Pearson Edexcel IGCSE English Language: Component 3 Non-Examined Assessment — Revision Notes

Component 3 is the non-examined (coursework) alternative to Component 2 in Pearson Edexcel International GCSE English Language A (4EA1). You write two assignments, each out of 30: Assignment A, an essay of about 1200 words on three texts from Part 2 of the Anthology (at least one poem and one prose text), and Assignment B, about 700 words of imaginative writing. Together they make 60 marks and 40% of the qualification. For the full explanation, use the Component 3 study guide.

Format at a glance

Detail	Assignment A: Poetry and Prose Texts	Assignment B: Imaginative Writing
Marks	30 (AO1 12, AO2 18)	30 (AO4 18, AO5 12)
Advisory length	About 1200 words	About 700 words
Texts	Three from Anthology Part 2, at least one poetry and one prose	None required; topic may be suggested by an Anthology text or images
Purpose	Analyse ideas, perspectives, language and structure	Narrate, describe or entertain
Set by	Teacher or student (self-generated)	Teacher-devised

Component total: 60 marks, 40% of the International GCSE, split Reading 20% and Writing 20%. Internally assessed, externally moderated by Pearson. Available June and November.

The word counts are advisory: the specification says there is no penalty for exceeding them.

Route check

Every student takes Component 1 (Non-fiction Texts and Transactional Writing, 60%). Students then take either Component 2 (the examined version, 1 hour 30 minutes) or Component 3. You cannot do both.

Anthology Part 2 texts

Poetry	Prose
“Disabled”, Wilfred Owen	“The Story of an Hour”, Kate Chopin
“Out, Out–”, Robert Frost	“The Necklace”, Guy de Maupassant
“An Unknown Girl”, Moniza Alvi	“Significant Cigarettes” (from The Road Home), Rose Tremain
“The Bright Lights of Sarajevo”, Tony Harrison	“Whistle and I’ll Come to You” (from The Woman in Black), Susan Hill
“Still I Rise”, Maya Angelou	“Night”, Alice Munro

Assignment A: what the task must do

• Choose three Part 2 texts with at least one poem and one prose text.
• Choose a focus: the specification suggests setting, character(s), event(s) or theme(s).
• The suggested task format: Discuss how the writers use language and structure to present [focus] in [text 1], [text 2] and [text 3].
• The response should discuss the writers’ ideas and perspectives, how language and structure achieve effects, and include textual references.

Assignment A assessment objectives

AO	Wording	Marks	Top level (key words)
AO1	Read and understand a variety of texts, selecting and interpreting information, ideas and perspectives	12	Level 4 (10–12): “detailed and persuasive selection”, “discriminating use” of quotation, “perceptive interpretation”
AO2	Understand and analyse how writers use linguistic and structural devices to achieve their effects	18	Level 5 (15–18): “subtle and discriminating selection”, “perceptive analysis”

AO1 has four levels (1–3, 4–6, 7–9, 10–12); AO2 has five (1–3, 4–6, 7–10, 11–14, 15–18). Because AO2 is worth 18 of the 30 marks, analysis of methods matters more than the number of ideas.

Choosing a focus that works for three texts

Focus	Possible trio	Why it works
Loss of youth or life	“Disabled”, “Out, Out–”, “The Necklace”	Each turns on a single irreversible event
Freedom and constraint	“The Story of an Hour”, “Still I Rise”, “An Unknown Girl”	Contrasting perspectives on identity and confinement
Fear and the unknown	“Whistle and I’ll Come to You”, “Night”, “The Bright Lights of Sarajevo”	Darkness, fog and uncertainty handled very differently

Assignment B: what the task must do

• A teacher-devised task allowing access to AO4 and AO5.
• Purpose: narrate, describe or entertain.
• The topic may be suggested by an Anthology piece (for example, continue Lev’s story after “Significant Cigarettes”, or begin with a line taken from a text) or be unrelated, such as “The visitor”.
• You may write about real or imagined experiences.

Assignment B assessment objectives

AO	Wording	Marks	Levels
AO4	Communicate effectively and imaginatively, adapting form, tone and register for specific purposes and audiences	18	1–3, 4–7, 8–11, 12–15, 16–18
AO5	Write clearly, using a range of vocabulary and sentence structures, with appropriate paragraphing and accurate spelling, grammar and punctuation	12	1–2, 3–4, 5–7, 8–10, 11–12

The AO4 top level asks for communication that is “perceptive and subtle” and a “sophisticated use of form, tone and register”. The AO5 top level asks you to “manipulate complex ideas” and use “extensive vocabulary strategically”.

Worked example: lifting an Assignment A sentence

Level 2 style: “In ‘Disabled’ the man is sad because he lost his legs and Owen uses lots of description.”

Level 4–5 style: “Owen builds the poem on contrast between past and present tense: the remembered evening when ‘glow-lamps budded in the light blue trees’ is placed beside the cold present of the hospital, so the reader experiences the loss as a sudden drop. Maupassant uses a similar hinge in ‘The Necklace’, where one revelation in the final line reframes ten years of labour.”

The second version names structural devices, explains their effect (AO2) and connects two texts’ ideas (AO1).

Rules on authenticity and feedback

• Work independently; both you and your teacher sign the authentication sheet.
• Teachers may suggest general improvements at draft stage; you must make any corrections yourself.
• Work must not be rewritten after it has been marked.
• Acknowledge sources; teachers must look out for essays derived from the internet or artificial intelligence (AI).
• Each piece shows your name, the date completed, the mark and a brief teacher comment.

Common mistakes / exam traps

• Only two texts, or three poems. Assignment A needs three texts including at least one poem and one prose text.
• Retelling stories. AO1 Level 1 describes understanding “likely through retelling or paraphrasing”.
• Feature-spotting. Naming a simile without explaining its effect stays at AO2 Level 2.
• Treating Assignment B as an essay. Its purpose is to narrate, describe or entertain.
• Ignoring AO5. Twelve marks rest on vocabulary, sentence variety, paragraphing and accuracy; proofread before submission.
• Expecting to revise after marking. Once marked, the work cannot be rewritten.

Frequently asked questions

Is Component 3 easier than Component 2? It carries the same 60 marks and 40% weighting, and covers the same skills. The difference is that you have time to plan and draft instead of writing under exam conditions.

Can everyone in my class write about the same three texts? Yes. The specification says there is no requirement for students in a cohort to write on different texts.

What happens if I go over 1200 words? The word counts are advisory and there is no penalty for exceeding them, but focus usually matters more than length.

Can my teacher correct my draft? No. Teachers may suggest general improvements at the draft stage, but it is your responsibility to make corrections.

Syllabus coverage

Pearson Edexcel International GCSE English Language A (4EA1), specification Issue 7 (August 2025), section 3: Component 3 Poetry and Prose Texts and Imaginative Writing (non-examined assessment) — Assignment A: Poetry and Prose Texts and Assignment B: Imaginative Writing, with assessment grids for AO1, AO2, AO4 and AO5.

Self-test

1. What is the AO split for Assignment A? (AO1 12, AO2 18.)
2. What must the three Assignment A texts include? (At least one poem and one prose text from Part 2.)
3. What are the three purposes for Assignment B? (Narrate, describe or entertain.)
4. What weighting does Component 3 carry? (40%.)
5. Can work be rewritten after marking? (No.)

Related pages

• Component 3 study guide
• Component 3 practice questions
• Component 2 revision notes

Official specification

Pearson Edexcel International GCSE in English Language (Specification A) 4EA1, Issue 7 — qualifications.pearson.com.