Pearson Edexcel IGCSE English Literature: Component 3 Non-Examined Assessment (4ET1)

This guide covers Component 3: Modern Drama and Literary Heritage Texts (Non-Examined Assessment), for Pearson Edexcel International GCSE English Literature (4ET1), first teaching 2016, current specification Issue 3, August 2025. Component 3 is the coursework alternative to Component 2: centres choose one route or the other for their candidates, and both carry the same 40% weighting and cover the same content areas – one modern drama text and one literary heritage text.

Where this fits in 4ET1

Component 1 (Poetry and Modern Prose) is compulsory for every candidate. Centres then choose between Component 2, a timed written exam on a modern drama text and a literary heritage text, and Component 3, covered here: two teacher-devised assignments, completed independently under supervised conditions, then internally marked and externally moderated by Pearson. Both routes assess AO1 and AO2 throughout, with Component 3’s Assignment B additionally assessing AO4 (context), matching Component 2’s coverage of the same assessment objectives across its two sections.

Specification coverage

PEARSON EDEXCEL INTERNATIONAL GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE (4ET1) — COMPONENT 3

• Overall weighting — Component 3 represents 40% of the qualification, 60 raw marks, split evenly between Assignment A (30 marks) and Assignment B (30 marks); internally set and assessed by the centre, externally moderated by Pearson
• Assignment A: Modern Drama (30 marks) — one essay response on a modern drama text chosen by the centre (learners may take part in choosing the specific task); assessed against AO1 (15 marks, reading and understanding, selecting and interpreting) and AO2 (15 marks, analysing language, form and structure and their effects)
• Assignment B: Literary Heritage Texts (30 marks) — one essay response on a literary heritage text chosen by the centre; assessed against AO1 (10 marks), AO2 (10 marks) and, unlike Assignment A, AO4 (10 marks, understanding the significance and influence of the context in which texts were written and received)
• Word count — an advisory word count of between 650 and 800 words applies to each assignment, with no penalty specified for exceeding it, though concise, well-controlled responses are expected to score more efficiently than padded ones
• Conditions of assessment — learners must complete the work independently; teachers may give general guidance on improvement only at the draft stage, not detailed correction; learners sign an authentication statement confirming the work is their own; no rewriting is permitted once a piece has been marked; submissions may be handwritten or word-processed; centres must retain candidate work securely for at least six months after the relevant examination series

How to approach it

Because Assignment B is the only place AO4 (context) is directly assessed within Component 3, it is worth treating contextual knowledge as a distinct, plannable element of that essay rather than background colour. A strong Assignment B response integrates context precisely – linking a specific historical, social or literary detail to a specific textual moment – rather than opening with a generic paragraph of background before moving on to unrelated analysis.

Because teachers devise the exact task and learners “may participate in the choice of tasks,” candidates preparing for Component 3 should treat their centre’s specific set title as the actual target to revise for, not a generic essay on the text as a whole; revision should focus on the angle the set task asks about, whether that is a character, theme, or dramatic technique.

The 650–800 word advisory range rewards precision. Since no penalty applies for exceeding it, the real risk of writing well past 800 words is losing focus and repeating points, not a formal deduction – so treat the range as a target for a tightly argued response rather than a hard ceiling.

Worked example: balancing Assignment A’s two AOs

A candidate is writing on a modern drama text, focusing on how a playwright builds tension in a key scene.

AO1 material:  what happens in the scene, and what the characters say
               and do -- the basic evidence the essay is built on
AO2 material:  HOW the playwright builds tension through specific
               dramatic techniques -- stage directions, short lines of
               dialogue, dramatic irony, pacing
Balance check: since AO1 and AO2 are weighted equally (15 marks each),
               an essay that only narrates the scene (AO1-heavy) or
               only lists techniques without evidence (AO2-heavy) will
               under-perform against one that pairs each technique
               with the specific textual evidence for it

Explicitly checking that every paragraph pairs a technique (AO2) with the textual evidence for it (AO1) is a reliable way to keep the two equally-weighted objectives in balance.

Common mistakes

Writing generically about a text’s themes rather than answering the centre’s specific set task. Treating Assignment A the same way as Assignment B and forgetting to build in contextual analysis (AO4) where Assignment B specifically requires it. Accepting detailed teacher correction at draft stage, which conflicts with the specification’s requirement that guidance be general only, and can raise an authentication concern. Writing a very long response in the belief that length alone raises the mark, when precision and a clear line of argument are what the assessment objectives reward.

Quick revision checklist

• Confirm the centre’s exact set task for each assignment before revising, rather than preparing a generic essay on the whole text.
• For Assignment B specifically, plan at least one precise piece of contextual knowledge linked to a specific textual moment.
• Pair every technique named (AO2) with the textual evidence for it (AO1) in each paragraph.
• Treat 650–800 words as a target for a focused, well-argued response, not a ceiling to reach or a floor to clear.

Official syllabus

Pearson Edexcel International GCSE English Literature (4ET1) specification, Issue 3 — qualifications.pearson.com.