The English Literature OCR course is designed to appeal to students who have an interest in reading a wide variety of literature from both the past and present and who enjoy studying a subject which is relevant to their own lives and experiences. The course offers a programme of study that will be rewarding in its own right and forms a basis for further specialist study at degree level.
Candidates will study a minimum of six texts at AS and a further six texts at A2, experiencing a wide range of reading in the three genres of poetry, prose and drama; this must include at least one play by Shakespeare, work by at least one author writing between 1300 and 1800, at least one work first published or performed after 1990 and at least one other text published between 1800 and 1945.
The key features of this course include studying a wide range of set texts from different periods and genres, with the opportunity to explore comparisons and contrasts between texts and to read texts in a variety of ways, responding both critically and creatively. Students also have maximum amount of free choice in coursework assignments and shorter examinations, with highly focused questions.
Typical authors studied for the external examination part of this course include: Charlotte Bronte, Oscar Wilde, Thomas Hardy, Yeats, Emily Dickinson, Shakespeare, Christopher Marlowe, Chaucer, John Donne.
Coursework at AS involves two tasks based on three post-1900 texts, at least one of which must be first published or performed after 1990. Students must produce a folder of coursework of a maximum of 3000 words, focusing on two tasks: close reading or re-creative writing with a commentary. At A2, students are required to cover three texts of their choice, one prose and one poetry text, with the third taken from any genre. Students must produce one extended essay of a maximum of 3000 words, enabling them to compare all three texts.