Cambridge AS Level Language and Literature in English 8695/12 is the May/June 2026 Paper 1 (Writing), variant 2. It lasts 2 hours, is worth 50 marks and you answer two questions: the compulsory Question 1 in Section A, and one of three extended writing tasks in Section B. Section A pairs a 15-mark story opening of up to 400 words with a 10-mark reflective commentary on it. The single biggest answer is the 25-mark Section B piece of 600 to 900 words. This guide covers every task and how the official mark scheme places answers in levels. The paper and its mark scheme are free on the Tutopiya Learning Portal.

For an overview of both 8695 papers from this series, see AS Language and Literature 8695 May/June 2026 past papers: what came up and how it was marked.

8695/12 at a glance

Rubric: answer two questions in total. Section A: answer Question 1. Section B: answer one question. Dictionaries are not allowed.

Question	Section	Task (summarised)	Length	AO	Marks
1(a)	A (compulsory)	Story opening for your teacher from a given first sentence, creating drama and suspense	Up to 400 words	AO2	15
1(b)	A (compulsory)	Reflective commentary on how your language choices fulfil the task	–	AO3	10
2	B (choice)	Review of a TV documentary on plastic waste, for an environmental website	600–900 words	AO2	25
3	B (choice)	Descriptive piece, Departures: a busy airport departure lounge, through sound, movement and colour	600–900 words	AO2	25
4	B (choice)	School magazine article on whether children should be taught about money at school	600–900 words	AO2	25
		Total (Question 1 + one of 2–4)			50

Task-by-task walkthrough

How the writing is marked

The 8695/12 mark scheme has no task-specific content. Every piece of writing is placed in a level using general descriptors.

• AO2 marks your writing. Marks are split equally between your expression (the range of language you use and its accuracy) and the development of your writing (its organisation and how well it fits the task and audience). Each level has five bullets: expression, accuracy, organisation, task and audience. Examiners give each bullet equal weight when choosing a mark within the level.
• Five levels. For 1(a), out of 15: 13–15, 10–12, 7–9, 4–6 and 1–3. For Section B, out of 25: 21–25, 16–20, 11–15, 6–10 and 1–5. The descriptors are the same in both tables.
• What lifts writing to the top. The top level asks for sophisticated expression with a wide range of language, including complex structures and less common vocabulary, a high level of accuracy, ideas developed in a sophisticated way throughout, a fully achieved task and a fully engaged audience. The next level down has effective expression, a few minor errors, a task achieved well and an engaged audience. In the middle level, the task is achieved and the audience is addressed, with occasional errors and perhaps some repetition.
• Word limits sit inside the task bullet. There is no direct penalty for writing more than 400 words in 1(a), or outside 600 to 900 words in Section B. But the scheme treats keeping to the limit as part of achievement of task and relevance to purpose, which is the fourth AO2 bullet.
• Examiners meet you on your chosen ground. The scheme says level descriptions are general guidance, not hurdle statements, and that unexpected but relevant approaches must be rewarded fairly.

Question 1(a): the story opening (15 marks)

Your teacher has asked for the opening of a story that begins with a given sentence: as a door slowly opens, John has a strong feeling that he shouldn’t go in. You write no more than 400 words and must create drama and suspense.

• The task has three parts: it is an opening, not a whole story; it must start with the given sentence; and it must build suspense. An answer that resolves everything in 400 words is not doing what an opening does.
• The audience is your teacher, reading a story, so the register is literary narrative.
• Range and accuracy carry half the marks. Complex structures and less common vocabulary, used accurately, are what the top level describes. Suspense techniques that show range include varied sentence lengths, delayed information, sensory detail and controlled pace.
• Stay under 400 words. Going over is assessed as part of achieving the task.

Question 1(b): the reflective commentary (10 marks)

You write a commentary on your own opening, explaining how your linguistic choices help fulfil the task your teacher set. It is marked for AO3, analysis of how form, structure and language shape meaning.

• Five levels: sophisticated analysis (9–10), detailed (7–8), clear (5–6), limited (3–4) and minimal (1–2). Each level has two strands, given equal weight: analysis of your form, structure and language, and analysis of how your stylistic choices relate to the audience and shape meaning.
• Treat your story as a text to analyse. Name a specific choice, quote it briefly from your own writing, and explain its effect on the reader and how it builds drama and suspense.
• Cover all three areas. Form (a story opening), structure (how you order and pace information) and language (word choice, sentence types, imagery) are all named in the level descriptors.
• Avoid simply retelling your story. A commentary that explains what happens, rather than how the language works, stays in the lower levels.

Question 2: review of a documentary on plastic waste (25 marks)

You recently watched a TV documentary about the problems caused by the plastic we throw away, and you write a review of it for an environmental website.

