How to Get an A* in A Level English Literature
Achieving an A* in A Level English Literature requires more than just a love for reading; it demands a strategic approach to studying, critical thinking, and mastery of exam techniques. With its unique blend of textual analysis, thematic exploration, and understanding of historical and cultural contexts, English Literature can feel daunting to revise for—but with the right methods, you can confidently prepare to get an A*.
In this guide, we’ll break down essential strategies to help you study effectively, from getting to know your texts inside out to building a strong bank of quotations by theme. You’ll find practical revision techniques, tips for acing exam questions, and advice on working with A Level English literature past papers to sharpen your skills. Whether you’re struggling with essay structure, analysing complex language, or meeting the A Level English literature assessment objectives, this guide will give you a clear plan to approach your revision and make the most of your study time.
Contents:
How to approach English Literature A Level Revision
Know your texts inside out
There is no real cheat in English literature to compensate for not knowing your primary texts (the texts you study!) inside out. They are the foundation of your essays and it’s really important you’re clear on what happens, when it happens and who does it. This means reading your texts closely from start to finish and then re-reading them selectively to focus in on key scenes or character moments that are central to the narrative.
Throughout your A Level study, it’s important you dedicate time to making clear notes on your primary texts. This could mean annotating interesting sections, noting down useful contexts and making links between different sections of the text, or across different texts if required.
While your A Level English Literature revision might feel daunting, once you get to grips with the fundamentals of the texts you’re studying, everything else will become a lot easier!
Identify key characters and themes
Once you feel confident with your texts, you can start to identify central characters and themes. You should get a good idea of what these are as you are reading (think about what ideas keep recurring and what is essential to the events of the text).
You could also use your exam board syllabus or A Level English past papers to help you identify them. Select some past papers and look at the question titles. Often they will ask you about key themes (e.g. love, desire, loss, madness) or about the main characters. Once you have identified a selection of characters and themes to prepare notes on, you can return to key scenes where these are mentioned and see what new information you notice.
The next task is to turn this information into useful revision notes …
Create a bank of quotations by theme
You should always structure your A Level English Literature revision notes thematically and not by scene. By taking a thematic approach, you are already thinking critically about the text and organising your ideas in a way that will help you answer exam questions, not just listing what happens in each scene.
We recommend creating a bank of quotations for each of the themes you identified in the previous step. Be selective (and realistic!) in choosing these quotations. You can’t memorise everything every character in the book said! Think about what is most useful for each theme, and if you can choose quotations that could be versatile enough to apply to multiple questions.
How you create these notes is up to you. What’s important to remember is keeping them concise. You cannot learn from long pages of text like the notes you probably write in class. You need to condense key information per topic in one place. If you’re a visual learner, you might enjoy creating a mind map of quotations for each topic, using different colours to aid memory retention. If you prefer a more organised or digital approach, you could try creating an online table, organising your quotations by topic so they’re easy to refer back to.
Alongside quotations, you should also include other useful information for each topic that will help you meet the A-level English Literature assessment objectives. This might be a useful nugget of context or a detail of an adaptation you enjoyed.
U2 Tuition Quick Tip: Don’t spend forever on these notes! It’s tempting to take lots of time and make your A Level English literature revision notes as pretty as possible, but that won’t actually help you in the exam. Make sure that most of your revision time is devoted to the next two steps which use active recall to ensure you memorise information for the exam!
Use flashcards or online flashcards to memorise these
Once you’ve made your notes, it’s time to learn them.
Active recall is a really important part of effective revision. It feels hard but that’s a sign that your brain is really working to remember the information that’s going to come in handy when you’re taking your exam!
An easy and effective active recall strategy to help you memorise your A Level English literature revision notes is using flashcards to consistently test yourself. For your A Level English literature revision, you should create flashcards with a question on one side and bullet point answers on the other. You might also like digital flashcards such as Quizlet, Anki and Brainscape. Not only can you practise while on the way to school but these online softwares will keep track of your progress and make sure you spend more time on the questions you’re less confident on.
You could also work with friends and classmates to test each other and keep your learning varied.
