercy depicted in the play?

   • Examine the courtroom scene and Portia's plea for mercy.

   • Discuss Shylock's insistence on justice and its consequences.

   • Reflect on the resolution and its moral implications.​

2. How does Shakespeare portray Shylock's character?

   • Analyse Shylock's motivations and grievances.

   • Discuss the portrayal of Shylock as both antagonist and sympathetic figure.

   • Consider the impact of societal prejudice on his actions.​

3. How is the theme of friendship explored in the play?

   • Examine the bond between Antonio and Bassanio.

   • Discuss how friendships influence decisions and plot developments.

   • Reflect on the sacrifices made in the name of friendship.​

Much Ado About Nothing

1. How does Shakespeare present the theme of deception?

   • Explore instances of both malicious and benign deception.

   • Discuss the role of deception in the development of relationships.

   • Consider the consequences of deceit on various characters.​

2. How is the character of Beatrice portrayed in the play?

   • Analyse Beatrice's wit and independence.

   • Discuss her views on marriage and gender roles.

   • Reflect on her character development throughout the play.​

3. How does Shakespeare explore the theme of honour?

   • Examine the importance of honour in the social context of the play.

   • Discuss how honour influences characters' actions and reputations.

   • Consider the impact of false accusations on personal honour.​

Julius Caesar

1. How is the theme of ambition portrayed in the play?

   • Discuss Caesar's ambition and its perceived threat to Rome.

   • Analyse how ambition motivates other characters, like Brutus.

   • Reflect on the consequences of unchecked ambition.​

2. How does Shakespeare depict the concept of betrayal?

   • Examine Brutus's internal conflict leading to Caesar's assassination.

   • Discuss the impact of betrayal on personal and political relationships.

   • Consider the theme's relevance to the play's tragic elements.​

3. How is the theme of persuasion explored in the play?

   • Analyse the funeral speeches of Brutus and Antony.

   • Discuss how language is used to sway public opinion.

   • Reflect on the power of rhetoric in shaping events.

The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde

1. How does Stevenson present the duality of human nature?

   • Explore the contrast between Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

   • Discuss how the duality reflects Victorian concerns about morality.​

2. How is the theme of secrecy portrayed in the novel?

   • Examine the use of locked doors and hidden letters.

   • Consider how secrecy affects the characters' relationships.​

3. How does Stevenson depict the character of Mr. Utterson?

   • Analyse Utterson's role as a rational and moral figure.

   • Discuss his significance in uncovering the truth.​

A Christmas Carol

1. How does Dickens present the transformation of Scrooge?

   • Trace Scrooge's journey from miser to benefactor.

   • Highlight the influence of the three spirits.​

2. How is the theme of social responsibility explored?

   • Discuss Dickens's critique of Victorian society.

   • Examine characters like the Cratchits and Fred.​

3. How does Dickens use the character of Tiny Tim?

   • Analyse Tiny Tim as a symbol of innocence and hope.

   • Consider his impact on Scrooge's transformation.​

Great Expectations

1. How is the theme of social class presented in the novel?

   • Examine Pip's aspirations and their consequences.

   • Discuss characters like Estella and Magwitch.​

2. How does Dickens portray the character of Miss Havisham?

   • Analyze her influence on Pip and Estella.

   • Consider her as a symbol of decay and revenge.​

3. How is the theme of redemption explored?

   • Trace Pip's moral development.

   • Highlight acts of forgiveness and personal growth.​

Jane Eyre

1. How does Brontë present Jane's quest for independence?

   • Discuss Jane's resistance to societal norms.

   • Examine key moments of self-assertion.​

2. How is the theme of love and passion explored?

   • Analyse Jane's relationships with Rochester and others.

   • Consider the balance between emotion and reason.​

3. How does Brontë depict the role of women in society?

   • Examine the limitations faced by female characters.

   • Discuss Jane's challenges to traditional gender roles.​

Frankenstein

1. How does Shelley explore the dangers of unchecked ambition?

   • Analyse Victor's pursuit of knowledge.

   • Discuss the consequences of playing God.​

2. How is the creature portrayed as both a victim and a villain?

   • Examine the creature's experiences and actions.

   • Consider societal rejection and its effects.​

3. How does Shelley present the theme of isolation?

   • Discuss the isolation of both Victor and the creature.

   • Analyse how isolation influences their behaviour.​

Pride and Prejudice

1. How does Austen portray the theme of marriage?

   • Examine various marriages in the novel.

   • Discuss societal expectations versus personal desires.​

2. How is the character of Elizabeth Bennet presented?

   • Analyse her wit, intelligence, and independence.

   • Consider her role as a progressive female protagonist.​

3. How does Austen explore the theme of social class?

   • Discuss the impact of class on relationships.

   • Examine characters' attitudes toward wealth and status.​

The Sign of Four

1. How does Conan Doyle present the character of Sherlock Holmes?

   • Analyse Holmes's methods of deduction.

   • Discuss his relationship with Watson.​

2. How is the theme of imperialism explored in the novel?

   • Examine the portrayal of colonial India.

   • Discuss the significance of the Agra treasure.​

3. How does Conan Doyle create a sense of mystery and suspense?

   • Analyse narrative techniques and plot structure.

   • Consider the use of red herrings and revelations.

AQA GCSE English Literature Paper 2

Paper 2: Modern Texts and Poetry

Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
Marks Available: 96
Worth: 60% of your English Literature GCSE

Section A: Modern Prose or Drama

📝 You’ll answer one essay question on the modern text you studied (e.g. An Inspector Calls, Lord of the Flies, Blood Brothers, Animal Farm, Never Let Me Go, etc.)

• No extract is provided – it’s a full-text question

• You'll need to support your points with evidence from across the whole text

Example question: How does Priestley present ideas about responsibility in An Inspector Calls?

🕰️ Recommended time: 45 minutes
✍️ Plan briefly, then write a detailed essay with clear analysis and quotes

Section B: Power and Conflict OR Love and Relationships Poetry OR Worlds and Lives (Anthology)

📖 You’ll be given one poem from the cluster and asked to compare it with another of your choice from the same cluster.

Example question: Compare how power is presented in Ozymandias and one other poem.

