What each assessment objective is worth
Every assessment objective, marks and weighting
| AO | What it rewards | Paper 1 | Paper 2 | Total | Weighting | Tested by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AO1 | Find and interpret information; select and synthesise evidence from different texts | 4 | 12 | 16 / 160 | 10% | Paper 1 Q1, Paper 2 Q1, Paper 2 Q2 |
| AO2 | Explain, comment on and analyse how writers use language and structure | 16 | 12 | 28 / 160 | 17.5% | Paper 1 Q2, Paper 1 Q3, Paper 2 Q3 |
| AO3 | Compare writers' ideas and perspectives, and how they are conveyed | 0 | 16 | 16 / 160 | 10% | Paper 2 Q4 |
| AO4 | Evaluate texts critically, supported by textual references | 20 | 0 | 20 / 160 | 12.5% | Paper 1 Q4 |
| AO5 | Communicate clearly and imaginatively; organise ideas for purpose and audience | 24 | 24 | 48 / 160 | 30% | Paper 1 Q5 (24 of 40), Paper 2 Q5 (24 of 40) |
| AO6 | Use a range of vocabulary and sentence structures with accurate spelling and punctuation | 16 | 16 | 32 / 160 | 20% | Paper 1 Q5 (16 of 40), Paper 2 Q5 (16 of 40) |
| AO7 | Spoken Language: presenting | 0 | 0 | 0 / 160 | 0% | Spoken Language, reported separately |
| AO8 | Spoken Language: listening and responding | 0 | 0 | 0 / 160 | 0% | Spoken Language, reported separately |
| AO9 | Spoken Language: Standard English | 0 | 0 | 0 / 160 | 0% | Spoken Language, reported separately |
Q5 calculator: what one answer's two marks add up to
AQA GCSE English Language
Enter an AO5 and an AO6 mark
Questions people ask
Which AO is worth the most in GCSE English Language?
AO5, content and organisation in writing: 48 of the 160 marks (30%), from Q5 on both papers. With AO6 (32 marks, 20%), writing is half the qualification.
What is AO4?
AO4 is critical evaluation, supported by references to the text. It is tested only by Paper 1 Q4, worth 20 marks (12.5%).
Where is AO3 tested?
Only in Paper 2 Q4, which compares the writers' perspectives and methods across both sources: 16 marks (10%).
Does the spoken language presentation count?
AO7 to AO9 are assessed by your teacher and reported as Pass, Merit or Distinction. They carry 0% of the 9 to 1 grade.
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How we work this out
What it does
Every AO in AQA GCSE English Language, its marks on each paper, the questions that test it, and a Q5 AO5 plus AO6 calculator.
AQA GCSE English Language (8700): the six assessment objectives in the written papers (AO1 to AO6) and the three Spoken Language objectives (AO7 to AO9), which are reported separately.
Method
- We list the marks of every question on both papers and the AO each one tests, from AQA's specification and 2026 sample mark schemes.
- An AO's marks on a paper are the sum of its questions' marks. Its weighting is those marks out of 160.
- Every weighting we work out matches AQA's published figure: AO1 10%, AO2 17.5%, AO3 10%, AO4 12.5%, AO5 30% and AO6 20%.
- The Q5 calculator adds AO5 (out of 24) and AO6 (out of 16). If the writing does not address the task, AO5 is capped at 12, as in AQA's 2026 sample mark schemes.
Published figures
Q5 level bands
| Level | AO5, out of 24 | AO6, out of 16 |
|---|---|---|
| Level 4 | 19 to 24 | 13 to 16 |
| Level 3 | 13 to 18 | 9 to 12 |
| Level 2 | 7 to 12 | 5 to 8 |
| Level 1 | 1 to 6 | 1 to 4 |
AO5 is capped at 12 when the writing does not directly address the task (AQA's 2026 sample mark schemes). A response with nothing to credit gets 0.