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ENGLISH-LANGUAGE-AND-LITERATURE-9EL0 · Pearson Edexcel A Level

ENGLISH-LANGUAGE-AND-LITERATURE-9EL0/21

Paper 2

English Language and Literature · June 2022 · Variant 1

Relative difficulty

Demanding · 3.8/5

Analysis source: Pearson Edexcel

Analysis aligned to the official syllabus and assessment design.

Relative difficulty

3.8 / 5

Total marks

150

Duration

315 min

Most tested topic

Child Language Acquisition and Literacy Development

Cohort performance

Session statistics from official examination reports

Total marks

150

Duration

315 min

Session difficulty

3.8 / 5

Key examiner messages

Top priorities from the principal examiner before you revise

1

In Paper 1 (Language Variation), top-performing candidates excelled by moving away from simple feature-spotting.

2

Success in Section A (Individual Variation) hinged on comparative analysis (AO4) of Text A's spoken DJ interview transcript and Text B's written Instagram posts, tracing how personal identity is constructed via contrasting mediums.

3

In Section B (Variation over Time), high-scoring responses systematically tracked the evolution from 17th-century non-standardized orthography (such as the use of the Old English letter thorn <y> in 'yt' and 'ye') to the highly stylized travel journalism of the 21st century.

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 Analysis8
Conceptual Understanding6
Contextual Evaluation4
Comparative/ Connections2

Skill weighting

Shows the skill mix this paper tested most heavily.

Linguistic AnalysisLinguisticAnalysisConceptual UnderstandingConceptualUnderstandingContextual EvaluationContextualEvaluationComparative/ ConnectionsComparative/Connections
SkillWeightShare
  • Linguistic Analysis

    Weight: 8100%
  • Conceptual Understanding

    Weight: 675%
  • Contextual Evaluation

    Weight: 450%
  • Comparative/ Connections

    Weight: 225%

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. 75% of maximum mark

Level A

Approx. 67% of maximum mark

Level B

Approx. 55% of maximum mark

Level C

Approx. 43% of maximum mark

Level D

Approx. 31% of maximum mark

Level E

Approx. 20% 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

AnalyseFrequency: 3

Break into parts and explain how each contributes to the whole question focus.

CompareFrequency: 2

Identify similarities and differences explicitly — paired sentences or a table helps.

DiscussFrequency: 5

Present multiple perspectives with evidence; balance breadth and depth.

extentFrequency: 5

Match the expected response style for “extent” questions.

Time traps

Sections where candidates spent disproportionate time relative to marks

Paper 3 Section A35m / 15 marks

Min per mark: 2.3

Paper 3 Section B70m / 30 marks

Min per mark: 2.3

Paper 275m / 45 marks

Min per mark: 1.7

Syllabus traceability

Topics linked to questions and mark weighting in this session

Child Language Acquisition and Literacy Development

45 marks this session

Investigating Language

45 marks this session

Individual Variation

30 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
2022
2023
2024
Σ

Investigating Language

45
45
90

Individual Variation

30
30
30
90

Child Language Acquisition and Literacy Development

45
45
90

Variation over Time

30
30
60

Child Language Acquisition

45
45

Investigating Language (Global, Regional, and Topic-Specific)

45
45

Difficulty trend

How session difficulty has shifted across recent years

202220232024
2022 June 2022 · 3.8/52023 June 2023 · 3.8/52024 June 2024 · 3.8/5

Paper comparison

Marks and duration breakdown across papers in this session

Paper 1: Language Variation:

60 marks135 min

Paper 2: Child Language:

45 marks75 min

Paper 3: Investigating Language:

45 marks105 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

    In Paper 1 (Language Variation), top-performing candidates excelled by moving away from simple feature-spotting.

  • 2Message

    Success in Section A (Individual Variation) hinged on comparative analysis (AO4) of Text A's spoken DJ interview transcript and Text B's written Instagram posts, tracing how personal identity is constructed via contrasting mediums.