🕰️ Recommended time: 45 minutes
🔍 Spend time closely reading the named poem before writing
💡 Compare themes, language, structure, and context

Section C: Unseen Poetry

💬 You’ll answer two questions on unseen poems:

1. First question – analysis of one unseen poem

2. Second question – comparison with another unseen poem

Example questions:

• How does the poet present feelings of isolation in this poem?

• In both poems, the poets present strong emotions. Compare how they do this.

🕰️ Recommended time:

• First poem: 25 minutes

• Comparison: 20 minutes

🖊️ Use PEEL paragraphs (Point, Evidence, Explanation, Link), even for unseen poems
📌 No context needed – focus on the poem’s language, tone, and structure

Top Tips:

✅ Time yourself and stick to it
✅ Always refer back to the question
✅ Plan your answers, even briefly
✅ Use quotes and explain their effect
✅ Don’t panic in the unseen section – focus on what you notice

An Inspector Calls (J.B. Priestley)

1. How does Priestley explore the consequences of selfishness in the play?

   • Examine characters like Mr. Birling and Mrs. Birling.

   • Discuss how their actions impact others, especially Eva Smith.

   • Consider Priestley's message about social responsibility.​

2. How is the character of Sheila presented and developed?

   • Analyse Sheila's transformation throughout the play.

   • Discuss her reactions to the Inspector's revelations.

   • Consider her role in conveying Priestley's themes.​

3. How does Priestley use the character of the Inspector to convey his ideas?

   • Explore the Inspector's role as a moral figure.

   • Discuss his interactions with each family member.

   • Consider his final speech and its significance.​

Blood Brothers (Willy Russell)

1. How does Russell present the theme of class differences?

   • Compare the lives of Mickey and Edward.

   • Discuss how their social backgrounds affect their opportunities.

   • Analyse the impact of class on their relationship.​

2. How is the character of the Narrator used to convey themes?

   • Examine the Narrator's role in foreshadowing events.

   • Discuss how he comments on the action and characters.

   • Consider his function as a moral commentator.​

3. How does Russell explore the theme of fate and superstition?

   • Analyse the significance of Mrs. Lyons' superstitions.

   • Discuss how fate influences the characters' lives.

   • Consider the role of the Narrator in emphasising fate.​

Lord of the Flies (William Golding)

1. How does Golding present the theme of civilisation versus savagery?

   • Compare the leadership styles of Ralph and Jack.

   • Discuss the descent into savagery among the boys.

   • Analyse symbols like the conch and the "Lord of the Flies."​

2. How is the character of Simon portrayed in the novel?

   • Examine Simon's actions and insights.

   • Discuss his role as a moral compass.

   • Consider the significance of his death.​

3. How does Golding use setting to enhance the novel's themes?

   • Analyse the island as a microcosm of society.

   • Discuss how different locations symbolise aspects of civilisation and savagery.

   • Consider the impact of the natural environment on the boys' behaviour.​

Telling Tales (AQA Anthology)

1. How is the theme of identity explored in the anthology?

   • Examine stories that focus on personal or cultural identity.

   • Discuss how characters navigate their sense of self.

   • Consider the use of narrative voice and perspective.​

2. How do the stories portray relationships between generations?

   • Analyse interactions between characters of different ages.

   • Discuss themes of tradition, conflict, and understanding.

   • Consider how generational differences impact the narratives.​

3. How is the theme of change presented across the stories?

   • Identify stories where characters undergo significant change.

   • Discuss the catalysts for change and their effects.

   • Analyse how change is depicted through language and structure.​

Animal Farm (George Orwell)

1. How does Orwell explore the theme of power and corruption?

   • Examine Napoleon's rise to power.

   • Discuss how the pigs manipulate language and rules.

   • Analyse the consequences for the other animals.​

2. How is propaganda used in the novel?

   • Analyse Squealer's role in spreading propaganda.

   • Discuss the manipulation of truth and information.

   • Consider the impact on the animals' beliefs and actions.​

3. How does Orwell present the theme of betrayal?

   • Examine the treatment of Boxer.

   • Discuss the changing commandments.

   • Analyse the betrayal of the revolution's original ideals.​

Anita and Me (Meera Syal)

1. How does Syal explore cultural identity in the novel?

   • Examine Meena's experiences as a British-Indian girl.

   • Discuss the challenges of balancing two cultures.

   • Analyse how cultural identity shapes Meena's worldview.​

2. How is the friendship between Meena and Anita portrayed?

   • Discuss the dynamics of their relationship.

   • Examine moments of conflict and understanding.

   • Consider how their friendship influences Meena's growth.​

3. How does the novel address themes of racism and prejudice?

   • Analyse incidents that highlight racial tensions.

   • Discuss characters' attitudes and behaviours.

   • Consider the impact on Meena and her family.​

Pigeon English (Stephen Kelman)

1. How does Kelman present the challenges of urban life?

   • Examine the environment Harri navigates.

   • Discuss themes of violence, poverty, and community.

   • Analyse how these challenges affect Harri's experiences.

2. How is childhood innocence presented in the novel?

   • Examine Harri's narration and perspective.

   • Discuss how he interprets adult situations with naivety.

   • Analyse how his innocence contrasts with the violence around him.

3. How does Kelman explore the theme of violence?

   • Look at the murder and gang presence in Harri’s environment.

   • Discuss how violence becomes a part of everyday life.

   • Consider how Harri is both affected by and drawn toward violence.

My Name is Leon (Kit de Waal)

1. How is the theme of identity explored in the novel?

   • Examine how Leon struggles with his mixed heritage and family separation.

   • Discuss the impact of foster care and social services on his sense of self.

   • Consider the symbolism of Leon's bike and superhero references.

2. How does the novel portray family and belonging?

   • Analyse Leon’s bond with Jake and the pain of being separated.

   • Explore the importance of chosen family (e.g., Maureen, Tufty).

   • Reflect on how Leon seeks connection and love.

3. How does Kit de Waal present social injustice?

   • Discuss how the care system and racism are portrayed.

   • Examine how adult institutions fail children like Leon.

   • Analyse moments of kindness and resistance.

DNA (Dennis Kelly)

1. How does Kelly explore the theme of guilt and responsibility?

   • Look at how different characters deal with the aftermath of Adam's "death."

   • Contrast Phil's calm control with others' panic or denial.

   • Discuss how responsibility is shifted and shared (or not).

2. How is the character of Phil presented?

   • Examine his leadership and silence.

   • Discuss how he manipulates others and avoids consequences.

