Track every paper-by-paper skill area from the official Cambridge 9695 syllabus. AS Level focuses on Papers 1 & 2 (Drama, Poetry, Prose, Unseen); A Level adds Papers 3 & 4 (Shakespeare, Drama, Pre-1900 and Post-1900 Poetry & Prose). Set texts change each year — this checklist covers transferable analytical and exam-technique skills.
| Topic | Sub-Topic | Confidence (1–5) | Last Reviewed | Next Review |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AS1. Drama (Paper 1, Section A) | Dramatic conventions: dialogue, stage directions, dramatic irony | |||
| 1. Drama (Paper 1, Section A) | Character analysis and characterisation techniques | |||
| 1. Drama (Paper 1, Section A) | Plot, structure and dramatic tension | |||
| 1. Drama (Paper 1, Section A) | Themes, motifs and symbolism in drama | |||
| 1. Drama (Paper 1, Section A) | Performance, audience response and staging | |||
| AS2. Poetry (Paper 1, Section B) | Form, structure and stanza patterns | |||
| 2. Poetry (Paper 1, Section B) | Imagery, metaphor and figurative language | |||
| 2. Poetry (Paper 1, Section B) | Sound: rhythm, metre, rhyme and sound devices | |||
| 2. Poetry (Paper 1, Section B) | Tone, voice and speaker / persona | |||
| 2. Poetry (Paper 1, Section B) | Themes and emotional / philosophical concerns | |||
| AS3. Prose (Paper 2, Section A) | Narrative voice and point of view | |||
| 3. Prose (Paper 2, Section A) | Plot structure, pacing and chronology | |||
| 3. Prose (Paper 2, Section A) | Character development and motivation | |||
| 3. Prose (Paper 2, Section A) | Setting, atmosphere and context | |||
| 3. Prose (Paper 2, Section A) | Themes, ideas and authorial intent | |||
| AS4. Unseen text analysis (Paper 2, Section B) | Identifying form, genre and conventions in an unseen extract | |||
| 4. Unseen text analysis (Paper 2, Section B) | Close-reading methods: language, imagery, structure | |||
| 4. Unseen text analysis (Paper 2, Section B) | Forming a personal response under timed conditions | |||
| 4. Unseen text analysis (Paper 2, Section B) | Structuring an unseen analytical essay | |||
| AS5. Critical reading and exam technique (AS Level) | Literary terminology: alliteration, enjambment, soliloquy, irony, etc. | |||
| 5. Critical reading and exam technique (AS Level) | Quoting and integrating textual evidence | |||
| 5. Critical reading and exam technique (AS Level) | Essay structure: introduction, argument, conclusion | |||
| 5. Critical reading and exam technique (AS Level) | Time management and planning for 50-mark essays | |||
| 5. Critical reading and exam technique (AS Level) | Common pitfalls: descriptive vs analytical writing | |||
| ↓ A Level content begins. Papers 3 & 4 build on AS Level skills. AO5 (Evaluation of opinion) is only assessed at A Level. | ||||
| A Level6. Shakespeare (Paper 3, Section A) | Shakespearean language, verse and prose | |||
| 6. Shakespeare (Paper 3, Section A) | Dramatic structure, sub-plots and acts | |||
| 6. Shakespeare (Paper 3, Section A) | Historical, social and theatrical context (Elizabethan / Jacobean) | |||
| 6. Shakespeare (Paper 3, Section A) | Character archetypes and Shakespearean themes | |||
| 6. Shakespeare (Paper 3, Section A) | Critical interpretations and performance history | |||
| A Level7. Drama at A Level (Paper 3, Section B) | Genre conventions across tragedy, comedy and modern drama | |||
| 7. Drama at A Level (Paper 3, Section B) | Form and structure in non-Shakespearean drama | |||
| 7. Drama at A Level (Paper 3, Section B) | Context: cultural, political and biographical | |||
| 7. Drama at A Level (Paper 3, Section B) | Comparison of dramatic techniques across texts | |||
| A Level8. Pre-1900 Poetry (Paper 4, Section A) | Conventions of pre-1900 poetic forms (sonnet, ode, ballad, elegy) | |||
| 8. Pre-1900 Poetry (Paper 4, Section A) | Historical context: Romanticism, Victorian poetry, religious / pastoral traditions | |||
| 8. Pre-1900 Poetry (Paper 4, Section A) | Language and imagery in older verse | |||
| 8. Pre-1900 Poetry (Paper 4, Section A) | Themes: nature, mortality, faith, social commentary | |||
| A Level9. Post-1900 Poetry and Prose (Paper 4, Section B) | Modernism, post-modernism and contemporary movements | |||
