English Lit · mark scheme guide

How An Inspector Calls is really marked (AQA)

Most students lose marks on An Inspector Calls not because they don’t know the text, but because they don’t know what the mark scheme rewards. AQA examiners mark your essay against level descriptors for three Assessment Objectives — here’s what they say, in plain English, and how to climb them.

Where the marks come from

AO1 — Read, understand & respond (12 marks)

Your argument and evidence. Top band means a convincing, critical response with judicious quotes — chosen because they’re the best evidence, not just the ones you memorised.

AO2 — Language, form & structure (12 marks)

Analysis of the writer’s methods. Top band means critical analysis of why the writer made each choice, using precise terminology — not spotting techniques for the sake of it.

AO3 — Context (6 marks)

Context woven into your argument where it deepens meaning — not a bolted-on paragraph about the era.

The level ladder

Level 626–30+Convincing, critical analysis. Judicious references. Critical exploration of context.
Level 521–25Perceptive, detailed analysis. Carefully chosen references and terminology.
Level 416–20Thoughtful, developed response. Relevant, well-chosen references.
Level 311–15Some understanding and explanation, with some relevant references.

Summarised from official AQA level descriptors. Always check the full mark scheme for your specification — and your teacher’s judgement is the most reliable guide.

How to move up a band

1Name Priestley’s purpose early: the play is a socialist argument dressed as a whodunnit — top answers treat every character as part of that argument.
2Contrast the generations: Sheila and Eric change, Birling and Mrs Birling don’t. That structure is Priestley’s message, and analysing it is AO2 gold.
3Use the 1912/1945 double context: dramatic irony in Birling’s “unsinkable” speech only works because the audience knows what’s coming.
4Quote stage directions — “cutting in”, the lighting change — most students only quote dialogue.
5Keep some analysis for the Inspector’s final speech; it’s where theme, structure and context meet.

See where your essay lands

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