   • Consider the significance of his final scenes.

3. How does Kelly show the effects of peer pressure?

   • Analyse how the group dynamics influence individual choices.

   • Look at characters like Brian and Leah.

   • Explore how fear of exclusion drives harmful actions.

A Taste of Honey (Sheila Delaney)

1. How does Delaney present the relationship between Jo and Helen?

   • Examine their arguments and moments of intimacy.

   • Discuss the generational and emotional tensions.

   • Consider how their relationship changes throughout the play.

2. How is the theme of loneliness explored?

   • Look at Jo's need for love and connection.

   • Examine characters like Geoffrey and Peter as responses to loneliness.

   • Reflect on the lack of support systems.

3. How does the play challenge gender roles and expectations?

   • Examine Jo’s independence and Helen’s lifestyle.

   • Discuss how Geoffrey's role disrupts traditional masculinity.

   • Analyse how women navigate limited choices.

Princess & The Hustler (Chinonyerem Odimba)

1. How is the impact of racism shown in the play?

   • Discuss how the Bristol Bus Boycott frames the story.

   • Examine how racism affects relationships and identity.

   • Analyse Princess's and her family's experiences.

2. How does Odimba portray family dynamics?

   • Explore tensions between Princess, her mother, and her father (the Hustler).

   • Discuss how family influences Princess’s growth.

   • Consider moments of unity and conflict.

3. How is the theme of hope explored?

   • Look at Princess’s dreams and imagination.

   • Examine how characters hold onto optimism despite injustice.

   • Reflect on the ending and what it suggests.

Leave Taking (Winsome Pinnock)

1. How does Pinnock explore generational conflict?

   • Examine Enid’s relationship with her daughters.

   • Discuss differences in cultural identity and expectations.

   • Analyse how past trauma influences the present.

2. How is the theme of identity portrayed?

   • Look at the daughters’ struggle with their dual heritage.

   • Discuss how Enid clings to Caribbean traditions.

   • Reflect on the characters' need for belonging.

3. How does the play depict the immigrant experience?

   • Examine Enid’s sacrifices and challenges.

   • Discuss racism, isolation, and the search for home.

   • Consider how immigration shapes family roles and aspirations.

Get ahead with our AQA A-Level Environmental Science Predicted Papers! 🌍📘 

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And most importantly, please take care of your mental health – you're doing your best, and that’s more than enough 💛🌱.

AQA A-Level Environmental Science Paper 1

Mineral Extraction

⛏️

• Understand the methods of extraction: opencast, deep mining, and their impacts.

• Revise environmental impacts: habitat loss, pollution, subsidence.

• Know about sustainability strategies like resource substitution, recycling, and land restoration.

Changes to the Cryosphere

❄️🌡️

• The cryosphere includes all frozen water (glaciers, ice caps, permafrost).

• Revise the effects of climate change: sea level rise, feedback loops (e.g., albedo effect).

• Understand data collection: satellite imaging, ice cores, and temperature records.

Aquifers

💧

• Know how aquifers store groundwater in porous rock (e.g., chalk, sandstone).

• Revise issues like over-abstraction, contamination, and saltwater intrusion.

• Understand sustainable use and how aquifers are monitored and managed.

Air Pollution / Indicator Species

🌬️🪲

• Know sources and effects of air pollutants: SO₂, NOx, particulates.

• Learn about indicator species (e.g., lichens) and what they tell us about air quality.

• Understand monitoring methods: passive sampling, bioindicators, and electronic sensors.

Oil Extraction

🛢️

• Revise stages: exploration, drilling, extraction, and transport.

• Environmental impacts: oil spills (e.g., Deepwater Horizon), habitat damage.

• Consider mitigation methods: double-hulled tankers, blowout preventers, spill response.

Chi-Squared

📊

• A statistical test used to compare observed vs expected results.

• Great for categorical data (e.g., number of organisms in different conditions).

• Remember steps: calculate expected values, apply formula, compare to critical value.

Heavy Metal Pollution

☣️

• Sources: industry, mining, waste disposal (e.g., lead, mercury, cadmium).

• Impacts: bioaccumulation, toxicity to aquatic and terrestrial life.

• Control: phytoremediation, filtration, legal limits and monitoring.

Energy Efficiency

⚡🏠

• Understand ways to reduce energy waste: insulation, LED lighting, efficient appliances.

• Know how to calculate efficiency using input and useful output.

• Environmental benefits: reduced emissions, conservation of finite resources.

Climate Change

🌍🔥

• Know the causes: greenhouse gases, deforestation, agriculture.

• Understand impacts: extreme weather, ocean acidification, species migration.

• Solutions: renewable energy, carbon capture, international agreements (e.g., Paris Accord).

The Carbon and Nitrogen Cycles

🔄🌿

• Carbon cycle: photosynthesis, respiration, combustion, decomposition.

• Nitrogen cycle: nitrogen fixation, nitrification, denitrification, assimilation.

• Human impacts: fossil fuel burning, deforestation (carbon); fertilisers, sewage (nitrogen).

AQA A-Level Environmental Science Paper 2

Biomes

🌎🌱

• Understand the major global biomes: tropical rainforest, tundra, desert, etc.

• Revise their climatic conditions, biodiversity levels, and productivity.

• Be able to explain threats (e.g. deforestation, desertification) and conservation strategies.

Oceanic Islands

🏝️🦎

• These are isolated ecosystems with high endemism and vulnerability.

• Revise evolutionary processes like adaptive radiation (e.g. Darwin’s finches).

• Understand threats like invasive species, habitat loss, and climate change.

Biomimetics

🦋🔬

• The use of nature-inspired solutions in technology and design.

• Examples: sharkskin for swimwear, bird wings for aircraft, spider silk for materials.

• Understand the link between biodiversity conservation and future biomimetic discoveries.

Pollinators / Pesticides

🐝⚠️

• Learn about the role of pollinators in ecosystems and agriculture.

• Understand pesticide impacts on pollinators (e.g. neonicotinoids).

• Revise strategies to protect pollinators: habitat corridors, organic farming, regulation.

Fishing

🎣🌊

• Know the difference between sustainable and unsustainable fishing.

• Revise issues: overfishing, bycatch, habitat destruction (e.g. trawling).

• Management strategies: quotas, marine protected areas, selective gear.

Measuring Humidity / Transects

🌡️🌿

• Humidity measured using hygrometers or wet and dry bulb thermometers.