  • 3Message

    In Section B (Variation over Time), high-scoring responses systematically tracked the evolution from 17th-century non-standardized orthography (such as the use of the Old English letter thorn <y> in 'yt' and 'ye') to the highly stylized travel journalism of the 21st century.

Teacher briefing pack

One-page session summary for tutors and classroom review

June 2022 2022

English Language and Literature

In Paper 1 (Language Variation), top-performing candidates excelled by moving away from simple feature-spotting. Success in Section A (Individual Variation) hinged on comparative analysis (AO4) of Text A's spoken DJ interview transcript and Text B's written Instagram posts, traci

  • In Paper 1 (Language Variation), top-performing candidates excelled by moving away from simple feature-spotting.

  • Success in Section A (Individual Variation) hinged on comparative analysis (AO4) of Text A's spoken DJ interview transcript and Text B's written Instagram posts, tracing how personal identity is constructed via contrasting mediums.

  • In Section B (Variation over Time), high-scoring responses systematically tracked the evolution from 17th-century non-standardized orthography (such as the use of the Old English letter thorn <y> in 'yt' and 'ye') to the highly stylized travel journalism of the 21st century.

Total marks
150
Duration
315 min
Session difficulty
3.8 / 5

Session analysis

In Paper 1 (Language Variation), top-performing candidates excelled by moving away from simple feature-spotting. Success in Section A (Individual Variation) hinged on comparative analysis (AO4) of Text A's spoken DJ interview transcript and Text B's written Instagram posts, tracing how personal identity is constructed via contrasting mediums. In Section B (Variation over Time), high-scoring responses systematically tracked the evolution from 17th-century non-standardized orthography (such as the use of the Old English letter thorn <y> in 'yt' and 'ye') to the highly stylized travel journalism of the 21st century.

Updated Jun 14, 2026

Paper breakdown

Paper 1: Language Variation:

60 marks135 min

Paper 2: Child Language:

45 marks75 min

Paper 3: Investigating Language:

45 marks105 min

Top chapters

Child Language Acquisition and Literacy Development45 marks
Investigating Language45 marks
Individual Variation30 marks

Exam structure insights

Marks by chapter

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

Child Language Acquisition and45 marks
Investigating Language45 marks
Individual Variation30 marks
Variation over Time30 marks

Mark accessibility

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

73% within easy or medium reach

40
70
40
Easy: 40 marksMedium: 70 marksHard: 40 marks

Command word frequency

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

Analyse3 times
Compare2 times
Discuss5 times
extent5 times

Question type mix

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

150Marks
  • Comparative Essay

    60·2·40%

  • Extended Analysis Essay

    45·1·30%

  • Evaluative Research Essay

    30·1·20%

  • Data Analysis Essay

    15·1·10%

Study ROI

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

DifficultyRecurrence %Child Language Acq…Individual VariationVariation over TimeInvestigating Lang…Investigating Lang…

Time vs marks

Compare marks with suggested time allocation to plan exam pacing.

MarksMinutesMarks / min

Paper 2

0.60 m/min
45
75

Paper 3 Section A

0.43 m/min
15
35

Paper 3 Section B

0.43 m/min
30
70

Total marks

90

Total time

180 min

Avg pace

0.50

Cumulative marks ladder

The line is your running mark total question by question; dashed lines are the estimated grade cut-offs. See which question the line crosses your target grade at, so you know how far you must answer cleanly and which questions decide a band.

03875113150A* estimatedA estimatedB estimatedC estimatedD estimatedE estimatedU estimated3060105120150

Next-year prediction

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

Child Language Acquisition (Spoken/Multimodal)

85%

85%

Language and Power (Digital/Social Media)

80%

80%

Regional Variation (Multicultural London English)

75%

75%

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

ENGLISH-LANGUAGE-AND-LITERATURE-9EL0/21 — Pearson Edexcel A Level English Language and Literature (June 2022) | Revui