Cambridge O-Level First Language Urdu: Paper 2 Texts — Practice Questions

These are original exam-technique questions written for Marlbridge, testing understanding of Paper 2’s structure and mark scheme rather than reproducing analysis of any specific ghazal, nazm or prose article. Use these alongside genuine close study of the prescribed texts themselves.

Related: Paper 2 Texts study guide and revision notes.

Section A

1. State the marks allocated to each of Paper 2’s three parts. [3]

2. Name the assessment objective tested across all three parts of Paper 2. [1]

3. State how many questions a candidate must answer in Part 2 (Poetry) and in Part 3 (Prose), out of how many offered. [2]

Section B

4. Explain why Part 1’s Unseen Passage cannot be prepared by memorising a specific text, and what candidates should practise instead. [3]

5. A candidate answers a Part 2 Poetry question by summarising a prescribed ghazal’s general subject matter, without quoting any specific lines.

(a) Explain why this answer is unlikely to reach the top mark band. [2] (b) Describe the structure a stronger answer would follow. [3]

6. A candidate prepares only enough of the prescribed poetry and prose list to have exactly one usable option for each of Part 2 and Part 3.

(a) Explain the risk in this approach. [2] (b) Suggest a more resilient level of preparation. [2]

7. Explain the difference between Cambridge O Level First Language Urdu (3247) and Second Language Urdu (3248) in terms of what their respective Paper 2 components test. [2]

8. A candidate spends significantly longer than planned on Part 1’s Unseen Passage, leaving insufficient time for Part 2 and Part 3.

(a) Explain why this timing approach risks losing marks overall. [2] (b) Suggest how a candidate should divide their time in practice to avoid this. [1]

9. Explain what distinguishes a top-band response from a mid-band response on Paper 2’s levels-based mark schemes, even when both responses show accurate comprehension of the text. [3]

10. Explain why answering the Unseen Passage purely as a comprehension exercise — correctly stating what the passage says — is insufficient to score highly. [2]

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Answers

1. Part 1 (Unseen Passage): 20 marks; Part 2 (Poetry): 15 marks; Part 3 (Prose): 15 marks [3].

2. Assessment Objective 3 (Literature) [1].

3. One question from a choice of two in Part 2, and one question from a choice of two in Part 3 [2].

4. Because the passage is genuinely unseen, no specific text can be pre-learned for it [1]; candidates should instead practise reading unfamiliar Urdu poetry and prose extracts regularly and identifying how the writer creates effect — through word choice, imagery and structure — rather than only understanding what the passage says [2].

5. (a) This answer is unlikely to reach the top mark band because it only demonstrates general understanding of the poem’s subject matter, without the close, well-selected textual reference and specific quotation the highest mark-scheme levels require [2]. (b) A stronger answer identifies specific lines (sher) from the poem, explains the imagery or word choice used within them, and connects that language choice explicitly to the theme or emotion named in the question, rather than paraphrasing the poem’s content in general terms [3].

6. (a) The risk is having no fallback option if the one prepared question in Part 2 or Part 3 does not suit the candidate well on the day, or if it asks about an aspect of the text they have not prepared in enough depth [2]. (b) A more resilient approach is knowing roughly six of the ten prescribed ghazals, two of the three nazms, and five of the eight prose articles in close textual depth, with specific quotable lines ready for each, so a genuine choice remains available on the day [2].

7. Cambridge O Level First Language Urdu (3247) is a distinct syllabus from Second Language Urdu (3248); 3247’s Paper 2 (Texts) is built entirely around literature — an unseen extract plus prescribed poetry and prose — while 3248’s equivalent paper (Grammar, Writing and Translation) tests a different skill set altogether, so the two are not interchangeable despite sharing the same subject name [2].

8. (a) Because Part 2 and Part 3 both require sustained, essay-length engagement with prescribed texts, leaving insufficient time for them after overrunning on Part 1 risks underdeveloped essay answers that cannot access full marks in either of the remaining parts, even if Part 1 itself was answered well [2]. (b) Time each part of Paper 2 in practice sessions specifically, so that no single part is allowed to crowd out the others under real exam conditions [1].

9. A top-band response shows sustained, perceptive engagement with the writer’s craft — explicitly explaining how specific language, imagery or structural choices create effect and connecting this to a personal, informed response — whereas a mid-band response may show accurate comprehension of the text’s meaning without this deeper level of engagement with how that meaning is constructed [3].

10. Because the mark scheme rewards understanding that goes beyond literal surface meaning, explicit engagement with how the writer achieves their effects, and close textual reference — a purely comprehension-based answer addresses only the most basic requirement and cannot access the higher levels of the mark scheme, which specifically look for analysis of technique, not just accurate understanding of content [2].

A note on exam technique for this topic

Because Part 1 tests a transferable skill rather than memorised content, the most valuable preparation is regular practice on genuinely unfamiliar extracts throughout the course, building the habit of asking not just “what does this say” but “how does the writer make this effective.” For Parts 2 and 3, prioritise depth over breadth: knowing a manageable subset of the prescribed ghazals, nazms and prose articles with precise, quotable detail will serve a candidate far better under exam pressure than shallow familiarity with the entire list. In every essay answer, follow the identify-explain-connect structure — a specific quotation, an explanation of the technique it demonstrates, and a direct link to the theme or emotion the question asks about — since this is what separates a top-band response from an accurate but purely descriptive one.