• Transects used to study changes in distribution across a gradient (e.g. line and belt transects).

• Understand when to use which method and how to analyse results.

Indirect Evidence in Ecological Sampling

🐾🌳

• Includes signs like droppings, tracks, nests, calls.

• Useful for studying elusive species without disturbance.

• Often combined with camera traps or acoustic monitors.

Spearman’s Rank

📈🔢

• A statistical test to find correlation between two ranked variables.

• Perfect for ecological data (e.g. light intensity vs plant height).

• Know how to calculate it and interpret +1, 0, -1 values.

Comparing Human Activity with Natural Processes

🏗️🌪️

• Human impacts: deforestation, mining, construction, emissions.

• Natural processes: erosion, volcanic activity, storms.

• Be ready to compare scale, speed, and long-term effects.

Intensive and Extensive Aquaculture

🐟💧

• Intensive: high input/output, controlled conditions (e.g. salmon farms).

• Extensive: low input, natural systems (e.g. shrimp ponds).

• Revise environmental impacts: waste, disease, escapees, habitat loss.

Sustainable Forestry Management

🌲✅

• Methods include selective logging, replanting, rotation cycles, FSC certification.

• Goals: biodiversity protection, carbon storage, long-term wood supply.

• Understand ecological, economic, and social balancing.

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Which paper are you looking for?

• Paper 1 | Option 3 | Germany: development of dicta …

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• Paper 1 | Option 7: A Divided Union: Civil Rights …

• Paper 2 | Option A1: The Origins and Course of the …

• Paper 2 | Option A2: Russia and the Soviet Union, …

• Paper 2 | Option A3: The USA, 1918–41

• Paper 2 | Option B2: Changes in Medicine, c1848–c1 …

• Paper 2 | Option B4: China: Conflict, Crisis and C …

• Paper 2 | Option B6: The Changing Nature of Warfar …

Paper 1 | Option 3 | Germany: development of dictatorship, 1918–45

Youth Resistance to the Nazi Regime

🧒📢
Not all young people supported the Nazis! Groups like the Edelweiss Pirates and Swing Youth rebelled by rejecting Nazi ideals, listening to banned music, refusing to join Hitler Youth, and even distributing anti-Nazi leaflets. Although small in number, their resistance showed that not everyone was brainwashed. The Nazis responded with harsh punishments to crush dissent.

Revise:

• Who resisted and how?

• Why was this dangerous?

• How did the Nazis respond?

The Effects of the Great Depression on Germany

💰📉
The 1929 Wall Street Crash hit Germany hard. American loans were recalled, businesses failed, unemployment soared (over 6 million by 1932!), and poverty spread. This economic chaos created fertile ground for extremist parties like the Nazis, who promised jobs and stability.

Revise:

• Economic and social impact

• Political consequences

• Why did this help the Nazis rise to power?

Weaknesses of the Weimar Republic, 1919–23

⚖️🇩🇪
The Weimar Republic was born into crisis – blamed for signing the Treaty of Versailles, it faced uprisings from the left (Spartacists) and right (Kapp Putsch, Munich Putsch), hyperinflation in 1923, and struggled with a weak constitution. Proportional representation meant coalition governments that often couldn’t agree on anything.

Revise:

• Political instability

• Economic challenges

• Public perception of the government

Nazi Policies Towards the German People, 1933–39

🏛️👥
The Nazis controlled all aspects of life:

• Youth: Indoctrinated through Hitler Youth and school curriculum

• Women: Encouraged to focus on “Kinder, Küche, Kirche” (children, kitchen, church)

• Workers: Schemes like Strength Through Joy offered rewards, but no real say

• Terror: SS and Gestapo enforced conformity

• Propaganda: Media, art, and even radio used to spread Nazi ideals

Revise:

• How life changed under Nazi rule

• Who benefited and who suffered?

• The role of fear and control

Paper 1 | Option 6: A World Divided: Superpower Relations, 1943–72

The Prague Spring, 1968

🌸🕊️
Led by Alexander Dubček, Czechoslovakia introduced reforms aiming for "socialism with a human face" – loosening censorship, allowing opposition, and giving more freedom. The USSR, under Brezhnev, saw this as a threat to communist control. In August 1968, Soviet troops invaded to crush the movement.

Revise:

• What were Dubček’s reforms?

• Why did the USSR react so strongly?

• Impact on the Eastern Bloc and Brezhnev Doctrine

The Effects of the Yalta Conference on Relations Between the USSR and the West

📜🇷🇺🇬🇧🇺🇸
Held in February 1945, the Yalta Conference brought Churchill, Roosevelt, and Stalin together. Agreements were made on splitting Germany, free elections in Eastern Europe, and setting up the UN. But tensions simmered – especially over Poland and Soviet intentions.

Revise:

• Key agreements made

• Areas of disagreement

• How Yalta set the stage for Cold War rivalry

The Consequences of the Berlin Crisis, 1948–49

✈️🧱
When the USSR blockaded West Berlin to force out the Allies, the West responded with the Berlin Airlift – supplying the city by air for nearly a year. Stalin backed down, but this crisis had lasting effects.

Revise:

• What caused the blockade?

• How did the airlift work?

• Long-term consequences: NATO formed, Germany split more permanently

Features of the Cold War in the 1950s

🧊💣
The 1950s saw the Cold War heat up despite no direct conflict:

• Arms Race: Both sides developed nuclear weapons

• Propaganda: Each side portrayed the other as evil

• Spying & Espionage: CIA vs KGB

• Korean War (1950–53): Proxy war between capitalist and communist ideologies

• Warsaw Pact (1955): Response to NATO

Revise:

• Key Cold War tensions and events

• Why it was “cold” not “hot”

• Impact on global politics and daily life

Paper 1 | Option 7: A Divided Union: Civil Rights in the USA, 1945–74

Desegregation of Education

🏫🧑‍🤝‍🧑
The fight to desegregate schools was a key moment in the civil rights movement. The Brown v. Board of Education (1954) Supreme Court case ruled that segregation in schools was unconstitutional, overturning Plessy v. Ferguson. This decision sparked resistance in the South and highlighted the federal government’s role in enforcing civil rights.

Revise:

• What was the Brown decision?

• How did states react?

