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9670 · Oxford AQA International AS Level

9670/11

Paper 1

English Language · 2023 · Variant 1

Relative difficulty

Demanding · 3.8/5

Analysis source: Oxford AQA

Analysis aligned to the official syllabus and assessment design.

Relative difficulty

3.8 / 5

Total marks

100

Duration

240 min

Most tested topic

Linguistic analysis of text in context and socio-linguistic discourse writing

Cohort performance

Session statistics from official examination reports

Total marks

100

Duration

240 min

Session difficulty

3.8 / 5

Key examiner messages

Top priorities from the principal examiner before you revise

1

An analysis of the January 2023 Oxford AQA International AS English Language papers (Unit 1 and Unit 2).

2

Unit 1 evaluates Language and Context through reading comprehension and directed writing focused on reading habits.

3

Unit 2 assesses Language and Society, focusing on a playful horse-themed warning notice and an essay debating the impact of context on language.

Question difficulty map

How candidates performed on each question in this series

No data available in official reports

Assessment objectives

Skill and AO weighting from official examiner commentary

Linguistic Terminology7
Textual5
Analysis4
Register & Creative Writing3
Formulae C Socio-linguistic2

Skill weighting

Shows the skill mix this paper tested most heavily.

Linguistic TerminologyLinguisticTerminologyTextualTextualAnalysisAnalysisRegister & Creative WritingRegister &Creative WritingFormulae C Socio-linguisticFormulae CSocio-linguistic
SkillWeightShare
  • Linguistic Terminology

    Weight: 7100%
  • Textual

    Weight: 571%
  • Analysis

    Weight: 457%
  • Register & Creative Writing

    Weight: 343%
  • Formulae C Socio-linguistic

    Weight: 229%

Method marks watchlist

Where working, steps, or method marks were commonly lost

No data available in official reports

Recurring mistakes across years

Themes examiners flag in multiple recent sessions for this subject

No data available in official reports

Question choice intelligence

Mean scores and popularity for optional questions (HKDSE electives)

No data available in official reports

Level exemplars

What candidate scripts at each grade level looked like

No data available in official reports

Grade & admission context

How marks relate to grade thresholds and entry standards

Report type

Examiner report — national grade boundaries and question-level commentary

Level A

Approx. 80% of maximum mark

Level B

Approx. 70% of maximum mark

Level C

Approx. 60% of maximum mark

Level D

Approx. 50% of maximum mark

Level E

Approx. 40% of maximum mark

Deep insights

What top candidates did

Techniques and approaches examiners rewarded in this series

No data available in official reports

Command word playbook

How to match each command word to the expected response style

ExamineFrequency: 2

Match the expected response style for “Examine” questions.

WriteFrequency: 2

Match the expected response style for “Write” questions.

farFrequency: 1

Match the expected response style for “far” questions.

Time traps

Sections where candidates spent disproportionate time relative to marks

No data available in official reports

Syllabus traceability

Topics linked to questions and mark weighting in this session

Understanding texts (Language and context)

25 marks this session

Directed writing (Language and context)

25 marks this session

Language and social groups: texts (Language and society)

25 marks this session

Language and social groups: writing (Language and society)

25 marks this session

MCQ trap analytics

Commonly chosen wrong options from examiner commentary

No data available in official reports

Topic heatmap across years

Mark concentration by topic and exam year for this subject

Mark intensity

LowHigh
Topic
2023
2024
2025
Σ

Understanding texts (Language and context)

25
25
25
75

Directed writing (Language and context)

25
25
25
75

Language and social groups: texts (Language and society)

25
25
25
75

Language and social groups: writing (Language and society)

25
25
25
75

Understanding texts

25
25

Directed writing

25
25

Language and social groups: texts

25
25

Language and social groups: writing

25
25

Difficulty trend

How session difficulty has shifted across recent years

2023202420252025
2023 2023 · 3.8/52024 2024 · 3.5/52025 June 2025 · 3.8/52025 Winter 2025 · 3.4/5

Paper comparison

Marks and duration breakdown across papers in this session

Unit 1: Language and context: Unit 2: Language and society:

50 marks120 min

Marks you can still earn

Where valid approaches outside the mark scheme may still gain credit

No data available in official reports

Practise what examiners flagged

Target weak topics from this report inside the Revui app

Self-diagnostic checklist

Key actions before you sit this paper — copy and tick off as you revise

  • 1Message

    An analysis of the January 2023 Oxford AQA International AS English Language papers (Unit 1 and Unit 2).

  • 2Message

    Unit 1 evaluates Language and Context through reading comprehension and directed writing focused on reading habits.

  • 3Message

    Unit 2 assesses Language and Society, focusing on a playful horse-themed warning notice and an essay debating the impact of context on language.

Teacher briefing pack

One-page session summary for tutors and classroom review

2023 2023

English Language

An analysis of the January 2023 Oxford AQA International AS English Language papers (Unit 1 and Unit 2). Unit 1 evaluates Language and Context through reading comprehension and directed writing focused on reading habits. Unit 2 assesses Language and Society, focusing on a playful

  • An analysis of the January 2023 Oxford AQA International AS English Language papers (Unit 1 and Unit 2).

  • Unit 1 evaluates Language and Context through reading comprehension and directed writing focused on reading habits.

  • Unit 2 assesses Language and Society, focusing on a playful horse-themed warning notice and an essay debating the impact of context on language.

Total marks
100
Duration
240 min
Session difficulty
3.8 / 5

Session analysis

An analysis of the January 2023 Oxford AQA International AS English Language papers (Unit 1 and Unit 2). Unit 1 evaluates Language and Context through reading comprehension and directed writing focused on reading habits. Unit 2 assesses Language and Society, focusing on a playful horse-themed warning notice and an essay debating the impact of context on language.

Updated Jun 12, 2026

Paper breakdown

Unit 1: Language and context: Unit 2: Language and society:

50 marks120 min

Top chapters

Understanding texts (Language and context)25 marks
Directed writing (Language and context)25 marks
Language and social groups: texts (Language and society)25 marks
Language and social groups: writing (Language and society)25 marks

Exam structure insights

Marks by chapter

See where the marks were concentrated so revision time goes to the highest-value topics.

Understanding texts (Language a25 marks
Directed writing (Language and25 marks
Language and social groups: tex25 marks
Language and social groups: wri25 marks

Mark accessibility

Estimate which marks were basic, mid-level, or high-difficulty.

75% within easy or medium reach

30
45
25
Easy: 30 marksMedium: 45 marksHard: 25 marks

Command word frequency

Spot common command words so answers match the expected response style.

Examine2 times
Write2 times
far1 times

Question type mix

Compare the mark share of each paper section and question type.

100Marks
  • Linguistic Text Analysis

    (Comparative/Single)

    50·2·50%

  • Directed Writing

    (Leaflet/Talk/Essay)

    50·2·50%

Study ROI

Bigger bubbles recur more often; higher bubbles carry more marks, helping you rank revision priorities.

DifficultyRecurrence %Directed Writing F…Comparative Textua…Linguistic Power A…Sociolinguistic Co…

Next-year prediction

Topics worth watching next year, with the reason shown directly below each bar.

Journalistic Article for Directed Writing

90%

90%

Gender-linked language / Age-related language

85%

85%

Analysis is paraphrased for study purposes. Always verify against the official examiner report and mark scheme.

9670/11 — Oxford AQA International AS Level English Language (2023) | Revui