How to Revise Using A-Level English Literature Past Papers
Using past papers is essential to your A Level English Literature revision. Past papers can help you test your memory, understand the question format and hone exam technique. Here’s three ways you can build them effectively into your revision to help you score an A* in A Level English Literature:
Active Recall
You can use A Level English Literature past papers as part of memorising your notes. Turn them into an active recall exercise by answering a past paper question without your notes. Set a timer and see how much you can put down on the page and how you would plan an essay with what you know. Then, take a different colour pen and use your notes to fill in any gaps and perfect your answer!
This is a great way to spot any gaps in your A Level English Literature revision so far and to practise applying your knowledge in a constructive way!
Acing exam technique
Using A Level English Literature past papers strategically can help boost your understanding of the exam technique required to get an A* in the exam.
Look through some past papers to get a sense of the types of themes that frequently come up and the style of the questions. Then, practise answering some. At the start of your revision, give yourself lots of time to answer questions and just focus on one question from an A Level English literature past paper at a time. Then, as you get more confident in your knowledge of the topics and answer questions quicker, you can attempt the whole paper.
After you’ve answered a question, you should refer to mark schemes and examiners’ reports. These should be available on the website of the exam board you’re taking. You can use these to helpfully get a sense of what an ideal answer would look like, or where a lot of candidates went wrong and how you can avoid doing the same in future!
Practise exam conditions
When you’re more confident, try an A Level English literature past paper under timed, exam conditions! This is a really important part of revision that will help you hone your exam technique. A big challenge of the A Level English literature exam is answering all the questions well with the time constraints of the exam. By practising, you can work out how much time you need for each section of the exam and ensure you have enough time to plan, write and check your answers.
When you do complete A Level English literature past papers, make sure you get feedback on what you did well and the areas where you could still improve. You could ask your teacher if they can mark it for you, or you could also work with a tutor specialist in supporting A Level English Literature revision who can mark your work and provide tailored strategies to help you improve before your final exam.
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Meeting A Level English Literature Assessment Objectives
If you’re looking to get an A* in English, learning to meet the A Level English Literature Assessment Objectives is fundamental. The assessment objectives are the same across exam boards. Here’s what they’re each asking you to do:
AO1: Are you answering the question and able to form your own argument?
This AO is testing your ability to write clearly in response to the question and come up with an argument where your ideas develop through the essay. You are also being asked to use direct quotations in a way that helps provide evidence for your argument!
AO2: are you analysing the effect of the language the writer is using?
At A Level you really need to be strong at providing in-depth analysis of language. Remember it’s not enough to just acknowledge a language feature e.g. a metaphor or a plosive; you need to analyse the effect. Your analysis should also help move your overall argument forward by supporting the thesis of your essay!
U2 Tuition Tip: Remember the P.E.E structure to help you do this!
AO3: Can you show an understanding of the social/historical/political context in which the text was written?
In your answers, you need to be able to show an understanding of the context in which the text was produced. This could be an understanding of women’s rights in the period, or evidence of how a contemporary audience responded to the text. You should think about what context is relevant to include for the question you are answering but make sure you have a good understanding of a broad range of context relevant to the text.
AO4: Have you made connections across literary texts?
If the question is asking you to compare two texts, this AO is looking for you to make clear comparisons across them. Make sure you structure your essay clearly to highlight the comparisons you are making.
AO5: Have you shown an awareness of multiple meanings and interpretations?
This could be your own approach to the text, showing that a phrase or scene could be interpreted in two different ways, or including a critic’s argument on the text. Students often struggle with meeting this assessment objective as it tends to require the most work beyond the text. However, reading critical essays is also a great way to familiarise yourself with what a strong argument looks like and should help you get an A* in A Level English Literature as you engage with more complex ideas and writing. A specialist tutor can help introduce you to these more complex critical ideas that will boost your work and help you get an A* in A Level English literature.
You can also meet the AO5 requirement by engaging with a re-interpretation of your text. If it’s a play, how has it been adapted in different stage performances, or for screen? You could also look at retellings, such as Margaret Atwood’s Hagseed, a retelling of The Tempest, which can offer a very different engagement with the original text you study and allow you to offer an interesting insight that will impress the examiner!