• Link to Little Rock, 1957 – federal vs state power

Effects of the National Organization for Women (NOW) on Women’s Rights

♀️📢
Founded in 1966 by Betty Friedan and others, NOW pushed for equality in work, education, and law. They campaigned for the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), fought against gender discrimination, and supported legal abortion rights.

Revise:

• Aims and methods of NOW

• Achievements and challenges

• Impact on women's role in society

Reasons for the Growth of Anti-Communism, 1945–54

🕵️‍♂️🔴
After WWII, fear of communism spread rapidly – known as the Red Scare. Events like the Soviet atomic bomb, China turning communist (1949), and the Korean War fuelled paranoia. In the USA, Senator McCarthy led aggressive investigations into suspected communists in government, media, and education.

Revise:

• International events causing fear

• Role of McCarthyism

• Impact on American society and politics

Features of the Civil Rights Protests in the 1960s

🚶‍♂️✊🚌
The 1960s were packed with bold, peaceful (and sometimes more militant) protest:

• Sit-ins (e.g., Greensboro, 1960)

• Freedom Rides (testing desegregation laws)

• March on Washington (1963) – MLK’s “I Have a Dream” speech

• Selma to Montgomery marches (1965)

• Rise of Black Power and groups like the Black Panthers

Revise:

• Key events and methods (non-violent vs militant)

• Role of leaders like MLK and Malcolm X

• Government response and impact on laws (Civil Rights Act, Voting Rights Act)

Paper 2 | Option A1: The Origins and Course of the First World War, 1905–18

Weapons Used on the Western Front

🔫💥
Trench warfare led to a brutal arms race.

• Machine Guns: Devastatingly effective – key reason for stalemate

• Artillery: Caused most casualties; long-range, used in barrages

• Gas: First used in 1915 (chlorine, phosgene, mustard gas); terrifying but unpredictable

• Tanks: Introduced in 1916, broke through barbed wire but often broke down

• Planes: Used for reconnaissance and later combat (dogfights!)

Revise:

• Strengths and weaknesses of each weapon

• Impact on soldiers and trench conditions

• How weapons shaped strategies and outcomes

The Ludendorff Spring Offensive (1918)

⚔️🗺️
Germany’s final gamble – launched March 1918 to break the stalemate before US troops arrived. They used stormtrooper tactics (speed and surprise) and made big early gains, pushing Allies back 64km. BUT – it overstretched supply lines and exhausted German troops. By summer, the Allies counterattacked.

Revise:

• Aims and strategy of the offensive

• Short-term success, long-term failure

• How it led to Germany’s defeat later in 1918

The Growth of Balkan Nationalism

🇷🇸🔥
Ethnic groups in the Balkans (like Serbs, Croats, Bosnians) wanted independence from empires like Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire. Serbia was especially nationalist and supported Slavs across the region. This created huge tensions, especially with Austria-Hungary, who feared losing control of its diverse empire.

Revise:

• What nationalism meant in the Balkans

• Role of Serbia and the idea of “Greater Serbia”

• How this created friction with Austria-Hungary

The Reasons for Increased Tensions in the Balkans

💣🌍
Several factors fuelled instability:

• Decline of the Ottoman Empire left a power vacuum

• Austro-Hungarian expansion into Bosnia (1908) angered Serbia

• Balkan Wars (1912–13) made Serbia stronger and more confident

• Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand (1914) was the breaking point

Revise:

• Events from 1905 to 1914

• How each event escalated tensions

• Link to the outbreak of WWI

Paper 2 | Option A2: Russia and the Soviet Union, 1905–24

Tsarist Rule in 1905

👑📉
Tsar Nicholas II ruled as an autocrat – total power, no parliament. But Russia was struggling:

• Economic issues: Poverty, poor working conditions, and famine

• Political unrest: Calls for reform, growing support for revolutionary groups (e.g. Social Revolutionaries, Social Democrats)

• Russo-Japanese War (1904–05): Humiliating defeat, sparked unrest at home

• 1905 Revolution: Triggered by Bloody Sunday – strikes, mutinies, and protests. Tsar promised reforms in the October Manifesto, but backtracked soon after.

Revise:

• Features of Tsarist rule

• Causes and outcomes of the 1905 Revolution

• Impact on Tsar’s authority

The Petrograd Soviet

🗳️⚙️
Set up during the February Revolution (1917), the Petrograd Soviet represented workers and soldiers. It shared power with the Provisional Government in a situation called Dual Power. Though the Provisional Government had official control, the Soviet had real influence – especially with its Order No.1, which gave it authority over the army.

Revise:

• What it was and who it represented

• Role during Dual Power

• Influence on the downfall of the Provisional Government

The Russian Civil War (1918–21)

⚔️🟥🟦
After the Bolsheviks seized power, civil war broke out between the Reds (Bolsheviks) and Whites (a mix of monarchists, liberals, and foreign powers). The war was brutal – famine, disease, and violence were widespread.

Revise:

• Who fought and why

• Role of foreign intervention

• Impact on the Russian people

Reasons for Bolshevik Victory in the Russian Civil War

🏅🚂
The Reds had key advantages:

• Leadership: Trotsky organised the Red Army efficiently and used former Tsarist officers

• Geography: Controlled central Russia – easier to move troops/supplies

• Unity: Reds had one aim; Whites were divided and disorganised

• War Communism: Harsh but kept Red forces supplied

• Terror: Cheka crushed opposition brutally

Revise:

• Strategic and leadership strengths

• Weaknesses of the Whites

• Role of propaganda and terror

Paper 2 | Option A3: The USA, 1918–41

The Changing Position of Women in the 1920s

💃📣
The 1920s saw big changes for some women, especially in cities:

• Flappers: Young, urban women who embraced fashion, jazz, and independence

• Voting rights: Gained in 1920 (19th Amendment)

• Work: More jobs in offices and shops, though most women still had traditional roles

• Limitations: Rural areas and ethnic minorities saw far fewer changes

Revise:

• What changed for women (social, political, economic)

• Who benefited the most?

• Continuing inequalities

The ‘Monkey Trial’

🐒⚖️
In 1925, teacher John Scopes was put on trial for teaching evolution in Tennessee, against state law. The case became a national spectacle, highlighting the clash between modern science and religious fundamentalism.

• Scopes was found guilty, but the trial damaged the fundamentalist image.

Revise:

• Why was the trial important?

• What did it reveal about US society and values in the 1920s?