| 9. Post-1900 Poetry and Prose (Paper 4, Section B) | Innovative form and experimental structure | |||
| 9. Post-1900 Poetry and Prose (Paper 4, Section B) | Voice, identity and political / social context | |||
| 9. Post-1900 Poetry and Prose (Paper 4, Section B) | Comparing poetry and prose responses | |||
| A Level10. Critical interpretation and evaluation (AO5, A Level) | Engaging with critical theory and other readings | |||
| 10. Critical interpretation and evaluation (AO5, A Level) | Evaluating multiple interpretations of a text | |||
| 10. Critical interpretation and evaluation (AO5, A Level) | Constructing a sustained, evaluative argument | |||
| 10. Critical interpretation and evaluation (AO5, A Level) | Avoiding 'name-dropping' — integrating critics meaningfully | |||
Use with our Past Paper Finder for Cambridge A Level Literature in English 9695 past papers and mark schemes. Always cross-check your set texts for the relevant exam year against the latest 9695 syllabus PDF.
Quick answers about this free revision checklist, how to use it for exam prep, and how it relates to the official syllabus.
This revision checklist mirrors the official Cambridge A Level Literature in English 9695 syllabus for the 2026 examination series. Every topic and sub-topic on the page is taken from the published syllabus document, so working through the list in order gives you full coverage of what your exam can assess. It is aligned to the AS & A Level tier expectations. For the authoritative version, always cross-check with the latest syllabus PDF on your exam board's website before your final revision push.
The number of top-level topic groups varies by subject, but you can see the exact count on this page — each major heading in the checklist corresponds to one syllabus topic group, and each row below it is a syllabus-level sub-topic. Use the confidence column (1–5) to flag which sub-topics need more work, and re-score yourself weekly to track real progress instead of guessing.
12–16 weeks of focused revision, working through one topic group per week with weekly past-paper practice, is a realistic target for most A Level students. Use this checklist to plan your weeks: filter by topics you have rated 1–3 and spend your first revision block there. Subjects with heavy practical or extended-writing components (e.g. sciences, English) need more past-paper time in the final block than the topic-by-topic phase.
Revise in roughly the order the syllabus lists the topics — exam boards build later topics on earlier ones, so taking them in syllabus order avoids gaps. Once you have rated every topic, switch to weakest-first: filter the checklist by confidence ≤ 2 and prioritise those topics in your next study block. This is more effective than re-revising topics you already score 4–5 on.
You can find past papers and mark schemes via Tutopiya's Past Paper Finder and on your exam board's official site. Once you have rated each sub-topic on this checklist, attempt past-paper questions on your weakest topics first — practising under timed conditions is the single best predictor of exam performance, more so than re-reading notes.
Use the Download CSV or Print PDF button at the bottom of the checklist. CSV opens in Excel, Numbers or Google Sheets so you can sort by confidence and re-arrange revision order. The PDF is print-ready for offline use. A free Tutopiya account is required for download — this also unlocks the matching topic resources, notes and worked examples on the Learning Portal.
Yes, the checklist itself is free — you can view, score and re-score every topic on this page without an account. The CSV / PDF downloads and access to matching Tutopiya Learning Portal resources require a free account. There is no payment required at any point; teachers and parents can also use this checklist freely with their students.
Yes. The topics and sub-topics on this page are drawn from the current 2026 Cambridge A Level Literature in English 9695 specification published by Cambridge. Exam boards occasionally tweak weighting or assessment structure mid-cycle, so do a quick sanity-check against the official syllabus PDF when you start your revision and again 4 weeks before the exam.