Free flashcards · OxfordAQA IGCSE · 9270

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32 cards covering every topic of the 9270 syllabus (Version 5.1, for exams May/June 2018 onwards). Study one topic or mix them all, turn each card, and mark yourself honestly.

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Topic 1: Literary non-fiction and composition

How is OxfordAQA 9270 Paper 1 set out?: 2 hours, 60% of the qualification: Section A Literary non-fiction (40 marks, reading) and Section B Composition (40 marks, writing). Paper 2 or the NEA makes up the other 40%.
What is literary non-fiction?: Factual writing that uses the techniques of imaginative writing, such as travel writing, memoir, biography, essays, speeches, opinion journalism and reportage.
What does Paper 1 Section A require?: Close study of a single unseen literary non-fiction text, divided into sections with questions; at least one question addresses the whole text. There is no comparison on this paper.
What is the three-part formula for an analytical point?: Identify the feature with correct terminology, quote it briefly, and explain its effect on the reader in relation to the writer's purpose. The third step is where the mark is.
What can a minor sentence do?: A sentence without a main verb ("Silence.") gives sudden emphasis to a single idea or image and can mimic speech or thought.
What is tone, and why track it?: The writer's attitude to the subject (admiring, wry, critical, nostalgic). A shift in tone often marks a turning point in the writer's argument or feelings.
What does Paper 1 Section B (Composition) require?: One piece of writing from a choice of tasks including descriptive, imaginative, and argumentative or discursive writing. No named audience is set.
What lifts a descriptive composition?: Rendering one moment fully through the senses rather than a whole day thinly, with varied sentence lengths and a closing image that suggests rather than states.
What lifts an imaginative composition?: Deciding the ending before you start and keeping the characters few, so the plot stays controlled.
What lifts an argumentative or discursive composition?: A clear line of argument with two or three developed points and a genuine counter-argument that is answered.
Which technical accuracy points are directly credited?: Sentence demarcation (no comma splices), consistent tense, subject–verb agreement, apostrophes for possession not plurals, and paragraphing that signals shifts.

Topic 2: Source-based reading and directed writing

What kinds of source does 9270 Paper 2 use?: Current-affairs and issue-based writing such as opinion pieces, reports and campaign material, including sources that may be solely visual, such as infographics.
What do the reading strands R1 to R4 ask for?: R1 read and understand, including purpose; R2 collate and synthesise detail, often across sources; R3 develop an interpretation of the writer's ideas; R4 explain and evaluate linguistic, grammatical, structural and presentational features.
How do you read a visual or graphic source?: Read the explicit data and the implicit framing: what is emphasised, what is placed first or largest, and what is left out.
Do you need prior knowledge of the topic on Paper 2?: No. The sources provide everything needed; the skill tested is analysing purposeful, real-world writing.
What are presentational features?: Layout and design choices such as headlines, images, colour, font and bullet points, which guide the reader's attention and support the text's purpose.
What does Paper 2 Section B (Directed writing) require?: Writing for a specified audience and purpose in a set form, marked on AO2 (W1–W4): adapting form and register to that audience and purpose.
How should you plan the directed writing task?: In about five minutes: one sentence each for audience and purpose, three or four content points in order, and a line on the form's required features.
Which form features should directed writing show?: Those its form requires, such as a headline and sub-headings for an article, or a greeting, clear purpose and sign-off for a letter.
How can Section A help with Section B?: Techniques analysed in the sources (rhetorical questions, direct address, the rule of three) can be used deliberately in your own writing for its audience.

Topic 3: Non-exam assessment

What is the 9270 non-exam assessment?: The alternative to Paper 2: independent written work planned, drafted and refined over time under teacher supervision, assessed by the teacher and moderated by the board.
Which skills does the 9270 NEA reward?: Purposeful writing, research and use of sources, organisation, control of language, and (where a commentary is required) reflection and evaluation.
How do you narrow an NEA focus?: Turn a broad subject into a clear angle, such as "how streaming services have changed the way teenagers discover new bands" rather than "music".
How should sources be used in NEA work?: Find reliable material, select what is relevant and combine ideas in your own words rather than copying, acknowledging where ideas come from.
What should a reflective commentary do?: Explain the choices you made in your writing and judge how successfully they meet the purpose and audience.
How should an NEA piece be organised?: An introduction, developed sections and a conclusion, linked by clear paragraphs and connectives.

Topic 4: Speaking and listening (optional endorsement)

Does the 9270 speaking and listening endorsement count toward the grade?: No. It is optional and reported separately, recognising spoken skills the written papers cannot measure.
How should a spoken presentation be structured?: Open by saying what you will talk about, develop two or three points with reasons and examples, and end by summing up.
What does active listening involve?: Giving the speaker attention without interrupting, noticing the main point and its evidence, and responding to what was actually said.
How do you adapt spoken language to an audience?: Explain terms they might not know, keep a formal register in a formal situation, and rephrase or give an example if they look confused.
What makes delivery clear?: A measured pace, pauses between ideas, a projected voice and eye contact with listeners.
How should claims in a talk be supported?: With examples, short anecdotes or facts you are sure of, rather than unverified statistics.

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Written for OxfordAQA International GCSE English Language (9270), syllabus 9270 (Version 5.1, for exams May/June 2018 onwards).

Cards by Marlbridge Academic Team. This deck has not yet been reviewed as a whole by a subject teacher. Report an error.

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