• Long-term impact on education and science

The Impact of the Great Depression

📉🍞
Following the 1929 Wall Street Crash, the economy collapsed:

• Unemployment soared to 13 million

• Homelessness and poverty rose (shanty towns called "Hoovervilles")

• Farmers hit by the Dust Bowl and falling prices

• Social impact: Decline in living standards, increase in crime, family strain

Revise:

• Who was affected and how?

• Link economic problems to social consequences

• Regional variations (cities vs rural)

Hoover’s Response to the Great Depression

🤝📜
President Herbert Hoover initially believed in rugged individualism – that people should help themselves. His early response was limited:

• Encouraged businesses to keep wages high

• Set up Reconstruction Finance Corporation (RFC) to lend money to banks and businesses

• But... he resisted direct aid to individuals and was criticised for being out of touch

• The Bonus Army incident (1932) made him even more unpopular

Revise:

• What Hoover did and why it was seen as “too little, too late”

• Public reaction to Hoover’s policies

• How this led to Roosevelt’s election in 1932

Paper 2 | Option B2: Changes in Medicine, c1848–c1948

Public Health Reform, 1848–75

🚰🧼
The Industrial Revolution brought overcrowded cities, poor sanitation, and frequent outbreaks of disease (like cholera).

• 1848 Public Health Act: Created a central board of health – limited impact

• John Snow: Proved cholera was waterborne (1854)

• Joseph Bazalgette: Built London’s sewer system

• 1875 Public Health Act: Made local councils responsible for clean water, sewage, and housing

Revise:

• Key individuals and their contributions

• Government attitude shifts (laissez-faire to intervention)

• Impact on public health

The Role of Women in Medicine

👩‍⚕️💪
Women faced barriers but made big contributions:

• Elizabeth Garrett Anderson: First female doctor in Britain (1865)

• Sophia Jex-Blake: Helped open up medical education for women

• WWI gave women chances to work in medicine, nursing, and surgery

• By 1919, women could enter medical professions more freely

Revise:

• Key pioneers and what they achieved

• Impact of WWI on opportunities

• Long-term changes in attitudes and access

Developments in Surgery

🔪🛌
Surgery transformed thanks to three big breakthroughs:

• Anaesthetics: Ether and chloroform allowed longer, pain-free operations

• Antiseptics: Joseph Lister used carbolic acid to prevent infection

• Aseptic surgery: Operating theatres became sterile (gloves, masks, clean tools)

Revise:

• Key individuals and methods

• How public and medical opinions changed over time

• Impact on surgical success rates

The Development of Penicillin

🧫💊

• Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928 by accident

• Didn’t have the tools to mass-produce it

• Florey and Chain developed ways to produce it on a large scale in the 1940s

• Mass production helped save lives in WWII and revolutionised medicine

Revise:

• The roles of Fleming, Florey, and Chain

• Importance of government and US funding

• Impact on infection treatment and antibiotics

Paper 2 | Option B4: China: Conflict, Crisis and Change, 1900–89

Chiang Kai-shek’s Response to Political Opposition Compared to Mao’s Response

🛡️🧨
Chiang Kai-shek (Nationalists):

• Suppressed communists during the White Terror (1927)

• Used military force to crush opposition

• Relied on the Blue Shirts (secret police)

• Focused on unifying China but failed to win mass support

Mao Zedong (Communists):

• Used mass campaigns (e.g. Thought Reform, Anti-Rightist Movement)

• Controlled opposition through propaganda, re-education, and violence

• Cultural Revolution targeted anyone seen as a threat, using Red Guards

Revise:

• Methods of control (violent vs ideological)

• Effectiveness and public support

• Long-term consequences for each leader

Causes of the Great Leap Forward

🌾🏭🔥
Launched in 1958, Mao’s aim was to modernise China rapidly by transforming agriculture and industry.
Key causes:

• Desire to rival Western economies quickly

• Belief in mass mobilisation over expertise

• Mao’s confidence after success of the First Five-Year Plan

• Political reasons: to assert Mao’s authority within the CCP

Revise:

• Mao’s ideology vs reality

• Influence of Soviet-style planning

• Over-ambition and propaganda-fuelled targets

The Impact of Foreign Influence on the Way China Was Governed, 1911–49

🌍⚔️
This period saw major foreign influence:

• 1911 Revolution ended the Qing Dynasty – partly due to Western pressure for reform

• Warlord Era (1916–27): Weak central control, foreign powers (Japan, Britain) had economic zones

• May Fourth Movement (1919): Protested foreign interference, especially Japan’s gains post-WWI

• Sino-Japanese War (1937–45): United Nationalists and Communists temporarily

• Post-WWII US and USSR backed rival sides (KMT vs CCP)

Revise:

• Political instability caused by foreign presence

• Growth of nationalism and anti-imperialism

• How foreign events shaped CCP rise

Changes in Education in China, 1965–89

📚🚫➡️🔄
During the Cultural Revolution (1966–76):

• Schools and universities were closed

• Focus on political indoctrination rather than learning

• Intellectuals persecuted, teachers attacked

Post-Mao Reforms (after 1976):

• Under Deng Xiaoping, education was rebuilt

• More focus on science, maths, and technology

• Exam system restored, emphasis on merit and modernisation

• Less political influence, more practical skills

Revise:

• Contrast between Cultural Revolution and Deng’s era

• Impact on students and teachers

• Role of education in China’s modernisation

Paper 2 | Option B6: The Changing Nature of Warfare and International Conflict, 1919–2011

The Use of Atomic Bombs on Japan (1945)

☢️🇯🇵
The USA dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945 to force Japan to surrender and end WWII. Over 100,000 civilians died, and both cities were devastated.
Reasons for use:

• Avoid a costly land invasion

• Demonstrate power to the USSR

• Japan’s refusal to surrender

Revise:

• Impact on warfare and diplomacy

• Ethical debate and long-term effects

• How it changed future military strategy (start of nuclear age)

Changes in the Nature of Warfare, 1939–45

🪖🛩️💣
WWII saw rapid evolution in warfare:

• Blitzkrieg: Fast, mechanised attacks used by Germany

• Aerial warfare: Mass bombing (e.g. Blitz, Dresden) and aircraft carriers

• Technology: Tanks, radar, and code-breaking (Enigma)

• Civilians became targets: Total war concept

• Nuclear weapons by 1945

Revise:

• Comparison with WWI methods

• Role of science and industry in war

• Effects on soldiers and civilians

The Role of the UN in Peacekeeping

🕊️🌐
Formed in 1945 to maintain peace and prevent future wars.
Successes:

• Peacekeeping missions in Cyprus, Congo, East Timor

• Humanitarian aid and refugee support
  Failures:

• Inaction during Rwanda genocide (1994) and Srebrenica massacre (1995)

• Limited by Security Council vetoes

Revise:

• How peacekeeping works (troops, mandates, diplomacy)

• Case study examples

• Strengths and limitations

The Gulf War (1990–91)

🛢️🪖
Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990. A US-led coalition launched Operation Desert Storm to liberate Kuwait.