Take a look at our guide to going beyond set texts, a useful resource to help you get an A* in A Level English literature. You may also be interested in taking our Comparative Literature Theory and Practise Master Class, run by our co-curricular division, Minds Underground. In this masterclass, you will work one-on-one with a subject expert in order to gain an introduction to key critical theory that will boost you to the top marks of A Level and beyond. Especially for students looking to take English Literature to degree level, this is a great introduction which will help you handle criticism in your A Level essays.
How to get an A* in A Level English Literature
If you’re looking to stand out from the crowd and get an A* in A Level English literature, here are some ways to really take your responses to the next level:
Essay Structure
An A* worthy essay will have a great essay structure. This means the introduction will address the question, situate the response in some kind of wider context and introduce key themes of the argument. Your argument itself should naturally develop through the essay and easily use quotations from the text to support it.
Original Ideas
It’s important that your writing shows a confidence in your argument and your original ideas in response to the question. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel but you do need to show that you have lots of ideas about the text and the different ways you could engage with it. Critics are important and key to scoring highly but they shouldn’t replace your argument!
Hone your close analysis
Close analysis is a really essential part of the A Level and so it should be an integral part of your A Level English Literature revision. Practise analysing excerpts of your text so you’re prepared for close analysis questions but also make sure you’re confident with analysing unseen poetry! When you do this, remember to think about form and the shape and sounds of the poem. You could sign up to the Poetry Foundation Poem of the Day email and get sent a new poem each day to practise your analysis on, or try Ruth Padel’s 52 Ways of Looking at a Poem, which offers 52 poems each with great commentary and analysis to inspire you.
Reflect
You should constantly reflect on your A Level English Literature revision journey. What are you confident in and what needs more work? When you’ve written an essay, examine your technique: what could you do better?
You could also work with a tutor to provide a tailored A Level English Literature revision programme designed to lead you through the whole process and target your weakest areas to ensure you’re ready to excel and get an A* in your A Level English Literature exam.
Working With a Tutor to Get an A* in A Level English Literature
If you're looking to get an A* in A Level English Literature, working with a tutor can be an invaluable way to help you achieve top marks. A tutor can help you focus your revision on areas that need improvement, teach you how to structure responses to meet the assessment objectives, and provide insight into the ways you can hone your critical analysis to elevate your essays to the top grade.
We have a wonderful team of specialist A-Level English revision tutors, most of whom hold an Oxbridge English degree and have specialist experience tutoring students through their A Level English Literature revision. Our tutors are well-equipped to help students reach their target grades, whether that involves support with assignments, creating tailored revision schedules based on a student's strengths and areas for improvement, or other forms of exam and coursework preparation.
Here’s how a tutor can support you at each stage of your A Level English Literature revision:
Tailored Support on Key Texts and Themes
A tutor can guide you in breaking down complex texts, ensuring you grasp key plot points, character developments, and themes. They’ll help you form a solid foundation of knowledge and highlight important connections across texts, contexts, and literary periods—crucial for meeting all the A Level English Literature assessment objectives and scoring top marks!Tailored A Level English Literature Revision Plan
Tutors can help you come up with a tailored A Level English literature revision plan designed to target the areas you struggle most with and strengthen them for your final exam. Tutors can help you use effective active recall methods, such as flashcards, mock questions, and timed past papers, to ensure you retain important quotes, themes, and critical interpretations.Advanced Close Reading and Analysis Skills
Achieving a top grade in A Level English Literature requires strong close-reading skills. Tutors can work with you to practise deep analysis of passages, helping you confidently identify and interpret language features, structural elements, and stylistic choices. They can also guide you through analysing unseen texts, an essential skill for the exam.Exam Feedback and Technique
Finally, mastering exam technique is essential. A tutor can provide tailored individual feedback on any of your A Level English Literature past papers. This feedback will pick up on common mistakes or areas where you fail to meet the assessment objectives to get top marks, as well as help you refine your argument structure and analysis. Tutors can also help you refine your exam technique, offering tips and strategies to help you structure the paper and ensure you come up with A* answers for each question.
Working with a dedicated tutor can provide really useful support and structure to your A Level English Literature revision journey. Whether you’re aiming for a deep understanding of the texts or need help crafting top-scoring essays, a tutor’s expertise and tailored guidance can be just what you need to achieve that A*. Find out more about how a tutor can support your A Level English Literature revision.
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