AQA GCSE English Literature Paper 1 2025 Mark Scheme

Get the official AQA GCSE English Literature Paper 1 mark scheme from the June 2025 series (8702/1) — the final v1.0 examiner-approved document used to award marks across all Section A Shakespeare and Section B 19th-century novel responses. This PDF provides the exact level descriptors, assessment objectives (AO1, AO2, AO3, AO4), and indicative content used by examiners to mark student answers in the live exam.

Use it to mark your June 2025 Paper 1 responses with precision — including how examiners assess Macbeth ambition, Romeo and Juliet family relationships, A Christmas Carol kindness, and Jekyll and Hyde secrecy. The mark scheme also includes the full Level 1–6 band criteria and examiner guidance on “best fit” marking and interpretation. Pair it with the matching AQA 8702/1 June 2025 question paper on markscheme.net for complete exam practice. Updated for the 2025/2026 academic year, optimised for mobile and desktop, and instantly downloadable from markscheme.net — your fastest route to top-grade English Literature revision.

This is for GCSE English Literature students preparing for the 2026 exam series, including Year 11 candidates, retake students targeting Grade 7–9, and home-schooled learners who need to understand exactly how examiners award marks for essays and extract-based responses.

It is also essential for teachers, tutors, and revision providers who need authoritative marking criteria for standardising essays, delivering mark-scheme walkthroughs, and identifying common misconceptions. Parents supporting revision can use this to understand how grades are awarded and where improvement is needed.