• High-tech war: Precision bombing, satellite-guided missiles

• Heavy use of air power before ground assault

• Coalition victory in six weeks

Revise:

• Reasons for conflict (oil, aggression, UN role)

• Impact on warfare (technology, media coverage)

• Consequences for Iraq and the Middle East

📣 OUT NOW! Our AQA GCSE English Language 2025 Predicted Papers are here! 📝

Get exam-ready with a full predicted paper PLUS a video walkthrough of Grade 9 example answers, packed with expert commentary on how to level up your writing. We break down exactly what the examiner’s looking for, how to hit those top bands, and the little tweaks that make a big difference. ✨

Whether you're aiming to boost your confidence or push into the top grade, this resource is your secret weapon 💪📚

AQA GCSE English Language Paper 1

Paper Title: Explorations in Creative Reading and Writing
Total Marks: 80
Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Split:

• Section A: Reading (40 marks)

• Section B: Writing (40 marks)

📖 Section A: Reading (1 fiction extract) – 45 mins total

You'll be given an extract from a novel. All questions are based on this.

🔍 Question 1: List four things

Marks: 4
Timing: 5 mins
Style: Very literal—pick out four simple facts or details from a specific part of the text.
✅ Tip: No analysis needed. Just quote or paraphrase accurately. Don't explain!

✨ Question 2: Language analysis

Marks: 8
Timing: 10 mins
Style: How the writer uses language to describe/impact/create effect.
✅ Use a strong paragraph structure, like PETAL
✅ Focus on word choice, similes, metaphors, sentence structure, etc.
🎯 Try to cover 2–3 short quotes and explain how they affect the reader.

🧱 Question 3: Structure analysis

Marks: 8
Timing: 10 mins
Style: How the writer has structured the whole text to interest the reader.
✅ Comment on shifts in focus, contrasts, opening/ending, paragraphing, etc.
✅ Use terms like narrative perspective, zoom in/out, or cyclical structure.
🎯 Try to write 2–3 paragraphs, focusing on the effect of structure.

🗣️ Question 4: Evaluation (your opinion)

Marks: 20
Timing: 20 mins
Style: “To what extent do you agree?”
✅ Use evidence to back up your opinion
✅ Analyse the language/structure like Q2 and Q3
🎯 Make sure to cover both what the writer does and why it's effective

✍️ Section B: Writing – 45 mins total

You'll choose one task, usually a descriptive or narrative writing prompt.

✨ Question 5: Creative writing

Marks: 40
Timing: 45 mins (including planning and proofreading)
Choose ONE of:

• Write a description inspired by a picture

• Write the opening or continuation of a story based on a theme

✅ Spend 5–10 minutes planning (characters, setting, structure)
✅ Use a clear structure—a beginning, a build-up, a high point, and a resolution.
✅ Aim for vivid vocabulary, varied sentence structures, and literary techniques (similes, metaphors, personification, etc.)
✅ Proofread at the end to fix spelling, punctuation, and grammar.

🎯 Marks Breakdown:

• 24 marks for content (imagination, clarity, structure)

• 16 marks for SPaG (Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar)

🕒 Suggested Paper Timing Overview:

✅ Final Tip: Practise each question type individually AND as full papers. The more familiar you are, the more confident you’ll feel on exam day 💚

AQA GCSE English Language Paper 2

Paper Title: Writers’ Viewpoints and Perspectives
Total Marks: 80
Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Split:

• Section A: Reading (40 marks)

• Section B: Writing (40 marks)

📖 Section A: Reading – 1 hour total

You’ll be given two non-fiction texts (from different time periods). All questions are based on comparing and analysing these.

📋 Question 1: True or false

Marks: 4
Timing: 5 mins
Style: Select four statements that are true based on Source A
✅ Tip: Just shade or tick the correct boxes—no explaining needed. Be careful not to infer or assume anything that isn’t directly in the text!

✨ Question 2: Summary

Marks: 8
Timing: 10 mins
Style: Summarise differences or similarities between the two sources.
✅ Focus on content only, not language
✅ Use short quotes to back up your points
🎯 Use a simple structure like:

• Both texts show... but in different ways

• Source A says... whereas Source B shows...

🔍 Question 3: Language analysis

Marks: 12
Timing: 15 mins
Style: How does the writer use language to... (only Source B)
✅ Choose 2–3 quotes and zoom in on word choices, tone, figurative language, etc.
✅ Talk about effect on the reader
🎯 Use PETAL or PEAZ (Point, Evidence, Analyse, Zoom-in)

⚖️ Question 4: Comparison of viewpoints

Marks: 16
Timing: 20 mins
Style: Compare the writers’ attitudes/viewpoints and how they express them
✅ Cover both content and tone/language
✅ Comment on methods (tone, emotive language, rhetorical devices)
✅ Use comparison phrases: whereas, similarly, on the other hand
🎯 Structure tip: alternate between sources (A then B) or group points by theme

✍️ Section B: Writing – 45 mins total

You’ll write a non-fiction text—often a letter, article, speech, or essay—on a given topic.

🗣️ Question 5: Transactional writing

Marks: 40
Timing: 45 mins (include planning + proofreading)
Examples:

• Write a letter to your MP about school lunches 🍽️

• Write a speech arguing for or against mobile phones in schools 📱

• Write an article about the importance of protecting the environment 🌍

✅ Identify form, audience and purpose—this affects your tone and structure
✅ Use clear paragraphs and linking devices (however, furthermore, in contrast)
✅ Include rhetorical techniques: facts/statistics, emotive language, direct address
✅ Plan your 3–4 main points before you begin
🎯 Marks Breakdown:

• 24 marks for content (how convincing, clear, and structured your argument is)

• 16 marks for SPaG (Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar)

🕒 Suggested Paper Timing Overview:

✅ Top Tip: Know how to adapt your tone—formal for a letter to an authority figure, passionate and persuasive for a speech, and informative but engaging for an article.

