IGCSE English Literature: Paper 3 – Drama (Open Text) — Practice Questions

These are original questions written for Marlbridge, testing exam technique and understanding of Paper 3’s structure rather than reproducing analysis of any specific set play. Use these alongside genuine study of the play you are actually sitting the exam for.

Related: Paper 3 – Drama (Open Text) study guide and revision notes.

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Section A

1. State the length and total marks available for Paper 3. [2]

2. State how many set texts are studied for Paper 3, compared with Paper 2. [2]

3. Name the two components Paper 3 can be paired with. [2]

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Section B

4. A candidate brings an edition of their set play into the exam that includes a facing-page modern-English translation alongside the original text.

(a) State whether this edition is permitted under the open-book rules. [1] (b) Explain your answer. [2]

5. A candidate argues: “Because it’s open book, I don’t need to revise the play in detail — I can just look things up during the exam.”

(a) Explain why this strategy is likely to fail under exam conditions. [3] (b) Describe a more effective way to prepare for open-book conditions. [3]

6. Explain which assessment objective(s) open-book access most directly supports, and which it does not substitute for. [4]

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Section C

7. Compare Paper 2 and Paper 3 in terms of: number of set texts studied, whether the exam is open or closed book, and total time/marks available. Explain one way this combination of differences changes how a candidate should prepare for Paper 3 compared with Paper 2. [6]

8. A candidate has 45 minutes for Paper 3 and spends the first 15 minutes searching their set text for relevant quotations before starting to write. Evaluate this candidate’s use of exam time, and recommend a better approach. [5]

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Worked answers

1. 45 minutes; 25 marks. [2]

2. One set text for Paper 3, compared with two for Paper 2. [2]

3. Paper 4 (Unseen) or Component 5 (Coursework). [2]

4. (a) Not permitted. [1] (b) The open-book rules specifically exclude editions that include extensive study notes or facing-page translations or explanations, since these would give a candidate access to interpretive assistance beyond a clean copy of the text itself. [2]

5. (a) This strategy is likely to fail because open book only provides access to the words of the text, not understanding of it — AO2 (understanding of characters, relationships, situations and themes) and AO4 (personal response) both require genuine, pre-formed understanding that cannot be assembled on the spot by reading unfamiliar passages during the 45-minute exam; searching cold under time pressure also wastes time that is needed for planning and writing a full response. [3] (b) Study the play thoroughly in advance so its content, characters and themes are genuinely understood, and prepare a small bank of pre-identified key passages linked to major themes and characters, so that during the exam the text is used only to check or locate precise wording quickly, not to build understanding from scratch. [3]

6. Open-book access most directly supports AO1 (knowledge of content, since quotations can be located and checked rather than relying purely on memory) and, indirectly, AO3 (responding to language, since specific lines can be pointed to precisely). It does not substitute for AO2 (understanding of characters, relationships, situations and themes) or AO4 (a personal response), both of which require genuine understanding worked out in advance of the exam rather than assembled from the page during it. [4]

7. Paper 2 studies two set texts, is closed book, and runs 1 hour 30 minutes for 50 marks; Paper 3 studies one set text, is open book, and runs 45 minutes for 25 marks. Because Paper 3 covers only one text but in a much shorter time, a candidate should prepare that single text in greater depth than either individual text on Paper 2, while also practising working quickly under a tighter time limit — since the open-book advantage of locating quotations is only useful if a candidate can do so fast enough to leave sufficient time for planning and writing a full, well-structured response addressing all four AOs within 45 minutes. [6] (Marks for correctly stating all three comparison points, and for a genuine, specific implication for Paper 3 preparation.)

8. Spending a third of the available time (15 of 45 minutes) searching for quotations before starting to write is a poor use of exam time, since it leaves only 30 minutes for planning, writing and addressing all four assessment objectives in a single sustained response — a task that itself requires careful planning to complete well. A better approach is to prepare, in advance of the exam, a small bank of pre-identified key passages linked to major themes and characters in the play, so that only a few minutes are needed during the exam to select and confirm the most relevant quotations, leaving the great majority of the 45 minutes for planning a focused answer and writing a full response that addresses AO1 to AO4. [5]

Official syllabus

Cambridge International, Cambridge IGCSE Literature in English (0475) syllabus for examination in 2026 (Version 2, published December 2025), sections 3 (set texts) and 4 (“Details of the assessment — Paper 3 Drama (Open Text)”) — the same specification cited by the Paper 3 – Drama (Open Text) study guide and its revision notes. Verified 2026-09-02.