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The day of an English exam

The rules on what you can take in are strict, and watches are banned, so you will time yourself by the clock in the exam room. Know the kit list, the timings for your paper and what to do when a question goes wrong.

Quick guide for students · 3 minute read

The rules for exams are set by JCQ, the Joint Council for Qualifications. Its information for candidates sitting written exams applies from 1 September 2026, and its guide for students sets out what to bring.

What to bring

  • At least two black pens. JCQ’s guide is clear that “blue pens are not acceptable”, and you must write your answers in black ink.
  • A see-through pencil case. JCQ’s rule is that “Any pencil cases taken into the exam room must be see-through.”

What to leave behind

You must not take notes, a mobile phone or earphones into the exam room. JCQ’s guide also bans “any type of watch (this includes analogue, digital and smart watches)”.

So you will time yourself from the room’s clock. JCQ’s instructions to schools say: “A reliable clock (analogue and/or digital) must be visible to each candidate in the examination room when seated.” The start and finish times of the exam must also be shown on a board you can see.

You cannot take your copies of the set texts or the poetry anthology into the Literature exams. AQA’s exams are closed book.

In your answers, JCQ says: “Do not use correcting pens, fluid or tape, erasable pens, highlighters or gel pens”. If you make a mistake, put a neat line through it.

Before you go in

Check when and where each exam is. JCQ’s guide tells you to know “the date, time and location of each of your exams”. Arrive in good time. If you arrive more than an hour after the published start time, JCQ warns that “you may not be allowed to take it”.

Timings for each paper

When the exam starts, look at the clock and jot down on your question paper the time at which each question should end. Then use these timings:

  • Literature Paper 1 (1 hour 45 minutes): two questions, about 50 minutes each. On Macbeth, keep 5 minutes at the end to check your spelling, punctuation and grammar.
  • Literature Paper 2 (2 hours 15 minutes): three sections, about 45 minutes each. On An Inspector Calls, keep 5 minutes at the end for the same checks. In the unseen poetry section, give about 30 minutes to the first question and 15 to the second.
  • Language Paper 1 (1 hour 45 minutes): 15 minutes to read, then Questions 1 to 4 in about 45 minutes (5, 10, 10 and 20 minutes), then 45 minutes for Question 5.
  • Language Paper 2 (1 hour 45 minutes): 15 minutes to read, then Questions 1 to 4 in about 45 minutes (5, 8, 12 and 20 minutes), then 45 minutes for Question 5.

If you get stuck

On a Literature question that looks hard, go back to the focus words in the question and write a simple thesis that answers them. A clear, plain argument is a better start than retelling the story.

If a quotation will not come, describe the moment in your own words and analyse that. AQA asks for “textual references, including quotations”, so a precise reference to a moment still counts.

When your time for a question is up, finish your sentence and move on. Leave a few lines, and come back at the end if there is time. A short answer to every question gives you more chances to earn marks than a long answer to some of them.

If you feel unwell or need the toilet, JCQ’s guide says to “raise your hand and wait for an invigilator”.

Checking at the end

Use the last 5 minutes on the writing that has marks for accuracy: Question 5 on both Language papers (16 marks each), and the Macbeth and An Inspector Calls answers (4 marks each). Check full stops, capital letters, missing words and the spelling of names such as Banquo and Goole.

Sources

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