Sometimes, it is hard to work out how to get the answer.

We've all been there: You look at an exam question and the mark scheme, but you have no idea how to connect the two and no one to ask for help. 

This is a screenshot from one of our maths exam paper walkthroughs. You can see how we use colour to highlight the connected parts, how we clearly lay out the different steps needed to get to the final answer, and how we lay things out simply to allow students to follow along with our work. This is in addition to the voice-over by our excellent and experienced teacher, Charlotte, who calmly talks you through the paper.

These are all included with our predicted papers, so you get them with every purchase!

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✅ Exam-style questions covering all key topics
✅ Mark schemes to show you exactly how to hit those high-level marks
✅ Full video walkthroughs explaining how to structure and improve your answers
✅ Pre-release questions and guidance so you know exactly how to tackle that unfamiliar resource!

These resources are designed to take the stress out of Geography—so you can focus on understanding, linking case studies, and showing off everything you’ve learned.

AQA GCSE Geography Paper 1 Predictions

🌋 Tectonic Hazards

Focus on causes, effects, and responses to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Know the difference between primary and secondary effects and between immediate and long-term responses. Case study: compare a LIC/NEE (e.g. Nepal 2015) with a HIC (e.g. Chile 2010). Understand plate boundaries and why people live in hazard-prone areas. Use the three Ps: prediction, protection, planning.

🌡️ Adaptation to Climate Change

This is about how we live with climate change, not stop it! Know examples of:

• Agricultural adaptation (e.g. drought-resistant crops)

• Managing water supply (e.g. desalination, rainwater collection)

• Coping with rising sea levels (e.g. sea walls, managed retreat) Be ready to explain why adaptation is needed and link to specific regions or strategies from case studies.

🌀 Impacts of Tropical Storms

Know the structure and formation of tropical storms and how climate change may affect their frequency and intensity. Learn a named example like Typhoon Haiyan: include primary/secondary effects and immediate/long-term responses. Use terms like storm surge, high winds, flooding. Be prepared to evaluate the effectiveness of responses.

🌳 Deforestation

Focus on tropical rainforests, especially the Amazon. Know causes: logging, farming, mining, road building. Impacts include loss of biodiversity, climate change, and indigenous displacement. Learn sustainable management strategies like selective logging, ecotourism, and debt reduction. Use data and examples!

🐪❄️ Economic Development in Desert/Cold Environments

Use the Thar Desert and Svalbard (Arctic) as case studies. Know opportunities (e.g. tourism, mining, energy) and challenges (e.g. extreme temperatures, accessibility). Explain how development is managed sustainably in harsh conditions. Link to fragile environments and human activity impacts.

🌊 Coastal Erosion

Understand erosional processes: hydraulic action, abrasion, attrition, and solution. Be able to explain the formation of features like headlands, bays, caves, arches, stacks. Use a named UK example (e.g. Holderness Coast). Know hard and soft engineering methods for coastal management and their pros/cons.

🌧️ Flood Risk for Rivers

Know physical and human factors that increase flood risk: precipitation, geology, urbanisation, deforestation. Use a case study like Boscastle or Cumbria floods. Understand how to interpret storm hydrographs and describe flood management strategies (e.g. dams, flood relief channels, flood warnings).

❄️ Managing Glacial Landscapes

Glacial landscapes = erosional and depositional features (e.g. U-shaped valleys, moraines, drumlins). Know how these features form and how people use these areas (tourism, hydroelectric power, farming). Learn about conflicts and management strategies in glaciated areas (e.g. Snowdonia or the Lake District).

AQA GCSE Geography Paper 2 Predictions

🌆 Urban Growth in LICs & NEEs

Focus on push and pull factors for rural-urban migration and the growth of megacities. Use a case study like Rio de Janeiro or Mumbai. Know about challenges (e.g. housing shortages, traffic, waste management) and solutions like site and service schemes, self-help housing, or improving education and healthcare. Use terms like urbanisation, informal economy, and favela.

🏙️ Urban Change in UK Cities

Case study required—typically London or Bristol. Know about causes of change (deindustrialisation, migration), and effects on socio-economic and environmental aspects. Learn about urban regeneration projects (e.g. London Docklands or Temple Quarter in Bristol) and how cities are becoming more sustainable (transport, green spaces, energy use).

🏗️ Investment Development Projects

Focus on how global investment and foreign aid help LICs/NEEs develop. Use a named example such as China investing in Africa or the Jubilee Line Extension in the UK. Know how investment improves infrastructure, creates jobs, and promotes economic growth—but also explore potential drawbacks like debt or inequality.

🚄 UK Transport Infrastructure

Know improvements in roads, railways, ports, and airports. Key examples include:

• HS2 and its pros/cons

• London Crossrail

• Liverpool2 port expansion Explain how these projects improve economic growth, reduce congestion, and improve regional connectivity—but also consider environmental and social impacts.

🚰 Water Quality in the UK

Know why water quality matters (health, environment) and how it's maintained (treatment plants, regulations). Understand causes of pollution: agricultural runoff, industrial waste, sewage. Learn strategies for managing water quality like monitoring, improving treatment, and education campaigns.

🍽️ Food Insecurity

Know the causes: climate change, poverty, conflict, poor infrastructure. Understand the impacts: malnutrition, economic instability, reliance on imports. Case studies might include Sahel region or Bangladesh. Learn about sustainable solutions like irrigation, GM crops, and appropriate technology (e.g. drip irrigation).

💧 Water Insecurity

Understand both physical scarcity (e.g. low rainfall) and economic scarcity (e.g. lack of investment). Case studies: Africa’s Sahel region, California, or South Asia. Know the impacts—on health, farming, industry—and management strategies like dams, water transfer schemes, and conservation.

⚡ Energy Insecurity

Understand causes: rising demand, depletion of resources, political conflict, reliance on fossil fuels. Know the consequences: increased costs, conflict, energy rationing. Case studies might include Russia/Ukraine gas supplies, or UK’s shift to renewables. Learn management strategies: diversifying energy mix, renewables, fracking, and conservation.

AQA GCSE Geography Paper 3 Pre Release