• Form: a review, so it should describe and evaluate the documentary itself (its content, presentation and impact) and give a judgement, not just discuss plastic pollution in general.
• Audience: readers of an environmental website, who are likely to care about the issue.

Question 3: Departures (25 marks)

A descriptive piece called Departures, about the departure lounge of a busy airport. The task tells you to focus on sound, movement and colour so the reader can imagine the scene.

• Form: descriptive writing, not a story. A plot can take over and push description aside.
• The three named senses are part of the task. Covering sound, movement and colour is how you achieve it fully; the title also invites ideas of leaving and farewells.

Question 4: school magazine article on teaching children about money (25 marks)

After a class discussion, you write an article for your school magazine on whether children should be taught about money at school.

• Form: an article, with a headline-style title and a clear line of argument.
• Audience: readers of a school magazine, so the register should suit a student voice addressing other students.
• The question is open. “Whether” lets you argue for, against or a balanced view, as long as the article reaches a clear position.

Where the marks are on 8695/12

Assessment objective	What it rewards	Questions	Marks
AO2 Writing	Expression, accuracy, organisation, task and audience	1(a) and one of 2–4	40
AO3 Analysis	Analysis of your own form, structure and language choices	1(b)	10
		Total	50

• Four-fifths of the paper is your own writing. The 40 AO2 marks are split equally between how you write and how well the writing is organised and fits the task and audience.
• The commentary is the only analytical answer. It rewards analysis, not description, so it suits students who can explain the effect of a choice.
• The Section B piece is half the paper. At 25 marks, it deserves the largest share of your time.

How to self-mark 8695/12 with the mark scheme

1. Count your words first. Note whether 1(a) is within 400 words and your Section B piece within 600 to 900. Keep this in mind when you judge the task bullet.
2. Check the task’s specific demands. For 1(a): the given opening sentence, drama and suspense, and an opening rather than a complete story. For Section B: the named form, audience and, in Question 3, the three senses.
3. Judge expression and development separately, then combine. Rate range and accuracy, then organisation, task and audience. Marks are split equally between the two.
4. Find the best-fit level and move within it. Give each of the five bullets equal weight.
5. Mark the commentary for analysis, not effort. For each paragraph, ask whether it names a choice, explains its effect and links it to the audience or meaning. Paragraphs that only describe the story belong in the lower levels.
6. Write down one change that would move each answer up a level, such as more varied sentence structures or a stronger sense of audience.

Sit 8695/12 as a timed mock

The paper allows 120 minutes for two questions. Sections A and B are each worth 25 marks, so give them roughly equal time.

Block	Marks	Time
Read the paper and choose your Section B task	–	5 minutes
Plan and write the 1(a) story opening	15	30 minutes
Write the 1(b) commentary	10	20 minutes
Plan the Section B piece	–	10 minutes
Write the Section B piece	25	45 minutes
Count words, check accuracy and the task’s demands	–	10 minutes

Other May/June 2026 8695 papers

• 8695 Paper 22 (Drama, Poetry and Prose)

Practise and download

• Download 8695/12 and its mark scheme on the Learning Portal →
• All 8695 May/June 2026 papers: overview and marking patterns
• Try a free AS Level Language and Literature in English quiz

Need help with an 8695 topic? Book a free trial lesson with an AS Level Language and Literature tutor →

Frequently asked questions

What is the rubric for 8695 Paper 12 May/June 2026? +

Answer two questions: Question 1 in Section A, which has a 15-mark story opening and a 10-mark commentary, and one of Questions 2, 3 or 4 in Section B, worth 25 marks. The paper is out of 50 and lasts 2 hours.

What was the Section A task on 8695/12 in 2026? +

Write the opening of a story for your teacher, in no more than 400 words, starting with a given sentence about John standing at a slowly opening door he feels he shouldn't go through. You must create drama and suspense, then write a reflective commentary on your choices.

How is the 8695/12 reflective commentary marked? +

Question 1(b) is marked out of 10 for AO3 in five levels: sophisticated (9–10), detailed (7–8), clear (5–6), limited (3–4) and minimal (1–2) analysis of your form, structure and language, and of how your choices relate to the audience and shape meaning.

Is there a penalty for going over the word limit on 8695/12? +

There is no direct penalty, but keeping to 400 words in 1(a), or 600 to 900 words in Section B, is assessed as part of achieving the task and relevance to purpose, so it affects your AO2 mark.

Which Section B task should I choose on 8695/12? +

Choose the form you can write most convincingly: a review of a documentary on plastic waste for an environmental website, a descriptive piece called Departures set in an airport lounge, or a school magazine article on teaching children about money. All three are marked on the same 25-mark grid.

Where can I download 8695/12 May/June 2026 and its mark scheme? +

Both are free to download and print on the Tutopiya Learning Portal, on the Cambridge AS Level Language and Literature in English 8695 past papers page.

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