Paper 1 Question 1 β what's actually being tested
Five sub-questions, escalating in difficulty. Each rewards a different skill.
Question 1 of Paper 1 (the Reading paper) is the warm-up. It tests comprehension β your ability to read closely and report accurately what the text says, both explicitly and by inference.
The structure on a typical 0500 paper:
| Sub-question | Marks | What it tests |
|---|---|---|
| Q1(a) | 1-2 | Locate explicit information |
| Q1(b) | 2 | Brief explanation, often inference, in own words |
| Q1(c) | 3 | Three distinct points, in own words, from named paragraphs |
| Q1(d) | 4-5 | Extended explanation of thoughts/feelings, in own words |
| Q1(e) (sometimes) | 5 | Summary task β covered in the Summary Writing notes |
The sub-questions get harder. Q1(a) is almost always a "find and report" task. By Q1(d), you're being asked to infer thoughts and feelings β a harder, AO2-led skill.
The marks tell you the answer length. A 1-mark question wants one short sentence. A 4-mark question wants four distinct ideas, usually written as three or four short paragraphs.
Edexcel-style "show your working" doesn't apply. This is comprehension β give the answer cleanly, no working out, no introduction. The examiner is counting points.
Time budget. Paper 1 is 2 hours. Q1 is worth roughly 10-12 marks out of 80, so spend around 15-20 minutes on it. Don't over-write.
- Five sub-questions, easy to hard.
- Marks = points wanted.
- Q1(a)β(c) lean AO1; Q1(d) leans AO2.
- Aim for ~20 minutes total.